Usually weekends like the cadre kickoff seem longer. Having been involved with the logistics of bringing a group like the cadre together, being able to be “just a member of the group” was certainly a new and exciting experience. I can see that as a participant it’s easy to miss a lot of the stress that gets put on the organizers.

Overall the weekend was a great mix of socializing, hard work, sharing, and planning. We were able to be outside on the farm in Lincoln on Saturday morning, which was a great opportunity for us to really work together, even if some watermelons suffered as a result. In the evening on Saturday we cooked and ate dinner together. These two activities confirmed for me the fact that food and hard work (whether it’s on the farm or in the kitchen) are two of the best ways that groups of people can come together.

On Saturday we also heard presentations from each cadre member about their project. Hearing the breadth and depth of each project, made me excited to work with this group, and get to know everyone better.

Finally, I was energized and inspired by the time that we took on Sunday to think about what actions we wanted to take on our own and as a group. Everyone seems relatively united around the idea that we have the power to influence policy, and that doing so is one of the more effective actions we can take.

For more info on the BLAST Cadre and the work they do, click here. Ben is a staff member at The Food Project as well as a Cadre member.