Lewis Seton '09

Eat Well Guide
New York, New York

January 2009

The Eat Well Guide is a free online directory of thousands of family farms, restaurants, markets, and other outlets of locally grown food throughout the United States and Canada. It was launched in conjunction with The Meatrix, an animated short about factory farming that has been viewed by more than 15 million people around the world. Originally a database of sustainably raised meat, eggs and dairy, Eat Well Guide has expanded to include farmers markets, CSA programs, local advocacy groups, and vegetarian and vegan restaurants. It also hosts a blog, called the Green Fork, which has topics ranging from recipes to the politics of sustainable agriculture.

As an intern for the Eat Well Guide, I became an integral part of their office due to its incredibly small size. Despite the breadth of the directory, the organization has only three full time workers. This was a great experience for me because in this atmosphere, my ideas actually made a difference. On my second day in the office, an idea of mine was used and publicized across the Internet using social networking sites, bringing hundreds of new users to our website. I also was able to post on their blog, a feature that is read by a significant number of environmental activists daily. Other duties involved updating our directory with new listings of farms and restaurants every day, advertising our website using various methods on the Internet, and managing requests for Eat Well Guide merchandise from across the country.

I had a great experience working with the Eat Well Guide, and I learned a lot about working in the non-profit sector. At the same time, I was able to get a taste of living in New York, which I liked significantly more than I ever thought I would. I am still working with the Eat Well Guide this semester in the role of an extern, and hope to continue a relationship with this organization after I graduate.