Some like it hot: top hotpots

Wave goodbye to winter with a steaming hotpot

First published on 5 Mar 2013. Updated on 30 Mar 2013.

End winter right with tasty, toasty hotpot. Here are our recommendations for six great spots to pay homage to this favourite winter warmer.

Haidilao
Haidilao's secret? A mysterious pouch of chilli spice and milky broth that'll make your mouth water. Order their hand-pulled noodles; they come with a private table dance! See our venue here.

Manfulou
Specializing in lamb hotpot made Qing Dynasty-style, Manfulou not only offers good food, they offer great scenery, as well. Their lamb comes all the way from Inner Mongolia. Other menu highlights include lamb kebab, sesame pancakes and cuttlefish meat balls. Since 1991, Manfulou has hosted many celebrities, locals and foreigners alike. 36, Dianmen Inner Avenue, Xicheng District (north of Jingshan Park) (Chinese: 36) 010-64030992

Zhenziwei
Instead of the normal oily hotpot broth, Zhenziwei offers Cantonese rice porridge as its base. The grass carp dish is delicious. So are shrimp, cuttlefish and beef meatballs. The carp used are farmfed beans so the meat keeps its taste even after its been sitting in a sticky-rich broth. 8 Xinyuan Xili Zhong Jie, Chaoyang District, , 6465 0514

Aura Hotpot
Looking for a new culinary experience? How about Isaac Asimov-inspireddaxiao mian? At Aura Hotpot, a robot prepares the noodles right in front of you. Try their handmade shrimp balls, fresh-cut lamb or even your choice of tongue-numbing broth. Not a fan of Sichuan peppercorns? No problem. Hotpot is served with a clear, taste-bud-safe broth for those that cant handle the heat. Bldg 2, 8 Minzuyuan Lu, Chaoyang District (on the southeast corner of Minzuyuan Lu and Beitucheng Xilu) 82 (8299 7003)

Taipo Tianfu Sanzhen

Don't expect much meat at Tianfu Sanzhen, which shuns traditional fleshy fare for mushrooms. Here, vegetarians and mushroom enthusiasts will find an array of wild fungi. In fact, Tianfu offers a menu featuring 20 different mushrooms, including jizongjun, niuganjun, songrong, xianggu, and zhusunpicked in Sichuan and Yunnan. See our venue here.

Tomato Hotpot Restaurant

Looking for a twist on the classic hotpot? Try Tomato Hotpot Restaurant, which pays homage to the squishy fruit with a rich tomato broth base stewed for 24 hours. See our venue here.
Khadijah Anderson

Croisements Festival 2013: your definitive guide

The French cultural festival spans myriad artistic styles
First published on 3 Apr 2013. Updated on 13 Aug 2013.

This years Festival Croisments, a French cultural experience, brings music, dance, cinema, circus, theatre and visual arts to Beijing's front door. Here's our top five list.

Croisements Picks
1 Pause by Lynn Pook and Julien Clauss, June 21June 30
Reminiscent of something out of a science fiction film, Pause allows you to 'touch' sound. Co-hosted by Luma Lu and Yuanfen. For more information

see our event page.

3 Duchamp and/or/in China, April 27 - June 16

Marcel Duchamps Bote-en-valise is a collection of many of the artists best works, gathered and displayed as miniature reproductions. See ourevent page.

4 La jete, June 15
A POW who is haunted by a single, recurring image of a woman's face, is chosen as test subject for time travel to rescue mankind in the aftermath of WWIII. For more information, see our event page.

5 Yo Gee Ti, June 15

Choreographer Mourad Merzouki, comes to the city once again with lively and poetic movements. See our event page. Tickets are available from various locations; see event pages for detailed information.

Starting May
Jean-Pierre Raynaud, recent works Xin Dong Cheng Space for Contemporary Art, May 18 - July 30 10am See the latest works by the French artist Jean-Pierre Raynaud.

Starting June
Mix 2 Times Oriental Palace Theater, June 11-12, 7:30pm Enjoy this circus act as French comedic duet performs for families in Beijing.
Members Only Oriental Palace Theater, June 13-16, 7:30pm Members Only, the story of two

associates whose relationship takes a turn for the worse, debuts in Beijing for the first time.
A Room in the City June 14-16, Kempinski Hotel Enjoy a repertoire of room theater that combines

texts, actors, and audience.

Pause, Lynn Pook and Julien Clauss Yuanfen Flow Gallery, June 21-30 A sensory, auditory, and interior

experience that incorporates five hammocks, speakers and a network of sensors.

Masks, Beauty of the Spirits National Museum of China, June 17-August 16, 11am Art exhibit

features 100 masks that reveal the stories of different cultures from around the globe.
Lisa Portelli Mao, June 27, 9:30pm Listen to 24-year-old Lisa Portelli sing rock and strum her guitar at

Mao.
Beijing Music Day Gulou dajie area, June 21, 6pm 33 local acts play in the Gulou dajie area for free on

June 21.

Duchamp and /or/in China Ullens Centre for Contemporary Art, until June 16 Marcel Duchamps Bote-en-valise is a collection of many of the artists best works, gathered and displayed as miniature reproductions. Masques, Beauty of the Spirits A selection of 100 masks representing the deities and spirits from all around the world. Chris Marker Retrospective: Les statues meurent aussi and La jeteChina Film Archive, June 14, 7pm onwards Double-bill followed by a discussion led by acclaimed film critic Li Yang (Blind Shaft). Le statues is an essay film about historical African art and the effects of colonialism, towards a history of the overlooked and the forgotten. La jete is about a POW who is haunted by a single recurring image of a woman's face and who is chosen as a test subject for time travel to rescue mankind in the aftermath of WWIII. Chris Marker Retrospective: 2084; Une Journe d'Andrei Arsenevichand La jete China Film Archive, June 15, 1 pm onwards Triple-bill; 2084 is a critique of France's trade union movement, while Une journe is a loving homage to Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky explored in Marker's inimitable montage style. La jete is about a POW who is haunted by a single recurring image of a woman's face and who is chosen as a test subject for time travel to rescue mankind in the aftermath of WWIII. Chris Marker Retrospective: Loin du Vietnam China Film Archive, June 15, 4pm onwards Omnibus agitprop with contributions from Jean-Luc Godard, Agnes Varda, Claude Lelouch and others, protesting the Vietnam War. Chris Marker Retrospective: Le joli mai and Sans soleil Ullens Centre for Contemporary Art, June 30 Le joli mai is a journalistic survey of people on the streets of Paris in the wake of the Algerian War. Sans soleil is completely unclassifiable and quintessentially Chris Marker.

Starting July
Philippe Jordan conducts the China National Symphony Orchestra National Centre for the Performing Arts,

July 3, 7:30pm Hear Tchakovskis music program performed by a Chinese orchestra conducted by Philippe Jordan and accompanied by first violin Frdrique Laroque.

A look on the young French creation Visual Art Center, July 3-15, 10am See 30 years of French photography at the Visual Art Center.
Visual Symphony National Centre for the Performing Arts, July 3-15, 3:30pmSee exhibition that links

music and visual art.

Emperor Hotel's Fifth Anniversary Party

Enjoy cocktails, finger food and a view at their 5th anniversary bash
First published on 17 Apr 2013. Updated on 19 Apr 2013.

Put on your snazziest duds for the five-star Emperor Hotel's Fifth Anniversary Party Thursday 18. This free event will be held at the rooftop Yin Bar and their first floor cocktail lounge from 7pm until late. Make sure to scope out the wonderful views of Chinas oldest landmarks including the Emperors residence, Forbidden City and more. Yin Bar and the cocktail lounge will serve baijiu cocktails, white and red wine, beer and moreish finger food, plus there'll be a DJ and plenty of festive vibes. All in all, not a bad way to get a start on your weekend. Emperor Hotel's Fifth Anniversary Party is Thursday 18. See event details.

Story telling and story selling: StoryDrive China

Insider industry tips from Prometheus masterminds and more
First published on 8 May 2013. Updated on 29 May 2013.

Whats does the future hold for todays media, and who will get ahead in its changing landscape? How can conventional media compete in a world of blurred distinctions and mingled approaches?

These questions and more are confronted in StoryDrive China's two-day conference looking at this burgeoning industry in Asia. With talks from the masterminds of Prometheus, this promises to be relevant and exciting for industry insiders and laymen alike.

Day One, Wed 29

For writers Key note speaker and American author Jonathan Gottschall; Nick Eliopulos, Editor of Scholastic's Infinity Ring series, gives insights into development, production and the merging of old and new media. For media enthusiasts Chinese market leaders Zhang Zhijun and Bao Yan reveal how publishers explore social networking and mobile apps to their fullest potential; American transmedia guru Matt Costello gives training on how to master cross-media business.

Day Two, Thur 30

For business types Interview with Dr. Markus Dmer, Director Business Development, of German Carlsen/Bonnier Medien Group. Moderated by Holger Volland, Vice President of the Frankfurt Book Fair.

For movie fanatics Story of Sucess III: Prometheus, presented by Casper Delaney and Luke Scott, the executive producer and director for RSA Filmsin the UK. Delaney and Scott will explain how their viral campaign promoting the film masked the boundaries between content and marketing, fiction and reality, story and game. For the full StoryDrive China program, click here. Each conference starts at 8:30am, includes a registration, master classes, a lunch break, coffee break and ends at 6pm. On the last day of the conference and by invitation only, guests are invited to attend a get-together at Migas Bar at 7:30pm.

MAGS MAKING A BUZZ

WHATS THAT MANGA KID DOING ON THE COVER OF MY BUSINESS MAG?

Japanese publishing giant celebrates 200 millionth copy of its manga book by taking over the covers of its 38 magazines

magine the reaction of regular readers of Playboy, Seventeen, Business Jump and 35 other titles in Japan who picked up their February 2011 editions only to nd a cartoon character on the cover. And it wasnt April Fools Day.

Three months earlier, in November 2010, One Piece, Japans best-selling manga, sold its 200 millionth copy in print. To celebrate its success, One Pieces publishing company, Shueisha, announced that the manga would take over all 38 of its magazines covers as part of a month-long promotional campaign in early 2011. Between January 31 and February 28, 2011, anyone who read any of Shueishas magazines, went to the bookstore, travelled through the Shibuya metro station in Tokyo, saw One Piece everywhere they went. Magazine covers as diverse as Seventeen, Playboy, and Subaru all had prominent placement of images of the One Piece hero, Monkey D. Luy. But Shueisha didnt limit its celebratory campaign to promotions on its magazines covers. It also added gifts, a lottery, and an online game. What provoked this national One Piece mania?

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One Piece, created by Eiichiro Oda, was rst published in Japans Weekly Shonen Magazine in 1997. The manga features Monkey D. Luy, a 17-year-old boy on a quest to become the next Pirate King. In 1999, the animated version of One Piece was produced by Toei Animations. One Piece quickly became the most popular manga title in Japans Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. Shueisha realised it had more than just a successful publication on its hands. It had a cultural phenomenon. Shueisha took this opportunity to show that this title should not simply remain a popular series, but should become an iconic part of culture says Shonen Manga Group deputy director Hisashi Sasaki. Planning for the One Piece take-over of more than three dozen Shueisha covers took more than a year. Shueisha wanted the manga to reach more than just manga fans. Shueisha solicited the participation of all its magazine titles which traditionally had very little to do with manga and promoted One Piece as a manga that should be read by readers of all ages, Sasaki says. With their magazine purchase, readers also received gifts. Eight Shueisha magazines came with an original commemorative item while the other thirty magazines gave readers presents through a lottery. Gifts came in all shapes and sizes, from a 3D mouse pad and a hooded dress to a computer keyboard and a

500-piece puzzle. Overall, Shueisha received a quarter of a million lottery entries. Magazines in Japan are mostly sold individually, so readers who purchased a Shueisha magazine received one of several different gifts and were eligible to win the lottery. Also they were given a special code to participate in an online game. The game, which included manga, magazines, bookstores, and the web, had a total of 2,813,161 plays involving more than 284,000 registered players. In the midst of the promotion, Volume 61 of One Piece set a new sales record, becoming the rst book to sell more than 2 million copies in just three days and ultimately hit the highest initial print run of any book in Japan in history with 3.8 million copies . After that, One Piece was on a roll and, in a summary provided by the company, the most recent volume (#64) of One Piece sold four million copies. Not bad for a manga character.

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9 Things to do in Gwangju
Posted on July 1, 2010 by Amy Badenhorst By Khadijah Anderson Ive been thinking about what Gwangju has to offer its foreign visitors and citizens. So yesterday, I wrote a list of nine things that have brought me a lot of enjoyment in the ten months Ive been here. The list has no real order, so pick what you want or try them all.

1. Take pictures in a photo booth with friends

Why: Its a lot of fun! Most places have costumes customers are allowed to wear. It allows the pictures to have more of an umph to them and allows the people in them to act a little sillier than normal. 6,000 won well spent. Where: There are two in Gwangju that I know of. The first is the one near Hollys Coffee. Basically, you go down the main road (past Starbucks) until you hit Paris Baguette, make a right and keep walking until you see the booths. The other one, Ill have to get back to you on.

2. Eat at The First Alleyway and shop at The Underground Grocers

Why: The food is good and the atmosphere is fantastic. Mike Simnings restaurant, The First Alleyway, is the place for foreigners to hangout and eat. The Underground Grocers, co-owned by Simning, is another place foreigners can find those things that they cant at places like Home Plus, Emart or Lotte Mart. For example, Underground sells Rice Krispie treats, sour cream, cheddar cheese, guacamole, biscuits, Tim Tams and Quakers oatmeal. Where: Start at Starbucks on the main road. Make a right at Converse and keep walking. Pass the Angel in us Coffee shop. Before you get to clothing store Evisu, go through the small alleyway, itll be on your left. Site: http://www.ugfoods.co.kr/ 3. Eat at First Nepal Restaurant Why: This is another foreigner hangout, but youll also find many Koreans like it too. The food is fantastic: Palaak Paneer, Alu Gobi, Mutter Paneer, Cheese/Butter/Garlic Naan, Mango/Banana Lassi, samosas and basmati riceIm hungry just thinking about it. Where: Still on the main road downtown, past Starbucks. Keep walking (pass the Burger King, the Paris Baguette, Seven Monkeys Coffee). Youre going to get to an intersection, and youll see a bank on your left. Walk a little further, First Nepal will be on the left. Site: http://www.firstnepal.com/

4. Join/Visit the G.I.C. (Gwangju International Center)

Why: Youll find that for 10,000 won you can get a membership which includes the renting of

books and DVDs anytime you want for six months. Another bonus if you sign up is a copy of the Gwangju News magazineits delivered for free to your house each month. Plus, the GIC offers Saturday discussions about culture in Korea and around the world to help better inform the community. Where: Its straight across the street from the YMCA downtown. Go into the subway station and walk to the other side. Walk up the steps and walk straight, pass the KEB (which is on your left, and go into the glass doors. Take the elevator to the fifth floor, make a right, and youll see a sign that says Gwangju International Center, its open M-S from 10am to 6pm.

5. Have a Drink at the Ethnic Cafe

Why: Have you just wanted to chill with friends or a sweetheart? Ethnic Cafe is the place to do so, grab a smoothie, shake, cocktail and even have hookah. Its Indian style set up and many candles is not to miss. Where: Start at Starbucks, go in the same direction of First Nepal restuarant. Before getting to the bank, hang a right and walk. Youll eventually see a white sign. To get inside the cafe, you must walk down the stairs lined with candles.

6. Bike Ride Along the River

Why: Biking is a really great way to transport yourself around the city of Gwangju. Its good for the environment and good for the body. Biking along the river is quite easy. If you dont have a bike though, no problem. Sangmu Station will let you rent a bike for free, if you hand over your ARC card. Where: All around Gwangju.

7. Take a Class in Something Why: If you are tired of nodding yes and smiling when you dont understand what someone is
saying, why not invest in a Korean class? Luckily, those in Gwangju EPIK are provided with free lessons at Chonnam University. If not in the EPIK program, no worries, there are other options availablepaying for classes at the GIC, or taking up a language exchange. While in Korea, I took up swimming for one month. It was 70,000 won for the membership and I was allowed to use the pool when I wanted for free to 2,000 won on holidays and Sundays. The entire class was in Korean. I got along well with my class and instructor, and the women were really helpful in the changing rooms when I had no idea what to do. Where: Check the Facebook group Gwangju Tri Sports for more. All the information about swimming times, costs and numbers to call are there.

8. Visit the Damyang Sosaewon and Vegetarian Buffet

Why: This place is so beautiful. If youve seen my blog with pictures, youll see exactly why you should go. The vegetarian buffet is amazing! Where: Go to the bus terminal. Wait for bus 225 on the Usquare side. It comes on the 50 or 55 on the hour.

9. Go for a Night on the Town

Why: There are many places one can go for a drink that has loud music and a dance floor on which to go wild. Speakeasy, German Bar, Bubble Bar, Mix lounge, Soul Train, Houze (dance club), Volume (dance club).

Where: Go downtown, ask around, someone is bound to tell you where these places are. People are quite friendly here, so they might even tag along.

Busans The Planet Guesthouse: for women only

Posted on April 1, 2010 By Khadijah Anderson BUSAN I enjoyed my stay here very much. Park Ji Yeong (manager) was the best. She really helped me become familiar with the Haeundae area. On Sunday for an hour and a half we hit up Haeundae Beach, the APEC museum, an awesome bakery, Yatch area, and indie film theater before we parted. I was able to take some great pictures and get a bit of an inside tour of what Haeundae had to offer on my own little adventure. And its all thanks to Ji Yeong . RATINGS: Staff: Awesome, 100%+++ Cleanliness: 100% Beds: Super comfortable, heating pad on each bed makes it toasty for cold nights. I woke up at 8 in the morning and didnt feel a hint of sun from the windows. Also, I slept very soundly. Showers: Great, clean, and didnt need to bring shower stuff, each shower is equipped with shampoo, conditioner and body wash. Breakfast: It was the way some things are made here (sometimes you get shredded cabbage and its dressing is ketchup). On Sunday it was thick toast with butter, strawberry jam, perfectly fried egg, and a zig zag design with ketchup and mustard. The combination wasnt bad at all. The coffee wasnt that great, but there are plenty of places like Tom N Toms, Starbucks, GS 25 and 7 Eleven that offer ones on the go for about 500 won or more. Atmosphere: Very comfortable. I never took a picture of the foot massage, but for a good five minutes or more I relaxed on the couch hogging the machine. People: There were only two other women (Korean) along with me who were in the Guesthouse. But you can expect the place to get full for things like the annual film festival held every year, vacations for those who live in Korea, and pretty much summer time, so reserve your bed in advance. Safety: Valuables and personals are stored in a locker. Over all though, the place was very safe in terms of coming and going. I myself got off the train and left the subway just as it was closing. I walked back to the guesthouse within 10-12 minutes without any harm. It was 12AM. Prices: It doesnt get any better than this, being near the beach and multitude of places to eat, drink and play (beach or club). Reserve online at hostelworld.com: 5,000 won. Once you get there: 27,000 won for bed, 10,000 for keywhich will be returned once you check out. Thats 37,000 won, 10,000 won which you get back. Not bad at all for a one-night stay.

Getting there: Take line 1 (from Nopodong, Bus Terminal) to Yeongsan (line 3) TRANSFER to Suyeong (line 1), final stop is Haeundae, exit 3. For more information, go to The Planet Guesthouse official Web site and press English at the top right hand corner: http://earthlinghome.com I highly recommend The Planet Guesthouse to all women travelers, 100%.

FINGER LAKES ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL BLOG

TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2009

Made in L.A. and Water: Our Life, Our Hope

Posted by Khadijah Anderson at 4:49PM | Add a comment I viewed films Made in L.A. and Water: Our Life, Our Hope today in Smiddy Hall. Made in L.A. (2007; Almundena Carracedo) which I blogged about a while back, was fantastic. After three years of boycotting retail store Forever 21, garment workers came to an agreement with the store's president. Some of the agreement stated that clothing made for Forever 21 be made "under lawful conditions". Instead of making workers work for 12 hours a day, they now were able to work for 8 hours a day. Though the film doesn't mention if the workers low wages were addressed (sewing pants for 11 cents which cost $14 in the store), the smiles on the worker's faces said it all--if one keeps at it, they will see result. Water: Our Life, Our Hope (2006; Chiapas Media Project) was a very interesting film. I learned people in Mexico, Chile, Bolivia, Uruguay, Honduras, and Johannesburg, South Africa are dealing with mass water shortage. The reason this is happening is because water--the source of life for us, animals and plants--is being privatized. French corporations such as Vivendi and Svez and soda company Coca Cola are taking water from communities. According to the film it takes "six additional liters of water for every liter of soda made." If hundreds of thousands of those liter bottles are made a day, you can do the math and figure out people in these small communities are being taken advantage of. A businesses main concern in towns like Chiapas, Mexico (Coca Cola has a factory there) is profit. Big corporations don't care about the people who literally need water to survive. The water problem has become so ridiculous that people in Johannesburg have metered water valves! And it all began with bottled water, and moved to the privatization of water resources (like rivers) in poverty stricken towns. Next time you go to a store, compare the water and juice/soda products--you'll be amazed at the price difference. Water which was once a right is now a privilege. MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2009

America's Fixation on Lawn Care; Gimme Green

Posted by Khadijah Anderson at 1:57PM | 2 comments Today, I went to see the film Gimme Green (2006) directed by Issac Brown and Eric Flagg. In some American suburbs, lawn care is looked upon as a rite of passage. To encourage neighborhood competitiveness, one neighborhood had a "Yard of the Month" contest where a real estate agent would drive around and scout for the houses with the best look (usually a lawn so manicured it looked fake). One man actually vacuumed his fiber glass yard--painted green to look like real grass! In this film people took lawn care to an extreme.

Here are some quotes from the film: "$40 billion a year is spend on lawns in the U.S.A." "200 gallons of water per person is used every day [on lawns]." This is a pretty serious problem--way too much water is being used based on the fact people care more about outward appearances than helping those who don't have water to drink. Though the alternative to grass is replacing it with artificial turf, the water problem is long from over.

Local Farmer to Help Families in Need

By Khadijah Anderson | May 2nd, 2008 | News & Views

Fools Hill Farm spans 25 acres near a narrow, hilly road in Spencer, N.Y. Rows of broccoli and cauliflower will soon grow into fresh vegetables. Tree branches tepee-formed near the farms gate are bean trellises. In the chicken coop lined with layers of hay are 30 laying hens. The farms watch dog runs back and forth on the path to a large pond in a nearby field thats big enough for swimming and fishing. On the outskirts of the woods are withered wild blueberry bushes and mushrooms. The owner of this farm is 31-year-old Travis Hutchins. Hutchins will also be getting more chickens and rabbits for meat produce in June. Two years ago, Hutchins bought the farm in hope of growing organic, or pesticide-free, food for local low-income families. But his plans had to change. Certification can be expensive, Hutchins says. As a result, his crops will not be certified organic. Instead, he plans to call his food natural, hoping a trust will be developed between the customers and farmer. Hutchins intends to keep some organic practices on his farm. He wont use any chemical pesticides, herbicides or petroleum products except for vehicle use. He plans on adopting a red worm compost. For manure, he will use droppings from the American White or Blue rabbit which is the only manure you can put on your soil without composting it first, he says. Hutchins dream is to help people who cant afford to pay the premium on locally grown foods. In efforts to subsidize costs for lower-income families, Hutchins hopes to sell his produce on a sliding scale. He also plans on creating an application process where people with financial need can sign up to become members of the farm. They will get a membership card with a discount on it, for their purchases at the Ithaca Farmers Market. At the beginning of April next year, Hutchins will sell tomatoes, cucumbers, salad greens, artichokes, asparagus and meat. This year, it is about organizing, making a business plan and getting ready for what Hutchins wants to come next.

Hutchins had a dream of farming ever since he was in high school. Ive always wanted a homestead [to] raise my own food, he says. As a child, Hutchins grew up in the worn-down factory town of Kokomo, Ind., where 50 to 60 percent of the population lived below the poverty level. Because his mother and stepfather were in search of employment, the family moved to southern California while he was in fifth grade. There they lived in a school-bus-turned-camper as the real Beverly Hillbillies, he says. Growing up the way I did, growing up poor, I had a desire to go, Hutchins says. He tried taking some business courses at a local college after he graduated high school, but soon realized it wasnt for him. Instead, he decided to follow his favorite band, Phish, on their U.S. tour. During his journey he traveled to Phoenix, Ariz., and Buffalo, N.Y. Eventually while in his twenties, he returned to Indiana and ran a screen printing business for five years. While visiting friends in the Ithaca area with his fiance, Carrie Nolan, a special education teacher, Hutchins knew he wanted to live there. That weekend he got a job at Blue Heron, an organic farm in Lodi, N.Y., where he learned about farm labor soon finding he needed to do something more in his life. The only way Im going to be happy, he says, is when Im helping out. John Cornwell, 32, a farm laborer who worked with Hutchins at Blue Heron, says Hutchins is enthusiastic and dedicated to his work. Hes a very passionate person his main passion lies in farming. Nolan was excited when Hutchins decided to go for his vision. He really loved farming he wanted a job where he helped others, she says. Last summer, Nolan helped work on the farm, doing such jobs as planting, weeding, picking and helping with the chickens. Everyone was disappointed when I didnt have any to bring in, she says, mentioning she sold eggs to her co-workers at Fall Creek Elementary. At the moment, Hutchins immediate goals are to begin gardening and raising livestock. Since fruit trees take years to grow, he plans to plant an orchard of apple, grape and pear trees in addition to different types of berries. Cornwell thinks Hutchins initiative is selfless, since marketing to low-income families will likely affect the profits of the farm. For him to be doing that is something special, Cornwell says, and hes more than capable of doing it.