Incoming: A Bostonian Intern in Western New York

My name is Leah.  I’m a rising junior at Boston University pursuing a Psychology major and Communication minor.  I am currently interning with Friends of Ganondagan and have already learned a great deal about Native American history and culture.  I first started out two weeks ago with no prior knowledge of or experience with this nonprofit.  I’ve spent most of my time working with the Iroquois White Corn Project (IWCP), a business of the Friends.  Since then, I’ve gotten acquainted with everything from the process of weeding out ugly corn kernels to assisting at the sun-kissed farmers markets where the employees and volunteers sell products from the IWCP, including Hulled White Corn, White Corn Flour, and Roasted White Corn Flour.  

The Friends of Ganondagan’s IWCP has already gained local recognition for its gluten-free, non-GMO corn, the likes of which, in my humble opinion, has greater integrity than any comparable product in the mainstream market.  The average person who comes up to our stand has some awareness of the nutritional deficiencies in the typical varieties of sweet corn, thanks to the recent media spotlight on corporate-owned agriculture.  However, since the power of nostalgia-based food choices cannot be understated, I suggest you read up on the issues surrounding the origins of the food in your grocery bags.  If nothing else, you’ll develop a greater appreciation of the farmers and vendors who drive into the market at five and six in the morning to sell their wares.