The Kale Project ambassadors are wonderful individuals who have worked with local producers in their regions to grow kale and supporting the local agricultural community. They share their stories on thekaleproject.com, do kale tastings in their area and work with local farmers. If you are interested in being an ambassador for The Kale Project, fill out the form below or send an email to kristen@thekaleproject.com
Christy Kalan. Murcia, Spain.
In 2012 Christy began a transition from life in the East Village, NYC to life in La Cueva, Murcia, Spain in order to get to know her husband’s native country and simplify his commute. Although generally adapting well to a life with fewer choices, Christy missed finding kale, a vegetable she had eaten since childhood, and so began her search for “kale in Spain.” Her Greek grandmother’s green thumb did not get passed down, but she’s lucky to have moved to the “huerta” where there are plenty of farmers.
In previous lives Christy ran operations departments and managed projects for a Swedish exchange student program, a U.S. student travel company, and a NYC university, and she holds degrees in English Literature (Colgate University) and Business (The Wharton School). She hopes all of this experience will serve her well as The Kale Project’s Spanish ambassador, and she looks forward to sharing stories about her own effort to support the global movement for local and sustainable agriculture. Read more about kale in Spain.
For more information on kale in Spain, contact: christy@thekaleproject.com
Virginie-Alvine Perette. Saint Lunaire, France.
Born and raised in New York City, Virginie-Alvine Perrette is a graduate of Stanford University and former environmental lawyer. Since 1999, she has worked as a documentary filmmaker, for nonprofits (www.2spotdigital) and on her own (www.TwilightBecomesNight.com). Currently living in France, she is very active in the promotion of organic farming, replanting of hedgerows, maintaining vanishing breeds of sheep local to Brittany, development of CSAs, and especially helping to re-introduce Kale (organic!) to France. Her mission is to help preserve and grow the agricultural landscape in the area around Saint-Lunaire, in collaboration with communities both in France and beyond. Read more about kale in Saint Lunaire here.
Katharine Lehtila Giery. Basque Country, Spain.
Katharine was born and raised on a moss-draped island in southeast Georgia. She spent every waking moment as a child either riding horses or exploring the woods, and she learned how to hunt and clean a deer by age thirteen (really). After graduating from the University of Georgia in Athens, she decided she needed a bit of adventure before facing the “real” world, and she accepted a teaching job in the Basque Country of Spain. She packed her suitcase in the fall of 2009 and has been living the the Basque Country ever since. Her time there has included attending culinary school, restaurant work, teaching cooking classes, on-and-off blogging, and always trying to improve her photography.
Never one for having a green thumb, Katharine’s first foray into gardening as a child involved tearing up and burying handfuls of mint leaves around the edges of her grandfather’s garden, which resulted in several lifetimes’ worth of mint by summer’s end. Luckily, farmers and gardeners in the Basque Country have a bit more skill and finesse when it comes to their methods.
Growing up in the South meant eating plenty of vegetables like collards, mustards, and turnip greens, but not a lot of kale. Though she’d only tried kale a few times, she missed it when she realized she couldn’t buy it in the Basque Country, and she decided to take matters into her own hands and contacted Kristen.
Katharine’s kale-tale is just beginning, and she’s looking forward to sharing whatever brassica-related adventures are sure to come. You can see what she’s seeing and read what she’s saying by following her on social media @katharinejr and checking out her kale blog at kaleankale.wordpress.com
Want to bring kale to your neck of the woods?