KSDK Ch 5 News in St. Louis
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
First time for everything
As a senior pursing a BA in Business
Administration, I am required to complete the Business courses BUS 402A and BUS
402B to fulfill my graduation requirements. Part of the course components
include completing an experiential learning project which is intended to
provide an application of the concepts that students have learned in the past 3
years at Jewell. Most students take this opportunity to participate in an internship
in a field of interest in which they might want to pursue as a career after
graduation. I have chosen to fulfill my experiential learning project requirements
through an internship with an Organic Farm located in Kearney, MO, twenty miles
north of William Jewell.
Fair
Share Farm is a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) group that provides
seasonal produce to 150 families in our community. The farm employs two
full-time farmers (the owners), one full-time employee and two seasonal
apprentices (who receive free housing). The farm and its members are committed
to using organic farming principles that are sustainable, energy efficient, and
environmentally conscious. Their produce is local, fresh, free of chemical
residues, and absolutely delicious. The members of Fair Share Farm’s CSA understand
the importance of feeding their families healthy and nutrient rich foods and
value where their food comes from and how it is grown.
During my time at the farm this
semester, I will continue to learn the general operations of the farm as well
as the marketing, planning, and financial aspects of the company as well. As an
apprentice, I will take inventory of the produce and help make calculations to
forecast the yield of the crops throughout the season. I work alongside the
owners of the farm and their employees. The owners, Tom and Rebecca, will evaluate
my work throughout the semester and turn in a final report to Cory Sheer, my
internship advisor at the Pryor Leadership Center, following the conclusion of
the internship in May.
Given
my limited exposure to farming, I am spending my first few weeks learning the
basics of farming and my assigned roles and responsibilities on the farm. Given
the complex nature of running a farm, my duties widely vary and change over
time. I am learning about seeding, planting, harvesting, advertising, recruiting
members, collecting membership fees, handling finances, basic accounting for
the company and the long term vision for the financial sustainability of the
farm. The goal is to learn the basics of running an organic farm as well as the
specific strategies that Fair Share Farm implements in running their CSA
(Community Supported Agriculture) group. During these last cold winter months ,
I will largely work on planning future crop arrangements, greenhouse seedling
planting, general equipment repairs and maintenance, and determining farming
supply quantities needed for the season based on the number of subscribing
members. During the spring, I will work outdoors learning organic planting,
irrigating and harvesting methods as well as the specific strategies used by
Fair Share Farm. I will learn about their irrigation system design, greenhouse
production, season extension and design of a post-harvest handling plan. Some
of the spring projects include designing a portable system for a laying flock
of chickens, expanding the existing greenhouse and packing room for an
additional 30 CSA shares.
I will attend semi-monthly Core Group meetings
which act as an advisory board of individuals that organize and keep the CSA
running smoothly. My job will include
helping to determine strategy and efficiency while giving feedback to the
owners and other CSA members to help determine future strategic planning. The
ultimate goal for this internship is to learn enough to be able to get a full-time
job working at an Organic Farm after graduation. Eventually, I would like to
run my own sustainable farming business. By apprenticing at Fair Share Farm, I
am equipping myself with the knowledge and experience needed to get started in
my future career in the Organic Farming Industry. I find it impossible to
ignore the rising need for more sustainable farming methods. Our food has
literally been poisoning our health for the past half century. People are
starting to realize the harm that we do to ourselves when we consume large
amounts of empty calories with little nutritional value. I feel a sense of
responsibility to take care of my body and mind, as well as the environment in
which I live. Fair Share Farm is the starting point for my career and a
continuing reassurance that there are socially and environmentally
conscientious people in our world.
If you would like more information
about the Farm please visit their website at www.fairsharefarm.com . Or scan this qr
code with your smart phone or tablet:
Contact
Information:
Fair Share Farm
18613 Downing Road
Kearney, MO 64060
Telephone: 816-320-3763
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)