Living in California has given me a deep appreciation for food, gardening, and seasonality. Fresh produce is available year-round, from winter citrus to summer berries and the abundance of warm-season vegetables that follows. Gardening here makes it possible to experience food not just as sustenance, but as a reflection of place and climate.
I did not begin my life in California. I grew up in Ohio, where hot, humid summers produce exceptionally sweet corn and where preserving food for the winter months evolved as a practical necessity rather than a hobby. That contrast between regions—between scarcity and abundance—shaped my early interest in food and preservation.
Like many Californians, I arrived here later in life. I came to fulfill my father’s dream of earning a law degree from the University of California. After completing that goal and practicing law for ten years, my path shifted. For the next two decades, I followed my husband’s career in the oil industry, living in Thailand, Texas, Indonesia, and England. Each location offered its own culinary traditions and agricultural specialties, from tropical fruits in Southeast Asia to pecans in Texas and root vegetables in England.
During those years, I earned a library degree and worked at an American university in Thailand. In Indonesia, I volunteered as a docent at the National Museum, and in England, I devoted my time to visiting museums, gardens, and historic houses while participating in multiple book clubs. These experiences reinforced my interest in education, public engagement, and cultural exchange.
When we returned to our home in Moraga in 2016, we faced a neglected landscape dominated by invasive plants. Determined to restore it, I became a UC Master Gardener with Contra Costa County. Through that program, I both educate the public on research-based, sustainable gardening practices and apply those principles at home. I developed a small home orchard and a container vegetable garden, which naturally led to an interest in preserving the harvest when produce arrives all at once.
That interest brought me to the UC Master Food Preserver Online Delivery Program. Although Contra Costa County does not yet have a county-based, in-person program, I was able to participate in this science-based training and collaborate with other Master Food Preservers Program to share safe and reliable preservation methods online with the public. Over the past year, I have been a presenter in programs on fruit leather, pickled mushrooms, apple chutney, and public food-preservation education. I’ve also developed new friendships with fellow Master Food Preservers in the online program.
Returning to California has allowed me to bring together my experiences in education, gardening, and food preservation in a meaningful way. I value the opportunity to continue learning while helping others make informed, safe, and sustainable choices about the food they grow and preserve.