Sammy will be serving as the Farm Storyteller through Americorps VISTA for the next year. He is originally from Portland, Oregon, but he has been living in the St. Louis area since 2004 – and has been a resident of Ferguson since 2020. While his background is in music education and performance, Sammy has an undying love for things that grow, especially trees, flowers, students, and of course food.
Sammy is always seeking to deepen his connection with and respect for our Mother Earth. Since moving to Ferguson, he has been busy outside replacing grass and weeds with food, medicine, and native MO plants. He enjoys sharing his homegrown okra and wild strawberries with his neighbors, and loves to show the neighborhood children which “weeds” are actually edible plants. He aims to sow this attitude of giving and sharing freely (whether it’s fresh veggies, plants/seeds, or plant knowledge), far and wide.
“Plants are so generous. They work so hard to turn soil, air, water, and sunlight into food (and much more) and then they give it away. I hope that I can be like a plant in this way in my year of service at EarthDance. You know? To be hardworking, and generous, and to grow.”
ID: Sammy sits on the ground in the carrot beds at EarthDance on a cloudless sunny day. He is cradling a large orange carrot in his arms. He looks at the camera with his head tilted and a gentle close-lipped smile.