Hello, my name is Libby Weiland and I am excited to be joining the Hannah Grimes Center this spring as an intern with the Monadnock Local Living Economy project!  As Collaboration Coordinator, I am working closely with Jen Risley of Hannah Grimes to gather the best practices related to collaboration building.  My research will not only involve gleaning from the good work of groups collaborating in the area, but will also provide interested groups with the tools needed to create even stronger, lasting, and effective collaborative efforts.

My interest in this work comes out of ten years of community work with Community Action Agencies, Cooperative Extension, and other community-based organizations relating to food access and education.  Through this work I have discovered my passion for community and an understanding of the power of groups working effectively together.

This passion brought me to pursue a Master’s degree at Antioch University New England, where I am currently in my final semester of the Environmental Education Program.  Over the past year and half at Antioch I have had the privilege to work on projects including Antioch’s Keene Community Garden Connections (CGC), Cheshire County Conservation District’s Cheshire County Farm and Infrastructure Project, and Great Falls Food Hub’s Access Committee.   I’ve been working with these groups to establish communal garden sites, gather input from residents on the future of community agricultural resources, and develop collaborative efforts to increase access to healthy, affordable food in the region.

Throughout these projects, I have been fortunate to work closely with numerous groups in the area who are working to make our community more resilient and a healthier place to live.  I hope that this spring will be yet another opportunity for me to learn from these groups and to give back something in return.