Welcome, FINE Intern Henry Tardiff!
FINE is excited to welcome aboard Henry Tardiff as a FINE intern this semester! Henry comes to us from University of Southern Maine and will be applying his deep skillset to numerous projects, including helping us plan the 2027 Northeast Farm to Institution Summit.
"Henry's curiosity and thoughtfulness are already apparent," comments FINE's Project Director Dana Stevens, "and we are thrilled to be adding Henry to the team this spring."
Read on to get to know him!
Hello! My name is Henry (he/him) and I am joining the FINE team as a student intern while attending the University of Southern Maine for psychology.
This spring I am excited to contribute to the planning of the 2027 Northeast Farm to Institution Summit as well as the development of case studies within the Rooted In Community Story and Impact center.
Originally majoring in Sustainable Agriculture at UMaine Orono, I gained experience in coursework related to food systems and human nutrition. In 2024, I transferred to USM where I study psychology and anthropology while incorporating my coursework in food sciences and nutrition into my academic work as the intersection deeply fascinates me. I am passionate about how food systems impact communities and believe that everyone deserves access to culturally appropriate and nutritious food that meets their needs, made possible through sustainable, regenerative systems and value chains.
It is truly a privilege to work with FINE as they embody these same values surrounding food systems on a local and institutional level, and I believe that my participation with projects at FINE will provide me with even more opportunities to enact them–interacting with community members for the Rooted in Community project as well as networking with FINE summit participants in order to provide the ideal space to properly facilitate discussions and activities that contribute to FINE’s work.
Part of what stood out to me about FINE was their commitment to racial justice and emphasis on the importance of culturally connected food when considering their institutional impact. FINE’s partnership with the Cumberland County Food Security Council (CCFSC) and support of the Halal School’s Meals Network has demonstrated the impact of culturally connected food within institutions by ensuring all students attending all Portland public schools and Westbrook high and middle schools have access to 3rd-party certified Halal lunches to fuel their learning throughout the school day. I have a personal connection to this project as I attended Westbrook Middle School and witnessed instances where some of my Muslim friends weren't always able to have what was being served or were limited to certain options some days. I am delighted to see that now, thanks to the ongoing work of the CCFSC and Food For All Services, both Muslim and non-Muslim students can share the same meals together at the cafeteria table, and am excited to highlight similar cases in the Rooted In Community Story and Impact Center.
Reach out to me at henry@farmtoinstitution.org!