Taylor Baisey, our warehouse coordinator, joined Farmer Foodshare earlier this summer. In between unloading trucks and managing safety protocols, she found a few minutes to share the inside scoop on what she’s been up to.
You just got back from the Peace Corps. What led you to join Farmer Foodshare?
During undergrad, I worked in public health and nutrition education in the Triangle. Learning about the barriers to accessing food and the resulting effect on individual and community health became an integral part of my education and daily life, and that was a driving factor for me to join the Peace Corps.
In Ghana, I learned more about agriculture’s role in the solution to food insecurity and became even more invested in food as a fundamental right to every single person.
Taylor in Ghana
When I returned to the US, I wanted to get plugged into the Triangle’s food system again, with this new understanding of agriculture and food equity. I liked how Farmer Foodshare’s model bridged supporting NC farmers, which benefits both our planet, economy, and health, and community members suffering from food apartheid. What particularly stood out to me was the emphasis on supporting particularly farmers of color and women farmers, and partnering the provision of food with nutrition education for a sustainable, long-term impact rather than a band-aid to the complex issue of food injustice.
What does a typical day look like for you?
When we arrive in the morning, we all work together to gather the orders for that day and load up the trucks for deliveries and pick-ups. Sometimes I’m on the road, picking produce up from farmers or delivering to consumers. Other days I’m in the warehouse, preparing and maintaining it according to food safety protocols.
We constantly have produce coming in and going out, so there is always something to do in the warehouse. We also pack boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables each week that are then delivered to partners, such as local public schools, so I spend some of my days prepping for packing day, packing all the boxes, and delivering them to our partners.
What seasonal foods are you loving right now?
Blackberries! Peaches! Asian pears! Oh my… 🙈