This summer was full of hard work and new opportunities for Hailey Poole. Poole interned at Gifford Farm and Feed store in Rising Sun, Maryland from May-August where she completed numerous tasks. Some of the things Poole did this summer included bailing hay and working with cattle. Poole is enrolled in the Institute of Applied Agriculture with plans to graduate with a Certificate in Agricultural Business Management as well as a Bachelor’s in Animal Science at the University of Maryland. She chose the Gifford internship because of her close relationship with the animal feed and supply chain from her lifelong exposure to working with poultry and swine.
Poole has always wanted to learn more about farming and agriculture which fueled her interest in choosing this internship even more. This field interests her in many different ways because of her plans of wanting to own a large breed vet clinic in the future. “In order to have a business, you need to know how to operate it, which means knowing how to keep a steady profit, customer flow, and how to use your finances correctly,” says Poole. Gifford helped better her understanding of this along with the courses she took in the IAA, which includes Agricultural Entrepreneurship and Agricultural Marketing.
Communication and listening skills are other major parts of running a successful business. During her internship, she was able to hone her communication skills and agricultural terminology, which has set her up to succeed in the future. Poole says that Giffords strengthened this aspect because of dealing with customers throughout the day further enhancing her flexibility and adaptivity skills. Poole plans to continue into her graduate studies for a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine to fulfill her dream of being a large breed vet and one day, owning her own clinic. Overall this internship has been a gateway to more internship opportunities in the future and allowed Poole to grow her background in agriculture management.
