Annie Blaine, although new to the Houston area, is no stranger to food advocacy issues. During her final year at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in upstate New York, where she majored in history, Annie realized that she wanted to participate in the food education movement. In New York City, Annie worked for an environmental nonprofit, helping to set up a CSA, connecting it to a farm outside the city, and setting up nutritional cooking classes. Once she moved to Portland, Oregon, Annie worked for an energy efficiency-consulting firm, but decided that she was still missing the educational component, which she believes is essential in food advocacy.After making the trek south to Houston, Annie was eager to discuss networking ideas that would help her ease into the field of education, food security and environmental issues, and in a twist of fate, her contact turned out to be a Recipe for Success board member.
Because Annie knew she wanted to get a "real feel" for what Recipe for Success is all about, she started volunteering in Chef Alyssa's MacGregor classroom and fell in love with the Seed-to-Plate Nutrition EducationÔ program and the students.
"I like the idea that kids get to grow their own vegetables. They were so enthusiastic."
Growing up, Annie ate fresh vegetables from her family garden, attended food-centered lectures and assisted with field studies for the fresh water lab that her grandparents helped to fund in Pennsylvania, a lifestyle that no doubt laid the foundation for her interest in local, healthy food education. An avid traveler and lover of tennis and hiking, Annie's activeness speaks to her passion for a healthy lifestyle.
After living in several areas of the country, Annie looks forward to growing her food advocacy knowledge right here in Houston, Texas.
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