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Perhaps you met AmeriCorps VISTA Tara Celentano within the last year somewhere around town; yet, you may or may not have known exactly what she was doing here.
Celentano, originally from Portland, Ore., arrived here a year ago. This weekend marked her last in the area. She was the last of three AmeriCorps VISTAs (think domestic Peace Corps volunteers) brought to Globe-Miami through the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension—otherwise known as the outreach arm of the University of Arizona and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Like her predecessors, Laura Gottschalk and Sarah Renkert, Celentano’s job was temporary. It was a one-year gig.
“Basically, we need to work ourselves out of our job, so that the organization will be impacted and improved and able to carry out its projects more effectively,” Celentano explains.
Gottschalk, Renkert, and Celentano were hired consecutively to each help out local programs get grounded in a big way—especially the Globe-Miami Farmers’ Market.
“It was a rewarding experience to share my life in a community like Globe-Miami,” Celentano reflects. “When I arrived, I felt fortunate that the two preceding volunteers had done such a great job, because the community welcomed me with open arms. I didn’t have to build trust.”
In addition to working with the farmers’ market vendors and volunteers throughout last spring and summer, Celentano played a crucial role in organizing the 2013 Arizona Highlands Garden Conference held at Bullion Plaza in the fall, and Gila County’s first Water Fest this spring.
She also partnered with Gila County Superintendent of Schools Linda O’Dell to put 15 Miami schoolteachers and volunteers through the Master Gardeners program, including Lee Kornegay Middle School teacher Michelle Jacott and volunteers Amy Madera Yagla and Odessa Gordon.
Within recent months, Celantano has worked with Jacott, Yagla, Gordon, and master gardener volunteer Jamie Wages to start a school garden at Lee Kornegay Middle School, run by the science club. Celentano taught organic gardening curriculum to the students, who learned how to plant seeds and transplant plants.
As she prepared to leave, Celentano felt confident that both the school garden and the farmers’ market will live on.
The science club has apparently become covet-worthy amongst the younger students in Miami.
“The Bejarano Elementary students are talking about how it’s the cool club to be in,” Celentano says.
As far as the market goes, “There’s so much demand, and there are so many people now, vendors and customers, who are invested in [the market’s] success,” Celentano says. “It will be sustainable. Plus, we have Holly Brantley, who has her heart in it, and is committed to seeing it through.”
Of course, Celentano also gained from the year-long experience.
“I guess you realize as a VISTA maybe the world doesn’t respond to just you being idealistic and enthusiastic all the time,” she says. “Part of the goal with it, I think, is to learn how other communities operate, especially if you’re coming liberal-minded, big heart, idealistic, from a big city, to a place like this.”
Now, Celentano is heading off to another new experience to continue working in agriculture. But this time, she is going to Nepal.
Jenn Walker began writing for Globe Miami Times in 2012 and has been a contributor ever since. Her work has also appeared in Submerge Magazine, Sacramento Press, Sacramento News & Review and California Health Report. She currently teaches Honors English at High Desert Middle School and mentors Globe School District’s robotics team.
