The Wagon Wheel Experience
Going into this summer, I struggled to find an internship. I had very little experience in agriculture; then throw in COVID-19, and finding an internship seemed out of reach. That was until I received an email from a friend, Ben Schiner. What he offered was better than an internship; it was an opportunity to help others.
My service-learning project with Wagon Wheel Ranch allowed me to help others while learning the basics of agriculture.
Arriving at Wagon Wheel in Mt. Airy, MD, I didn’t know what to expect. Although I was a Sustainable Agriculture major who had finished my first year in the IAA, I had never worked on a farm. I sat down with Schiner to discuss what he had envisioned for the project.
He wasn’t looking for an intern. He made that abundantly clear to me from the start. He wanted to help others. We chose to do a service-learning project, where we would grow produce to give to the Howard County food bank. In return, Schriner would teach me how to farm and answer any questions.
From day one, we worked very well together. Schiner was always available to work, but was always flexible, allowing me to split time between the project and working for my father. Our project started on June 22 and continued into the fall. We harvested on Fridays and took turns delivering the produce to the Howard County Food Bank.
On the farm, I planted seeds in areas where spring lettuce had been pulled, watered rows, repurposed a greenhouse roof to create tomato cages, learned how to drive a skid steer, and participated in land clearing.
Learning how to drive the skid steer was by far the most difficult and stressful experience I had on the job. Although Schiner gave me great advice, I was so worried that I would run into something or damage his equipment that I often forgot basic steps. However, I now am very comfortable using the equipment because of the number of times I had to use it. I would equate it to a Dad pushing his kid in the pool over and over again until he was able to swim laps.
This experience gave me a taste of life in the agricultural field, which was perfect for my level of experience. After this summer, I could easily see myself having ownership, or working on, a farm. The experience taught me punctuality, hard work, and perseverance, which will most definitely be applicable in any future job opportunities.
Above all else, this experience was unique and pushed me toward the idea of owning a farm in the future. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience to have as I look toward a future in agriculture, and for that reason, I will always be thankful for Schiner’s email that day.
