Savannah’s First Impressions
Hello farm friends! We may or may not have met already, but just in case we haven’t, my name is Savannah and I’m one of this summer’s interns. I came to the farm about two months ago all the way from my home in Cottondale, Alabama. Cottondale is just outside of Tuscaloosa, home to the University of Alabama. Although I live there now, I was actually raised in the suburbs of Birmingham. I even went to college in Birmingham at Birmingham-Southern College, which is where I just received my B.S. in Biology this May.
My mom and I at graduation.
So, you may be asking yourself “What is Savannah doing all the way up here?” Well, my sophomore year of college, after deciding the medical field was not for way me, I had to make some sort of decision about a future path. I decided that what I was really interested in were plants and ecology. This led me to my interest in sustainable agriculture. So this past January, as graduation was creeping up on me, I decided to start looking for internships on sustainable farms. A few Google searches led me to The Good Earth Farm page where I read all about the internship opportunity and the farm itself. It seemed like a great chance to learn about farming as well as an awesome adventure. So far, it looks like my initial assumptions were correct.
I’ve only been here for roughly two months now, but I feel as if I have gained infinite amounts of knowledge. I can drive the tractor, the zero-turn mower, and of course I can weed very effectively. Notice I didn’t say like a professional - I know my limitations. I don’t move anywhere near as fast as a professional would.
The first week here was definitely the hardest. I started to wonder what I had signed myself up for after my first few attempts at weeding. However, with a couple weeks more practice, using the wheel-hoe has become much more tolerable and 80 degree days are starting to feel very cool.
My first attempt at weeding. I don’t even remember the onions being that small.
Not only have I been seeing differences in myself while here, but also in our plants. The greatest thing has been seeing all the crops grow that we have put so much hard work into. For example, about my second week here I seeded the basil, then Noah and I transplanted it, we worked hard to weed and water the plants, and now they’re huge! The corn is much the same. I sat on a tractor implement with Jeff my first week here and dropped seeds down to the ground. Now, two months later, the corn is basically the same height as me and it’s starting to fruit!
Back home, my dad and I worked on a vegetable garden together, but I used to let him do the worst work (weeding) until harvest time began. I can confidently say the veggies are even better when you’ve actually done the weeding yourself. Maybe that’s why my dad always got up early to do the weeding by himself.
After two months, I’m definitely starting to miss home. In college, I still used to see my parents almost every week, so I never understood why some of my friends would spend hours at a time on the phone with their parents. Well, now I know. I think my last phone call to my mom lasted an hour and a half.
Although I do miss my family, I’m really enjoying my time here. The Good Earth Farm is really a good place to be. Everyone here has been so kind and welcoming, and not just the people. Not to make myself sound like a crazy cat-lady, but my best friends here on the farm are probably Felix, Theresa Mendoza, and Rhinehold. When I’m not busy putting in work for the farm, you can most likely find me with a cat in my lap, or at least in close proximity to one. They’ve made the transition easier. Felix even almost resembles one of our cats back home, Gracie.
Theresa decided the best place to sit would be on my back… while I was standing up.
I’m really looking forward to the next couple of months and the beginning of our CSA. I can’t wait to meet all of our shareholders and other friends of the farm. There’s plenty left to learn and I can’t wait to find out what it is!
Savannah
7.21.21