Support
This summer I had the opportunity to work as a Regenerative Agriculture & Sustainability Intern for Gardenworks Farm LLC, a third-generation family farm located in Salem, NY. Owned and operated by the Southerland family, Gardenworks is undergoing a transformative period of growth through a shift to organic practices. Their primary crops include blueberries, dried flowers, and a variety of vegetables. With a mission of using plant-based food as healthcare, Gardenworks acts as a model of regenerative farming to its rural community.
My responsibilities at Gardenworks included processing blueberries for sale and preservation, prepping beds for seeding, harvesting vegetables and flowers, organizing farm systems and workspaces, transplanting thousands of seedlings, and maintaining the farmstand. I also was able to learn a variety of new skills including installing landscape fabric, operating a tractor, utilizing power tools, and conducting independent decision making processes.
Although I had a wide range of experiences over the span of this summer, my primary focus was on the construction of a five bay compost bin. In order to complete this pilot project I conducted research, sourced recycled wooden pallets, utilized farm machinery, wrote detailed steps on composting procedures, and implemented the use of individual compost bins in places that produced high levels of organic matter.
All together, these experiences presented me with the chance to expand my personal confidence in a hands-on setting, while reintroducing me to the space and communities that I call home. This growth in recognizing both self and environment is a skillset that I believe will be pivotal in shaping the rest of my time here at St. Lawrence, and will guide me towards a career that ignites my passion for conservation and reciprocity with our surrounding world.
Without assistance from St. Lawrence University, the Gardner Career Awareness Endowment Fund, and the Southerland family I would not have been able to partake in such a profound and life changing experience. I am beyond grateful for their presence within my personal and academic life, and I cannot truly express how blessed I feel to have had the chance to find a second family at Gardenworks.