Ellen admits she would be challenged to do all she does without the help of Clement Garnier from France, a 6-month intern assigned to the GR Mini-Farm. As Ellen's assistant, Clement (Clem) is challenged to do a little of everything on the farm and to experience the farm as the real source of food for not only staff and interns, but also the Golden Rule Church community and others.
The importance of world food and hunger issues became clear to Clem early in his life, when hunger riots spread through many countries of the world, the year before he traveled to India. He was persuaded to tackle these issues and subsequently completed a Master's Degree in Agricultural Development and Economic Policies. He learned a great deal of theoretical information, but felt he lacked practical experience. He's certainly making up for that lack during this growing season!
When he returns to France, he hopes to manage a garden that works with marginalized people—not just people who are poor, but also those who are socially excluded. He told me there are also opportunities to work in municipal gardens that target poor people and that are designed to help people provide food for themselves. Clement hopes he'll be able to train others in GB techniques within one of these contexts.
