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AGRICULTURAL IMMERSION

Despite the challenges surrounding the global pandemic, Taliesin Preservation is managing to continue our innovative Food Artisan Immersion Program (FAIP) with a small cohort this year. Meet our 2020 participants and learn more about what drew them to this unique opportunity in Southern Wisconsin.

Delaney: I am from Chicago and graduated from UW-Madison this December (having studied environmental science and agronomy). I heard of the FAIP program from one of my friends at Slow Food UW, who participated in FAIP last year. After studying food systems issues in school, I wanted to join the program to gain more hands on experience cooking and cultivating food. One of my favorite parts of FAIP so far has been learning about foraging and the wild edible plants of Wisconsin—and I can’t wait to harvest more! After my time in FAIP, I will be returning to UW-Madison to pursue a master’s in agroecology (the study of ecological processes applied to agricultural production systems).

Dylan: A recent graduate of the University of Maryland, I studied environmental science, environmental policy, and anthropology. I also hosted a radio show, “The Community Garden”, on which I interviewed individuals who imbued positivity and generated change in and around the campus community. In my pursuit of community, I recognized that food is at the nexus of personal health, environmental stewardship, racial and economic justice, cultural preservation, and much more. So I joined the Food Artisan Immersion Program to further my understanding of the intersectionality of food.

Emily: I am a graduate from England who wants a career in food that’s more than just cooking. I wanted to join the FAIP program this year because I love all aspects of food; and want to learn about everything that goes into making it taste the best that it can. I am most looking forward to finding out about how the best ingredients are cultivated, as well as connecting with the food community around Spring Green.

Eva: I’m from Cross Plains, WI and graduated this May from Grinnell College with a degree in mathematics. While I’ll always love math and the ways it inspires me to think and communicate, I’ve increasingly grown more passionate about food and food systems over the past few years. This interest led me to FAIP—I wanted hands-on experience learning about the entire food system, from gardening and farming to flavors and colors to the social, cultural, and economic factors of consumption. I’m excited to meet the Riverview Terrace Café’s many local partners and discover the interconnected ways people involve themselves in regional food systems.

Melina: I joined the program on a recommendation after working with the landscaping and grounds crew on the estate in 2019. I am unsure as to where I want the content I am currently learning in this program to take me. The knowledge I acquire will feed into the career path I choose beyond this experience. I hope to discover that path through the farmers, food alliances and collaborations the program introduces me to.

Keep taps on what this year’s apprentices are cooking up onsite Thursday-Monday in the Riverview Terrace Cafe at: taliesinpreservation.org/cafe/hours-menu/