Featured Leader: Tristana Pirkl
We can’t wait to introduce you to Tristana Pirkl, currently the Executive Director of the School Garden Support Organization Network. We first connected with Tristana through the Network Stewards Community of Practice call and are continuously wowed by her brilliance and contributions to this work. Thanks for taking the time to talk with us, Tristana!
About Tristana: Tristana leads up the School Garden Support Organization Network, a peer-to-peer learning network for school garden professionals at any level engaged in garden-based education at school. Previous to her role at the SGSO Network, Tristana lead the Edible Education Programs at Whole Kids Foundation for 9 years, helping to fund, develop and grow innovative programs supporting edible education at schools and non-profits across the United States, Canada and the UK.
On Leadership & Learning
Who are you? (beyond the job title!)
I’m a people person – I love getting to know people, engage with them, learn about them, cook for them, know what they need and what they have to offer. I’m also a food lover. I believe that the act of feeding ourselves is a sacred act we get to engage in every day that has the power to connect us to our land and the people around us.
What inspired you to get involved in food systems work?
I originally got to this work by way of my degree in Human Biology and my focus on Global Public Health. “Health” can mean so many things and is often in the hands and expertise of others. But how we feed ourselves is something we can control and can also drastically improve our health. Because of this, I find the work of food systems to be incredibly empowering and naturally lend itself to grassroots (pun-intended), community drive change, which is I think is essential for the sustainability of our planet and justice for all.
Is there someone who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader? Maybe someone who has been a mentor to you, or someone you look up to. Why and how has this person impacted your life?
It’s hard to pick just one. I’ve been blessed by the example of many leaders who are humble, compassionate and driven by mission over ego. Each of these leaders isn’t afraid to share their love, take care of themselves, and say no when appropriate. They are willing to go against the status quo and carve new paths. They ask the right questions, seek feedback and most importantly, work on themselves.
Something not many of your colleagues know about you or that we wouldn’t expect?
I facilitate a relational meditation practice called Relatefulness, a practice I’ve been benefited from for over a decade.
What does food systems leadership mean to you?
Food Systems leadership to me means creating the optimal scenarios, fertile ground and impactful resources for the people of a community to recognize their own food sovereignty in whatever way that looks like to them. Food is so very personal, connected to one’s history, culture, land and local climate. Just like a gardener does, I believe that leadership in food systems should not dictate what should be done but instead till the soil and create the spaces for seeds to grow into the plants they’re meant to be (the growing analogies are endless here!).
What’s your greatest leadership challenge now? What support would be meaningful from this network?
I get to lead a network and with that comes the almost contradictory task of making decisions with and for a large group of people. I am constantly wondering how best to honor as many voices and needs of our network as possible, while moving forward initiatives that will support our members. Innovative and disruptive practices for how to facilitate group decision making and consensus building would be helpful from this network.
What are you most excited about in your work?
The possibility that every child could have access to a beautiful thriving edible educational space at their school that connects them to where their food comes from and is a space where their culture and community can be reflected and involved, is a possibility that keeps me going and gets me excited. Any step towards that goal is a motivation.
We’d love to hear about your involvement with the FSLN! What’s been one experience that sticks out to you, and how has this impacted you?
I’m always struck by how FSLN operates. Their inclusivity, intentionality, and weaving a sense of belonging is inspiring and instructive to how to run our network. I’ve already learned so many tools and tips from this network.
Dreams for a new way forward
When you imagine an equitable and anti-racist food system, what do you envision?
The ability for all people, regardless of their race or socio economic status to have access to affordable fresh healthy local food that they want, prepared how they want. And this food would be produced in a way that honors the land, animals and people that were involved. This food system would also be decentralized and hyper local, inspired by local and indigenous practices, and not dependent on a capitalistic centralized system. It would be rooted in love and sharing.
What is one action step food systems leaders can take to work towards a more just and equitable food system?
I believe in the power of asking questions, getting curious and engaging in deep listening, assuming that every person’s experience of a situation is valid and different. Taking the time to be curious, listen and integrate is a simple yet powerful action all leaders can take in moving towards a just and equitable food system.
Keeping it real
Let’s talk burnout, it’s a thing – and social change is a long game. How do you balance taking care of yourself with your working commitments?
I’m very strict on my time containers between work and personal life. Over the years, I’ve discovered the activities that bring me back to myself and I schedule them into my calendar every week. I also seek to make time to celebrate our successes and reflect and learn. And a healthy dose of humility – the work will continue on without me and it’s ok if I rest and take a break.
Reflecting on your time in food systems development, what is one thing you know now that you wish you knew when you started out?
The power to do harm is real. Good intentions don’t always cancel out a negative impact. Taking the time to slow down, reflect and check in with stakeholders is helpful in preventing this.
Any words of encouragement or advice to share with your fellow food systems leaders?
The work we’re doing is making an impact. Even if what you do only impacts one person, the ripple effects of that are enormous. It’s hard to comprehend the change of a season in the moment but once it has passed, you can see all that has grown and changed. Take the time to reflect on the impact you’ve made.
Get in touch with Tristana at: [email protected]
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