(Food) Justice for All
Who is Siri Simons?
I have always been a Minnesota child. I lived in three different Twin Cities suburbs before I was 18. As my parents’ first child, I benefited from my mom’s educational background as a preschool teacher. My formative years were in an incredibly supportive, creative environment. I attended acting classes, performed in musicals, painted, read, and danced constantly. One of my favorite books was the Laura Ingalls Wilder series and I spent most of third grade dressing up and acting like Laura. My best friend and I used kerosene lamps that we found at local antique stores and a washing basin from my cabin’s attic. In a lot of ways, the pioneer land ethic was about resource extraction as evidenced by the logging that occurred in Minnesota during that time. I do think, however, that my “Laura” phase instilled in me a desire to work hard, create lasting relationships, and spend more time outside.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
It really depended on my mood. Apparently when I was four, I wanted to be a firefighter, an artist, a ballerina, and a violin player.
Who or what has been influential/inspiring in your life?
Last summer, I left for an adventure to protect wild Alaska through a full-time summer community organizing position. I won a weekend trip to Seward, Alaska—a town nestled at the base of the mountains on the Kenai Peninsula. Three other interns and I spent three days with our major internship funder, Jerry Dixon. Later that summer I learned that Jerry was suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease, a disease in which one’s nerves degenerate and the body slowly stops functioning. Throughout his lifetime, he's been a Yukon River ranger, a philosopher, a biologist, a wilderness ultra marathoner, a climber, a kayaker, an extreme skier, an avid conservationist, a guide, a writer and a teacher.
During my time with Jerry, his illness had started to show; he walked slowly and waited while we rafted the Copper River. He repeated certain songs in French and phrases over and over again. One phrase really struck me. He said, “Life is about passions. You never stop living your dreams.” As simple as it may be, that meant a lot to hear repeatedly from a man who had lived a full life based off dreams and passions. I thought a lot about my own dreams and passions that summer because of Jerry. Even when his time was almost up, he continued to share his passion for protecting wild Alaska with young people, and I hope when I’m his age, my life will still be about my passions too.
What’s an issue you care passionately about?
Food Justice. I believe everyone has the right to local, organic, nutritious food. We all should be able to look down at our plate once a day and know the name of the farmer who provided the food we are consuming. I’m especially passionate about acknowledging traditional agricultural practices like the “Three Sisters” method—a native practice of planting corn, squash, and beans and implementing food solutions in food deserts—areas with poor local, healthy food access.
What interested you about the HECUA program you participated in? What convinced you to apply?
I was interested in HECUA’s focus on community engagement and was convinced by the HECUA student advisor to apply for the rapidly-filling spots in the Fall 2010 ES program. I even went to the HECUA office in person because I was afraid of being wait-listed! I was excited about HECUA’s integrated approach to topics of sustainability. Traditional courses generally focus on one aspect of the environment such as the economy, ecology, or political issues. Instead of sharing many connected issues in a disconnected format, I hoped the program would provide a more holistic view of some of our society’s greatest challenges including their root causes and possible solutions. I was not disappointed! The internship component and focus on community engagement was also a draw for me because I wanted to put a face on the things I was learning in the classroom, but wasn’t linked in with environmental organizations in the Twin Cities yet.
What was your most memorable field speaker or class activity and why?
My field experience with off-reservation fishing rights for indigenous people was one of my most memorable activities because I applied for HECUA hoping to learn more about indigenous issues. In my application I wrote, “Native Americans are one of the Midwest’s unique stakeholders, yet I have learned almost nothing about the role they play in relation to Minnesota’s natural resources.” Developing my publication on indigenous water rights in Minnesota was another significant experience for my interests in environment, water, and social justice. HECUA provided me with the opportunity to spend approximately 75 hours over the course of three months meeting with indigenous Anishinaabe activists to understand the treaty violations occurring in Central Minnesota.
After visiting the White Earth Reservation, attending an 1855 Treaty Rights Conference, and speaking with tribal officials, scholars, and activists, I created a video and article on the water conflict. It was an honor to attend the Treaty Rights conference, especially where many individuals took the time to answer my questions and tell me their stories. I was apprehensive before beginning the project about my presence as a non-native environmentalist regarding a predominantly native issue. As I continued to develop connections, however, I found my role to be important. The activist who I was working most closely with asked me to share his story with the non-native community and to distribute a petition for non-natives to sign in solidarity with the Anishinaabe people. The petition requested the Department of Justice to uphold their right to fish on ceded lands. Through my work, I gained confidence as an activist working with complex issues and diverse stakeholders.
Where did you intern while participating in your HECUA program? What did you like most about your internship? In what area did you grow the most at your internship site?
Frogtown is one of the most vibrant neighborhoods in St. Paul, MN. It also has the lowest income levels, highest crime, and least green-space. Frogtown Gardens, a local initiative to start an urban farm and park, was my host internship site. I liked that my internship was with an emerging organization. Because Frogtown Gardens is two years old, I was able to work closely with my supervisor to observe the process of creating an organization from the ground up. For me, this was an incredibly valuable experience, because I might start my own organization some day.
I developed historical research skills by analyzing primary and secondary documents to develop a publication on the environmental history of Frogtown Garden’s future urban farm site. This included a personal interview with a former resident of the site. My research addressed the parcel's natural history, American Indian occupation, ownership by various nonprofit organizations, and neighborhood enjoyment. The goal of my research was to obtain a chronology of land use on the site and demonstrate its traditional use as charitable space. My research will attract grant funding to acquire the property and continue its use for public good. When Frogtown Garden's project is implemented, the space will provide locally grown, organic food to residents and contribute to a healthier neighborhood with less crime. By increasing green space in the neighborhood, the project will increase ecosystem services, and the farm will raise awareness about organic farmings' environmental benefits. My research experience allows me to network with the many organizations and individuals with which Frogtown Gardens collaborates, gain a broader understanding of urban agriculture, and experience the political structures necessary for reaching my goal: advocating for sustainable agriculture and food access.
What were/are your impressions of your HECUA program director and/or other teaching faculty that took part in leading the program?
Wonderful. Both my program director and staff were perfect in their roles. They were approachable, knowledgeable, organized. Coming from the University of Minnesota, where faculty are stretched to fully assist hundreds of students, I appreciated Julia and Erin a lot. Throughout the semester, they served as mentors personally and academically. I honestly couldn’t think of people who would be more qualified to do their job. Who else can drive a 15-passenger van blasting Girl Talk through snowy southern Minnesota?
How did this HECUA program make an impact on your life and how you think about your future?
HECUA’s Environmental Sustainability semester provided me first-hand experience with sustainable agriculture solutions. The program integrated ecosystem management, social and economic justice, and policy-based strategies for sustainability. Through the semester I visited working farms and met farmers, organizers, and policy-makers. The three days my class spent observing and working on organic farms were particularly salient because they demonstrated the environmental conservation, crop diversity, and sense of community organic farms create. While there, I attended a community discussion on farms’ environmental impacts. The conventional farmers explained that no farmer wants to harm the environment, but they hold varying views on how to protect it. At the event, I saw the importance of collaborating with all farmers for conservation. I began HECUA wondering how to merge my interests in local food systems and policy tools. I ended with a clearer vision of how to do so. The network that I created during HECUA is what I continually go back to when I’m searching for jobs, and I would guess that my first full-time job will come from a HECUA connection.
What’s your post-graduation plan?
I plan to advocate for local food systems at a non-profit in a community organizer role.
What are you excited about these days?
I’m hopeful when I see that I’m not alone. My semester with HECUA felt like the beginnings of a social movement. When twenty three students are excited about making a difference, there’s a really good energy there. I’m hopeful that together, we can collectively act to create new paradigms in our world that emphasize communities, good food, and clean energy.
