IAA Internship Stories: Amy Winkler

Amy Winkler rinses fresh radishes with a co-worker at Red Wiggler Farm.

October 12, 2016

With soft pink flowing tresses and a smile that lights up the room, Amy Winkler, a Sustainable Agriculture student with an interest in Ornamental Horticulture, completed her internship at the Red Wiggler Community Farm. No stranger to the community, Winkler was happy to find a field placement on a farm in Germantown, Maryland, which is only minutes from her home.

With so many wonderful experiences at her internship, Winkler finds it hard to single out just one that was influential, unusual, or more special than the others. But thinking for a minute, she says the inclusive environment of Red Wiggler Farm impressed her the most. She explains that everyone participated, was dutifully and diligently on assignment, and assisted growers with daily farming tasks. She admits that the rigors of maintaining fields free of weeds, scouting for signs of pests and pathogens, watering the crops, and harvesting and washing vegetation was hard work, but everyone worked together, which was a unique experience for Winkler.

As an organic farm, Red Wiggler’s crops are grown without any outside inputs of pesticides and herbicides, making it an arduous task to grow crops without abundant crop loss. Given the nature of the work, Winkler appreciates the team effort even more.

Red Wiggler Farm is a non-profit organization that employs adults with developmental disabilities, and until her internship Winkler had not had the privilege of working side by side with this population. She beams as she remembers working with a team of great people who simply love farming, and possess a wonderful work ethic with strict attention to detail. Winkler says that because of this opportunity, she loves farming and hopes to someday own and operate her own farm.