About Me

My family has deep roots in North Central Florida. I'm a seventh generation North Floridian, and my husband John has lived in Gainesville for over 20 years. Between us we have six children, all born in Gainesville, two still living at home. Over the years we've grown to understand the importance of the idea of “being local” – how the health of the economy, the environment, and ourselves are woven into the place we live and our appreciation and support of it. We share a home, the Green House of the Gainesville Catholic Worker, with other folks who are trying to live out intentionally questions concerning community, faith, lifestyle and responsibility.

I have been involved with issues of sustainability and food systems since I came across Wendell Berry's book, The Unsettling of America, in the early 1980s. I have gardened organically for 25 years and worked as an organizer with Florida Organic Growers and the Neighborhood Nutrition Network, with a special emphasis on school gardens as both community supported agriculture and experimental classroom. I have written on and off in a variety of capacities, including co-editing Mom's Network News, a local mom's zine for 5 years, editing "Growing Healthy," the NNN newsletter, and publishing pieces in The Gainesville Sun, The Evergreen News, The Lamp Post, Catholic Rural Life, The Catholic Peace Voice and elsewhere. I also worked for 9 years at St. Augustine Church and Catholic Student Center in Gainesville in spiritual formation and education.

I love pulling together my various passions and finding ways to put them to good use in my community. I believe what we need is here.

We welcome your comments and ideas!

"Geese appear high over us,
pass, and the sky closes. Abandon,
as in love or sleep, holds
them to their way, clear
in the ancient faith: what we need
is here. And we pray, not
for new earth or heaven, but to be
quiet in heart, and in eye,
clear. What we need is here."
-Wendell Berry