The interns have arrived at Grow Food Northampton for Summer 2019!

Each summer, Grow Food Northampton welcomes interns to work in the Giving Garden and office to work on the important job of strengthening the local food system through hard work and outreach. Below you can find out more about them.

Mik

Where are you from? I am from Keene, New Hampshire.

What college do you attend? I am a rising senior at Mount Holyoke College studying Environmental Studies with a concentration in Economics, Public Policy, and Politics.

What brought you to Grow Food Northampton? This is my second summer interning at Grow Food Northampton! I am passionate about food accessibility and sustainable farming, and hope to continue working in a field similar to this in the future.

What will you be working on this summer? As the communications intern, I will be working on blog posts, assisting with Tuesday Market, and various outreach projects.

When you are not at Grow Food Northampton, what are you up to? I will most likely be playing rugby with my friends, playing cards, or finding new places in the valley to swim!

Fun fact? I have been in a helicopter three times!

Kiehl

Where are you from? I am from Sewell, New Jersey. 

What college do you attend? I am a Junior at Smith College majoring in Environmental Science & Policy with a concentration in Sustainable Food.

What brought you to Grow Food Northampton? I came to Grow Food Northampton because I wanted to gain more hands-on experience in working with sustainable agriculture. I wanted to see the labor required to get food from ground to plate of consumers in order to better understand the processes needed to make sustainable farming efficient on larger scales. I found the Food Access internship from a promotion in my concentration as a practical experience opportunity.

What will you be working on this summer?  During my internship, I will be responsible for helping maintain Grow Food’s Giving Garden. After planting and harvesting crops I will be given the opportunity to help deliver produce to the various food pantries we are co-oped with.

When you are not at Grow Food Northampton, what are you up to? When not working at the Giving Garden I spend my time around Smith Campus working on writing novels and reading stories.

Fun fact? Occasionally, I like to practice doing amateur magic tricks.

Syl

Where are you from? I grew up in Eastern Massachusetts but currently live in Portsmouth, New Hampshire with my parents.

What college do you attend? I’m a rising junior at Smith College where I studying biology and Spanish.

What brought you to Grow Food Northampton? I am also a part of the environmental sciences department’s Sustainable Food concentration which is how I got connected with Grow Food! This summer I really wanted hands-on experience with crop cultivation while simultaneously doing social justice work, and Grow Food was the perfect combination of the two. Grow Food’s mission of lowering food insecurity in the Valley was what first attracted me to the organization, but being able to work directly in the Giving Garden is what solidified that this would be the perfect internship for me.

What will you be working on this summer? The majority of my internship this summer will take place in the Giving Garden, in which I will partake in a wide array of activities. These will range all the way from planting to weeding to harvesting! As well as cultivating the crops, I will also assist with the distribution of the produce to our community partners.

When you are not at Grow Food Northampton, what are you up to? When not at Grow Food, I like to spend my time biking, baking, doing crossword puzzles, and drinking coffee. I am also involved with student organizing at my school for orgs such as Resource Generation and Students for Social Justice and Institutional Change.

Fun fact? I also have a pet bird named Ollie!