After spending time with the other residents and her mentor, Chang expanded from being just a foodie to being able to cook straight from her backyard. “I love to cook, so all these very flavorful things are very exciting to me,” she said. She can pick sweet potatoes and other vegetables from her yard in the morning and eat them for dinner that same day. Through trial-and-error in growing and cooking, Chang has been able to make kimchi, sourdough bread and green papaya salad all from produce she planted herself. “Being able to come out here, looking at everything I have, making a dish and knowing it came from my backyard and, it is really healthy—that is the most fun thing,” Chang said.
THIS IS OUR AREA. WE WANT TO EAT FROM IT, KNOW WHERE OUR FOOD CAME FROM AND KNOW HOW IT IS GROWN. For her, the ultimate foodie experience is being able to have control of where her ingredients come from. Chang knows this is an unconventional way of living, but a happy, unique and productive way of living as well. She also stressed the importance of living local. “This is our area,” she said. “We want to eat from it, know where our food came from and know how it is grown. And the only way you can do that is if you grow your own garden.” According to Chang, eating local food is a way to keep from contributing to deforestation and farm labor. Chang also works at Orlando Permaculture while developing the Peanut Butter Palace. The motto of Orlando Permaculture is: “We grow minds, community and food.” One of the main aspects is social
permaculture—getting to know the community, trading produce, giving away abundance and sharing resources with neighbors. Being able to convert oneself from a consumer to a producer is a form of empowerment, Chang said. It provides food security and stability, which transmits into all aspects of life. Through her experiences developing the Peanut Butter Palace, Chang’s overall perspective is learning by doing and being open-minded to change. She aims to improve upon herself and build a likeminded local community. Justin Marcano, Chang’s partner and roommate, said that Chang is interested in real estate and finding homes to turn into more sustainable systems of living for the community. “She walks her own way in society, influencing me and others to create your
own reality and do it with creativity and gratefulness,” Marcano said. According to Chang, there is no other thing to do in her environment but flourish, and that is why she loves the Peanut Butter Palace and what she does for Orlando Permaculture. “Because it is important to lessen our footprints, and the way I can do that is grow my own food and inspire others to make a positive footprint and take small steps,” she said. As her co-op develops, Chang continues to influence others, being a role model and creating her own reality. “She stands out, and inspires people where she is in her age now,” Marcano said. “In ten years, she will be a phenomenal human being.”