Stella Xu, B.A.

Year: 
2022

Major and Concentration:
East Asian Studies

Past Position:
Summer Intern, 2020

Meet Stella Xu ’22!

Stella was drawn to the YSFI because of its hands-on and interactive learning environment, full of knowledge beyond what she’s found in most classrooms. Her growing interest in sustainable agriculture, food systems, and DIY projects falls in line with the focus of the internship, so she’s happy to hone her skills and learn more.⠀

Stella is grateful for the aspects of farming that lend itself to physical distancing right now. So far she’s spent time volunteering for Massaro community farm and Common Ground High School & Urban Farm. Through most of June, her time volunteering was spent almost exclusively harvesting strawberries. Working in air that was full of their sweet aroma, she enjoyed finding strangely shaped strawberries. Stella planted basil, scarlet kale, and a few seedlings gathered from Wooster Square Farmers' Market and Massaro Farm in the Divinity School Garden. She loves connecting with food & farming this way, and the feeling of seeing the plants progress each time she visits.⠀⠀

Both new and old favorites have made an appearance in her kitchen. She recently tried making a dish she’s only ever eaten in restaurants in China: 糖藕, sticky rice-stuffed lotus root! The labor of love had the combined reward of discovering she could make it at home and also have a new cool dish for hot summer days. After making rhubarb pie for the first time, too, she’s decided she’ll never eat any other pie again.⠀