New Passion Ignited At The Urban Farm
After completing an impressive eight years of university-level basketball at Youngstown State University in Youngstown Ohio, Macey Edem Nortey has traded in the fast-paced basketball court for the serene Edmonton Urban Farm and has never looked back.
"The Urban Farm has given me a sense of belonging in the city. Because of the opportunity I had through sports to travel and go to school outside of the country, I found myself lost in what my purpose was for this lifetime once I came back to Canada to start my career," Edem Nortey explains.
While Edem Nortey might not have had much exposure to agriculture and farming throughout her university years, her passion was ignited by her work as a Programs Manager with the Students' Association of MacEwan University (SAMU).
After being invited to experience the magic of Explore Edmonton’s Urban Farm by resident gardeners, Edem Nortey says she was immediately hooked. From there, she submitted a request for a small plot of land and opened the experience to the MacEwan student population with the goal of creating a safe space for students to learn about gardening and farming with community members. For Edem Nortey, helping students find community outside of the typical, ever-changing campus ecosystem has been an integral part of her Urban Farm experience.
"I've been back in Canada now for about five years and have been involved with the Urban Farm for a little over two and a half years. I can wholeheartedly say that the farm has given me a sense of belonging in the city," she says with a smile. "After being out of Canada for many years for university basketball, there was a huge culture shock when I came back, let alone moved from my hometown of Toronto to Edmonton.
“Hilariously, being amongst newcomers from all over the world here at the farm made me feel like I belonged. Being able to share this experience with members of the MacEwan community is a feeling like no other."
The importance of a unified and compassionate community is a strong pillar of the Urban Farm, well exercised by its members. Edem Nortey has had the chance to learn about different cultures and ways of farming, as many members of the farm are immigrants to Canada. Having been able to connect with other farmers who share the same respect and relationship to the land, regardless of the language they speak, has given Edem Nortey the chance to create a "second family" in Edmonton.
"It is so inspiring to be with a group of individuals who truly care about the work that we are doing on the farm," Edem Nortey gushes. "We are not just kind to each other; you can tell that everyone wants each other to succeed. I, for one, am so grateful for all the knowledge I have gained from the farmers here."
With guidance and a ton of personal trial and error, Edem Nortey has also learned how to work with Edmonton’s changing growing conditions. She states that her greatest lesson has been that you can put so much effort into preparing your crop to make it perfect, but in the end, it's all in nature's hands. The vast potential differences between seasons are what make every year different.
"We're in the age of recovery right now," Edem Nortey states. "With the pandemic slowing down over the past year, we have all taken a moment to just breathe, and I do think that Mother Nature has done the same.
“When I look around and see other countries represented on the farm, it makes me think about how they also came from growing conditions that were always nearly catastrophic. It has been eye-opening to see what their crops are doing with some of the resources they've used here to continue to grow items from their homeland. Because of them, I have learned that the mindset I need to have while farming here is to always keep going, even if I fail."
Looking into the future, Edem Nortey plans to continue her work at the farm and hopes to introduce more MacEwan students to the world of the Urban Farm.
"I am so grateful to the Edmonton Urban Farm for all the personal and professional growth that I have experienced during my time here. In a deeper sense, this experience has drawn me into an incredibly rewarding and constantly evolving industry where I can continue to grow. I am so excited for my future with the farm."