I am a senior at Athens High School, however I do not have a typical high school schedule. Four days a week, I leave school after my morning classes to work as an intern at the Good Earth Farm. My internship grew out of my interest in the environment and sustainability. After some volunteering over the summer, I realized that I was interested in further involvement, and I asked if I could work as an intern to learn more about sustainable agriculture and running non-profits.
I started as an intern in August, and I have enjoyed a variety of projects at the farm, often varying with the seasons. I began with the basics of gardening by doing a soil-sampling project. This included taking samples from the fields to be tested at the extension office. From there, I started a project about compost. Based on what I had learned about soil nutrients, I worked on making a recipe for compost with appropriate nutrient balances to maintain a healthy garden.
As chilly weather started to move in, I shifted my focus to indoor projects as the gardens went dormant for the winter. This included working on a power point for community civil organizations, which Paul and Lori presented for the first time at the end of January. Currently, I have been helping to plan a rainwater catchment system for the farm. This project is helping me learn about the process of grant writing as I try to put together and fund the new water system.
Working with the farm has been a great opportunity. It has provided me with a unique way to obtain first hand experience about sustainable agriculture and non-profit management, which is something that I never could have achieved sitting in a high school classroom.
Common Friars 