IAA Internship Stories: Edwin Sanchez

September 25, 2017

Last May, while many students at the University of Maryland were preparing to go home for the summer, Edwin Sanchez wasn’t moving back to his home in Montgomery County. Instead, the Honduras native prepared to move to Terp Farm in Upper Marlboro, Md., where he spent his summer interning. Sanchez planted, watered, and harvested crops that were served on campus by the University of Maryland’s Dining Services. The sophomore believes that Terp Farm was a perfect fit for him, and the internship experience counted for credit toward his Certificate in Applied Agriculture.

As a youngster, Sanchez developed a passion for agriculture (and more specifically, growing vegetables) by helping on his grandfather’s farm. This enjoyable childhood experience led him to major in Sustainable Agriculture at the Institute of Applied Agriculture (IAA), where he is digging deeper into vegetable production practices. He chose Terp Farm specifically because it raises organic vegetables for the Dining Halls at the University of Maryland, and because he had an interest in organic and sustainable growing practices.

“Weeding isn’t a fun task, but it’s something that all farmers have to deal with. There is no escape,” Sanchez exclaimed jokingly as he recounted his summer activities. The hard work of farming did not deter Sanchez. Over the course of the three-month internship, he had the opportunity to grow several crops (including lettuce and beets) for the first time, to drive a tractor, to operate an injector, and to assist in soil preparation and bed formation.

Sanchez’s advisor, Meredith Epstein said, “Edwin truly excelled in his position at Terp Farm this summer. It was particularly exciting for me to get to see him operate machinery that really took his learning beyond what can be done in the classroom.”  

Sanchez agrees that the internship was a perfect fit for him. He says that he genuinely enjoyed working at Terp Farm this summer, and he liked the added bonus of being able to take home some the vegetables he helped grow. As for the future, Sanchez says that his internship has inspired him to become a vegetable farmer.

Edwin poses for a quick selfie with his advisor’s dog, Buddy, at the Terp Farm this summer!