Spring is here in Homer and the gardeners are chomping at the bit to get outside and get in the dirt. I know because I’m one of them, but I also know because of the more than 60 folks who have taken gardening classes in the last few weeks. Growing your own food is super gratifying, helps the pocket book and feeds you well. What more could you ask for?

And what more could I ask for than a super excited, idealistic, motivated VISTA volunteer to help connect our local food resources? Sara Conyers, the Homer Farmers’ Market’s new VISTA, is like spring all year round. Sara has dreams of farmers here in Homer one day supplying the restaurants, supplying local cafeterias and basically feeding our town local healthy food and creating a strong resilient economy. We’re a long way from that, but Sara lives here in town and plans on staying, so don’t expect her to give up any time soon.

Being a VISTA, however, is not easy. Idealism doesn’t pay the bills. I want to say a huge thank you to the Homer Foundation for connecting us to the Cottonwood Fund and the Gooseberry Fund. The donors to these funds are going to help Sara pay for housing, an expense that the VISTA salary doesn’t cover well. With this help, Sara can focus on the community instead of stressing so much about bills.

The help this community has shown toward Sara and the projects she works on has been tremendous. You gotta love this town.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.