September! Lovely to see you again! This summer flew by like an absolute whirlwind and we’re trying to revel in the last few days. I’ve heard September referred to as “locals summer” here on the island… meaning the crush of summer folks and tourists has subsided and the weather is still lovely enough to enjoy all the island has to offer. For us, that means getting out on our little Beetle Cat “Curd” as much as possible before we have to pull her out of the water.
Alex has been spending lots of time in the shop (our family’s coffee shop Catboat Coffee Co.) and I’ve been wrangling Aurora while trying to stay cheesy and stay involved in the island community. At the beginning of the summer, I started a project-based Vision Fellowship with the Martha’s Vineyard Commission. For the next two years I’ll be working as a Climate Change Communications Specialist focusing on The Vineyard Way, Climate Action Plan. I’ve continued on as the Food Vendor Coordinator for Vineyard Haven First Fridays, which has been a great way to stay engaged in the Vineyard Haven business community and culture scene. And in addition to all that, I’ve been doing all the digital marketing and social media management for Catboat Coffee Co., which could easily be a full time job in it’s own right! This nexus of community-food-sustainability-agriculture-communication is where I love being situated.
I’m in this season of life where I’m prioritizing growing our family but I haven’t lost the desire to stay connected to my professional aspirations. I’m lucky that all my activities are very, very flexible and can work around our rapidly developing 9 month old! Speaking of professional aspirations… I’m so excited to be heading to CHEESE CAMP at Jasper Hill Farm in about a week. This 3 day, immersive 201-level experience will dive into cheesemaking process from grass to creamery to caves to palate, and I’ll gain in-depth knowledge of the cheese production process. While I’m off-island I’m also going to participate in the Vermont Cheese Summit and the Massachusetts Cheese Festival. I’m so excited to connect with my cheese community and bring back my learnings to the island! I’m hoping to collab with a few more venues and organizations this fall – stay tuned!
I hope you all enjoy these last few delicious days of summer – stay cheesy, friends!
– Morgen
