Monica Martin (left) and a co-worker in the garden at Caves Valley Golf Club.
Second-year Sustainable Agriculture major Monica Martin decided that the farm life was not for her. Instead, she opted to work on a golf course. Coming from her hometown of Westminster, Md., Martin spent her summer working in the gardens of the Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills.
Over the summer, Martin performed various jobs around the golf course, but her main job was tending the kitchen. She harvested the various fruits and vegetables, cleaned the harvested products, weighed the produce, and kept detailed records. Then, she boxed the harvested fruits and vegetables and delivered them into the kitchen where the kitchen staff incorporated the fresh produce into daily meals. In addition, Martin replanted and weeded the garden to help generate the highest yield.
During her tenure at the course, Martin helped with some major golf events. Before arriving this summer, Martin was unaware that the Caves Valley Golf Course would be hosting a large tournament that would require her help. For the duration of the tournament and in addition to her other daily jobs, she set the tables, picked the flowers from the garden, and prepared centerpieces, which allowed her to experience the more creative size of gardening and design.
Martin gained skills over the summer that she might not have if she hadn't decided to work at a golf course. Of those skills, the ones that stood out to her were gardening, communicating clearly “even during disagreements,” time management, operating machinery, and the most obscure -- telling time by looking at the shadows. Harvesting turned out to be her favorite part of the summer because the club donated extra food to local food banks in her area, thus giving back to her community.
Although she had a great summer working at the golf course, Martin is unsure whether working out in the field is the right job for her. Monica's supervisor, Michelle Michol, stated that “Monica is a motivated and hardworking young woman… we had a lot of fun this summer!” Although she doesn't plan to return to a golf course career, she made many memories and gained experiences that will last her a lifetime.
^^ Monica Martin showing off one of the various types of produce grown at the Caves Valley Golf Course.
