From Compost to City Planning: Erika Brandt

Name

Erika Brandt

Current place of residence

Carrboro, NC, USA

What is your current occupation/work?

I'm a Masters student in City and Regional Planning at UNC.

When and where did you work with Maurice?

2014

For how long did you work with Maurice?

About 9 months here and there (Oct '13 - Aug '14), and then for about a month more regularly (Aug - Sep '14)

What kind of work did you do when you worked with Maurice?

Planting, watering, weeding, building beds, shoveling dirt, construction on mushroom project

What kind of growth/transformation happened for you (and/or for the people you served) because of your work with Maurice?

I learned a lot about gardening and composting. I thought about the roles that gardening and farming play in people's lives on both a personal and community level. How it shapes and is shaped by the history of a place, its culture, its values, its economics. Thinking about sustainable agriculture and food justice is definitely something that I have carried with me into my graduate schooling in City & Regional Planning, and intend to carry with me once I enter the field as a professional.

How has working with Maurice benefitted you and/or uplifted you?

Beyond knowledge gained, Maurice is a refreshing person to spend time with. Always interesting questions and conversations that break you out of your normal, set way of thinking or looking at life.

What would you say to someone who is interested in working with Maurice in the future?

Do it. You'll learn a lot.