Computacion

Gerardo H. Benavides
8700 Carriage Hills Drive
Columbia, MD 21046

August 25th, 2011

ECO City Farms
4913 Crittenden Street
Edmonston, MD 20781

ECO City Farms,

I am writing to apply forthe Urban Farm Apprentice position posted on the ECO City Farms website. I am a senior at the University of Maryland-College Park studying sociology and discovered this position through the ECO Citywebsite.

My coursework at the university emphasizes the examination of social phenomena, processes, and constructs and how we use and study each, respectively, in our daily lives to make senseof the world we live in. Sociology systematizes society in order to examine why individuals, groups, and institutions function the way they do, and what the byproduct of certain social behavior canmean for society at a micro and macro-level. My studies often intertwine sociological concepts and frameworks with various social issues that are of great concern today. By applying such lessons from mystudies to examine various sectors of society, one begins to understand why issues like poverty, homelessness, racial inequality, and environmental degradation exist. When it comes to questions aboutsustainable development and urban farming, sociology looks at various underpinnings to try and figure out why some environments are more conducive to sustainable living, and why other areas and theinstitutions controlling those areas could care less about preserving the natural state of the world we live in.

This past summer, I have been volunteering weekly at ECO City Farms through Terpsfor Change. My volunteer work has ranged from watering crops, to harvesting pea shoots and kale; from creating bokashi compost first-hand, to weeding and smothering unused land in hopes of making itfertile for the upcoming season. On days I have volunteered, I have always been punctual and willing to lend an extra hand wherever there is need for one. Under an apprentice position, I truly feel...