Yu-Shing Ni Email and Phone Number

Building capacity of IMPECT staff, promoting the rights and resilience of Indigenous peoples in Thailand, and supporting Indigenous knowledge management and policy changes. The main project I am supporting is with the Indigenous Knowledge Management Institute (IKMI), focusing on the preservation and transmission of traditional knowledge of medicine and healing practices, rotational agriculture, forest and fire management, and mother tongue-based learning.

Developed and piloted garden education curriculum rooted in food sovereignty for communities of color and subsequently prepared and taught groups of 15-35 high school students in the San Fernando Valley. Managed a 1/4-acre urban farm, taking care of our farm's chickens and ducks, greenhouse propagation, planting/pruning/harvesting of food and herb crops, fruit tree orchards, California natives, seed saving, record-keeping, and infrastructure maintenance. Ensured the space serves the primary purposes of: 1) providing a thriving safe green space for BIPOC youth to hang out and learn about growing food and medicine and nourishing themselves in a closed-loop system, 2) providing the Panorama City community with organically grown and culturally relevant produce, and 3) fostering an inclusive space for a mixed-generation community to reconnect with the land.

Presented policy recommendations for the 2023 US Farm Bill to increase land access, funding, resources for BIPOC young farmers in California in USDA, CDFA, district meetings. Participated in (un)learning sessions on building sustained liberationist movements, resisting legacies of colonialism and systemic oppression, and organizing collectively. Initiated a capstone project to increase representation and support for API farmers in CA agriculture. Facilitated cohort workshops, and presented learnings from my research project, highlighting farmers in California and their stories and foodways. Initiated a collaborative national API farmer network that is continually evolving.

Pastry baker at locally-sourced neighborhood bakery-cafe, Milo and Olive. Assisted in all aspects of building a pastry case and wholesale production, including naturally-leavened breads, viennoiserie, and financier.

Grew and distributed organic produce. Led youth education and volunteer groups on the farm. Prepared harvest shares for Warm Springs community, food pantries, schools. Grew Asian crops for API community. Participated in farm business startup classes and facilitated discussion around racial equity in agriculture.

Set up the framework and project tracking resources for Food Shift’s Ecosystem Mapping Project. Facilitated relationships between Alameda County’s for-profit & non-profit food ecosystem stakeholders, with the objective of reducing hunger and food waste in the community. Engaged community members in understanding Senate Bill 1383.

Carried out all aspects of organic vegetable, orchard, and flower production from soil health management, compost, harvest, CSA distribution, farmers market sale, and CDFA-compliant organic production record keeping. Maintained infrastructure, assisted with building projects, and produced value-added goods.

Assisted graduate researcher in the Soil Biogeochemistry and Ecology Lab, studying how arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) influence local carbon cycling.

Represented McGill Global Food Security Club and Buy Your Own Bulk at McGill's Macdonald Campus Fairtrade Campus committee meetings, drafted annual reports, organized Fairtrade Campus week events.

Worked with students and campus community in sorting their waste after meals at McGill Residence Dining Halls, communicating the impacts of food waste, composting, and recycling.

Initiated a research project investigating the potential of biogas effluent for increasing soil fertility and sustainable agriculture in tropical climates, taking field measurements of plant growth/development indicators & applied appropriate treatments and assaying soil samples using chemical analysis to test chemical oxygen demand, ammonia content, phosphorus concentration. Analyzed experimental data and wrote a final report discussing the efficacy of utilizing biogas effluent as inorganic fertilizer alternative.

Led research for creating educational materials regarding food waste & food insecurity in Montreal. Conducted a waste audit at Bishop Mountain Hall Dining Hall. Coordinated a McGill Gold Certified Sustainable Event inviting speakers from McGill University and locally-based food waste up-cycling companies. Managed weekly delivery operations to Old Mission Brewery Soup Kitchen.