Pictured is Ashley Fennell holding a basket of freshly harvested Banana Peppers.
While in high school, Ashley Fennell visited the University of Maryland's Terp Farm as part of a summer job she had at the time. She would have never guessed that three years after that first visit, she would be working there.
Prince George's county resident Fennell is a second year student of the Institute of Applied Agricultural (IAA) where she is majoring in agricultural business management. This past summer Fennell completed an internship at University of Maryland's very own farm, more commonly known as the “Terp Farm” which is located in Upper Marlboro.
Fennell spent most of her time during the internship with the produce being grown on the farm. She explained that a typical day started with morning weeding, pruning, or harvesting. Then she would move to processing the freshly picked produce. In addition, Fennell mixed new potting soil, set up growing tunnels, and drove a tractor, which she was particularly excited about.
On Terp Farm, where she first learned to drive a tractor, Fennell used the machinery to cut down cover crops, haul produce out of the field for processing, and prepare the ground for new planting. She said that learning to drive a tractor was a bit challenging at first, but it got easier overtime. Fennell was eager to try new things and she was always ready to get to work and get her hands dirty.
Fennell enjoyed working as a team to get jobs done, commenting that “there was a good team dynamic.” Moreover, she had a sense of pride that she was contributing to food being grown that would be making its way to be consumed at the university itself. To be a part of that process was very rewarding to her.
In high school and in previous IAA courses, Fennell worked in greenhouses and obtained new information about seed germination, soil health, and overall what it takes to grow healthy plants. She was able to apply that information during her internship, and recommend an internship at the Terp Farm to anyone interested. She believes that the many new skills that she learned will be put to use in her career. She is interested in being involved in agriculture but may want to try more of the financial or marketing side of a business. She also added that hands-on experience is not something that should be taken for granted and that it is important to learn. Overall, Fennell enjoyed her summer at the Terp Farm where she engaged in all parts of growing and harvesting vegetables and was able to gain valuable knowledge and skills which will lead her to a rewarding career in agriculture.
