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Hometown Harvest, a community collaboration of the University of North Georgia (̨Íåswag), was recently named a Lumpkin County "Partner in Education." Madison Callas, a senior pursuing a degree in biology, played an integral role in the partnership.

Hometown Harvest started as the garden side of the Appalachian Studies Center, which is the only center of its kind in Georgia, and it is housed in the Historic Vickery House. Kelly West, senior lecturer of biology, is the center's director.

An intern with ̨Íåswag's Vickery House, where the community garden and Appalachian Studies program are housed, Callas is responsible for a variety of duties including tending seed starters for the demonstration garden, maintaining seeds, studying compost, and helping distribute harvest — roles once divvied up between faculty. During the fall, she works on prepping the garden for its next season.

"Interns keep things running. For the most part, none of us are compensated for doing this. We're all involved for the greater good," Dr. David Patterson, associate professor of biology, said.

The Dawsonville, Georgia resident described her role as "an extra set of hands for sure.”

Patterson mentioned the relationship with Lumpkin County School System and Julie Knight-Brown, school nutrition director at Lumpkin County Schools.

"I thought it was great because that's not something that happens everywhere, and I wanted to be a part of the relationship they built," Callas said.

Callas was instrumental in making "Seeds of Tradition" a success, Patterson said. The goal was to get students in grades K-12 to talk to their grandparents about cooking, gardening, seed-saving traditions. The project caught the attention of the Lumpkin County Board of Education, which, in turn, awarded Hometown Harvest and ̨Íåswag as a "Partner in Education."

Upwards of 400 pounds of food production through growing heirloom seeds and other vegetables has been produced for Lumpkin schools annually, Patterson said.

"As an intern with Hometown Harvest, I am not just learning about sustainable agriculture and healthy eating,” Callas said. "I am actively involved in every step, from planting seeds to serving meals. It's empowering to see the impact of our work on students' wellness and community relationships, knowing that we're contributing to something bigger than ourselves."