In 2021 I produced, marketed, and successfully sold thousands of units of preserves and ferments in this new role at Tasting Counter. My responsibilities included recipe testing and development, producing seasonal small-batch preserves and traditional ferments, maintaining a reliable and friendly presence at multiple local farmers markets & stockists, and educating customers about the unique products and how to use them. In 2022 I aim to multiply the success of this product line in terms of units produced, markets attended, and new customers reached.

a rascal relish is a small business and personal project through which I offer my services as a food and garden educator and consultant, share my work as a quilter and community herbalist via a webshop and craft fairs, and publish recipes and essays in a newsletter and blog. in 2022 a rascal relish is transforming once again -- more info can be found on my website www.arascalrelish.com

As assistant manager, I was responsible for managing wholesale accounts, maintaining monthly sales reports across 4 stores, overseeing my co-workers and our daily systems at the Cold Spring location, communicating regularly with my superiors, and all of the requisite tasks of a salesperson in a boutique gift shop, such as receiving and processing orders, exceeding the daily sales goals, creating and fostering relationships with local customers and neighboring businesses, and keeping the store looking and smelling sparkly and cute. I sincerely loved this job and was sad to leave it when I moved out of state!

I managed the Park Slope Wednesday and Sunday year-round farmers markets in Brooklyn for 3.5 years, as well as filling in for other managers at other markets across NYC on occasion. I built strong, warm, professional relationships with scores of small farmers and food producers from the northeast, making sure that they had the support they needed to succeed at our markets while also ensuring that it was a safe environment for vendors and customers alike. This required a lot of flexibility and patience as entrepreneurs are almost comically difficult to manage! I have maintained a friendly and professional relationship with my manager at Down to Earth and dozens of the vendors I spent my Sundays with for those years, and am so grateful to this job for teaching me the real magic of farmers markets.

I was responsible for hiring, training, managing, and firing educators; maintaining communications between ~75 educators teaching at 150+ sites a week; developing multiple curricula with unique age- and culturally-appropriate vegetarian recipes, including allergen safe versions; exploring new programming and partners in collaboration with the founder; executing site visits and educator evaluations on a semesterly basis; ordering, assembling, and delivering culinary kits to new sites; and teaching a few classes myself.

I teach after school cooking classes in DYCD funded programs to students in preschool through 8th grade.

I assist the founder of ATS in managing and training educators, liaising with schools and after school programs, and creating our curriculum.

I teach family and senior cooking & wellness classes for BSCAH, and work as a consultant for other programs and projects related to food procurement, distribution, and education. My classes focus on how to prepare healthy meals with fresh vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein; accessible and simple ways to increase activity and exercise daily; and basic, applicable gardening skills for urban residents.

Two full years as general manager and requisite execution of all duties relating to staff, inventory and ordering, payroll, and maintenance of a small, efficient, and fast-paced kitchen; accomplishments include creation and implementation of a catering program and assisting the business owner in opening up third successful business in 2015.My primary role was as an assistant to the business owner as a manager, staff member, and full-time personal assistant; trusted with managing money and staff, creating programs to better serve the business, and representing the business and owner to the community as well as local, state, and federal licensing bodies and individuals. I managed a 10+ person staff, and had all responsibilities therein, including hiring, training, supervision, discipline, and firing. I honed my interpersonal, organizational, time-management, and self-care skills while managing a successful seasonal business and working 50+ hour weeks while on-call 24/7 for over 2 years, as well as volunteering at least 6 hours a week.My related food service skills practiced and gained at this job include: - safe and efficient food preparation in primarily small kitchens; I'm extremely comfortable working in any kitchen and adapting based on circumstance, ingredients, tools, etc., and always looking to improve my skills and techniques- creation of seasonal specials using local ingredients that highlight the primary product and attract new customers- establishment and growth of positive relationships with neighboring businesses, local distributors, and customers- excellent customer service, multitasking, and problem-solving abilities.

Sorting, delivering, picking up, sending mail, and selling postage at the college.

I was one of three teachers at an eight week summer program designed to educate elementary aged children about food production, consumption, and waste in an effort to encourage a healthy and responsible relationship with food sources. I helped to create weekly learning plans based on the experience of the previous week and the composition of the current week’s classes. During my time at Wright-Locke, I researched, practiced, and gained an immense amount of experience working with laying hens, territorial roosters, honey bees, lambs, farmers, and farmhands.

Several years experience interfacing with college administrators as an elected representative to voice my peers’ concerns and further their interests in the community; policy-writing and implementation with an understanding of compliance to federal norms.

I was a nanny for two small children off and on for four years, with duties such as driving the kids to and from daycare and school, doing outdoor and extracurricular activities, helping to augment their education with constructive and creative crafts, reading tutoring, and speaking to them bilingually in English and Spanish.

I worked as a counselor at this daycamp during the summers of 2007, 2008, and 2010. I supervised elementary aged children at a day camp as they did swimming and tennis lessons, various arts and crafts projects, and team-building and leadership activities. The biggest challenge was learning how to be responsible and accountable in my position with all of my closest friends as coworkers.