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Farming, foraging, feeding myself...and teaching others all about it.
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By Erin Bingham
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Erin Bingham '05 is at home on the farm
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Dear fellow '05s,
Since I never got sucked into the social networking tool frenzy while at Dartmouth, and I have yet to understand Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and all of the other entities I haven't even heard of, the editors of The Face Times asked me to write an update about myself for their venerable publication (ironically enough, to be posted on Facebook). Perhaps someday I will be plugged into all of these valuable virtual networks, but for the time being, I will continue spending my free time working in my garden, foraging for mushroom in the woods, finding boulders to climb on, cooking, baking, knitting and doing yoga.
As the title of my letter implies, I have been doing quite a bit of farming since graduation, having worked on farms in Nebraska, Washington, Connecticut, Maine and Pennsylvania (where I currently reside). Prior to working on these farms, I spent two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Bolivia where I dedicated myself to teaching others about beekeeping - something I knew nothing about beforehand, but has now become a lifetime hobby of mine.
After working so closely with food and people over the past five years, I am constantly reminded that humans share one commonality despite great cultural and educational divides ... we all eat! And since I am so passionate about farming, foraging, baking and cooking, I decided to develop a career centered around educating people about food: how to grow it organically, how to cook it nutritionally, where you can find it in the woods or in your own backyard, what is in it and how our bodies absorb it. I am currently working on a business plan that will combine farming, nutrition and healthy lifestyle decisions in the hopes that I will one day be able to pass on my knowledge to others, which will empower them to make healthier decisions around eating and living.
Digging in the Dirt and Doing Yoga with Erin Bingham (rain or shine!)
Are you arriving early to this year's reunion? Would you like to get your hands dirty on Thursday afternoon? Would you like to visit the College's Organic Farm?
If so, join me at The Dartmouth College Organic Farm on Thursday, June 16. I will be transplanting, weeding, hoeing, and gardening from 1:00 - 3:00. I will then host a free yoga class from 3:00 - 4:00 (no gardening required to take the yoga class). If you plan on attending the yoga class, please bring a matt or towel with you, unless you don't mind doing yoga in the grass or carpet.
We'll be outside if the weather is right, but the old dairy farm's house provides a cozy environment for chatting and doing yoga if the weather is disagreeable.
I would love to see you at the farm, so if you will be in Hanover early, consider digging in the dirt and doing some yoga with me.
The Farm is located 3 miles north of campus along the Connecticut River at 100 Lyme Road.
--Erin Bingham
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Further inspiring me to pursue this business idea is the national dialogue that has emerged around food -- not only in the political arena, but also in newspapers and magazines, on TV, and in the theater. Recent documentaries such as Food Inc., Fresh, and Killer At Large are among must-sees if you want to learn more about your food, where it comes from, and how it is affecting your health. Authors and journalists such as Michael Pollan and Nicholas Kristoff are writing books and op-eds about how our industrial food system is slowly killing us. There is even a popular TV program, Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, airing on ABC, in which he tries to improve the eating habits of those in Huntingdon, Virginia - statistically, one of the unhealthiest cities in the United States.
So ... you may be asking yourself how am I gaining this knowledge? And where am I learning it from?
Well, I know that I learn best through experience, so I have been practicing what I preach: I grow my own food, work on farms, keep bees, experiment in the kitchen, consult with a personal nutritionist, talk to people who work in the field, and try very hard to make decisions that support my own health and nutrition.
Secondly, I read books about farming, cooking, canning, dehydrating, nutrition, yoga, and the politics of food by authors such as Michael Pollan, Eliot Coleman, John Jeavons, Marion Nestle and Joshua Rosenthal, just to name a few.
Thirdly, I teach others about what I am learning: I currently teach classes on composting, herb gardening, native plants, and farming at a local nursery. I also teach yoga and weave a lot of subtle advice into my classes around nutritional eating and healthy lifestyle decisions. Furthermore, at the end of the summer, I will begin teaching classes with my nutritionist at her wellness center.
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Feeding time
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Finally, I have been attending "alternative" educational institutes. I received my yoga teaching certification in November at The Kripalu Institute for Yoga and Health (www.kripalu.org), and this past February started taking distance learning classes through The Institute for Integrative Nutrition (www.integrativenutrition.org). Although getting a masters in nutrition, becoming a nurse, or getting a Doctor of Osteopathy or Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine have all crossed my mind, for now I am enjoying freedom from conventional formulaic methods of studying and learning and I will simply continue to do so on my own until I feel that I have reached a plateau.
If what I have been up to interests you at all, feel free to shoot me an email at bingham.erin@gmail.com. I will also be in Hanover for the reunion, so come find me if you would like to chat. And, finally, if you will be arriving early to the reunion, please read on to learn about a free event that I will host at The Dartmouth College Organic Farm: Digging in the Dirt and Doing Yoga.
Take care everyone, and although I probably won't be seeing you in cyberspace, if you are attending the reunion, perhaps I will see you in person.
Sincerely,
Erin Bingham
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