Leslie Beller Wants To Build A Youth Economy

What's something that's caught your interest lately?
This is going to sound random, but farming. Youth and farming. Like, youth being able to own the means of food production in America. It's the one thing you can't outsource to another country. Basically to inspire and seed fund young people to grow all of their own produce and livestock and then sell that to higher-end restaurants and create a kind of youth economy that they can view while they're growing up and then use that money to help pay off college or pursue any other future that they want.

Have you read or seen any examples recently that sparked that interest?
My background is youth workforce development, but around this idea of like, what are true youth economies? We've not been seeing that as much. I mean, there's a movement around young people in like green and architecture and agriculture, but not around youth owning the production of food. There are millions and millions of high school students in the country — if every one of them raised two pigs, you could actually supply the whole country with artisanal bacon. That's kind of what I'm working on right now.

You're working on a project that does that?
I'm trying to switch gears now. I work on large-scale school reform projects, but I'm kind of over it. I'm kind of feeling inspired by — how do you create a revolution with young people to become part of the economy and not to reject it? It's a little bit like 4-H, compared to the new agricultural movement. It's been going on a long time. I just met a kid on a panel who was so inspiring. He raised 126 pigs while he was in high school and then paid 100% of his whole college tuition. By selling them all off and then going to college. It was so incredibly powerful, so incredibly inspirational and I was like, Why don't we fund those kind of projects for young people? We're used to exposing young people to interesting things, versus empowering them to own the means of production. It's kind of like Marxism meets American farming! [laughs]

Whom do you look up to?
One of the kids I used to mentor who is now an adult. I wouldn't say I mentor him any more. His name is Albert. I admire his level of perseverance despite all of the negative things he's ever been through — from police brutality, to being arrested, to climbing his way up. And just knowing you gotta stick it out on the long haul. He's a mix of cynical and hopeful — he wants to make a difference and doesn't carry any bitterness, which he could if he wanted to.

What advice would you give your younger self?
Eat more before you can never lose it again! [laughs] That's the advice I give all young women, because career advice, the systems have changed too much. I'm just like, enjoy eating whatever you want when your metabolism is high and you're in your early 20s. I mean that's like my 20-year-old self! But it's just one of those things you don't think about  — you can't project how hard that will be in the future. It's shallow and not very feminist! [laughs]

Tell me about your style today!
These boots I actually ripped off of my mother — she's got incredible style and is a huge shoe fanatic. And this hat I actually just bought in an antique store in rural Wisconsin. This sweater is just like my beat-up favorite; when it's fall I like it because it covers me up. And then I'm wearing a ridiculous Louis Vuitton bag that doesn't really go with any of this, but it's practical! [laughs]