Here Marina is standing next to squash plants.
Agricultural Business Management major Marina Karides completed a service-learning project this summer by volunteering at the University of Maryland’s Community Learning Garden.
Karides does not come from an agricultural background and to say the least she learned a lot during her time at the Community Learning Garden. She learned how to properly plant and care for many vegetable plants in the garden as well as harvest them when ready. She learned to identify weeds and plants that she would need to remove in order to keep the vegetable plants healthy. As well as weeding, she was given the task of watering on Wednesdays. Karides enjoyed the Florida weave which is when you attach twine to plants to hold them upright. Karides participated in the harvesting process where she harvested, weighed and packaged the produce in the same day before taking it to the food pantry. When asked about her favorite part of the experience, she said “It was very rewarding to see the end product after all the hard work that goes into caring for the plants.”
Due to Covid-19 Karides’ options for internships were limited and the Community Learning Garden was one option that was relatively close to home and offered a lot of potential to learn. The Community Learning Garden turned out be a great spot for her. IAA Advisor, Meredith Epstein worked closely with Karides and said “Marina was a lifesaver for us at the Community Learning Garden. With staffing shortages and students gone, we could never have kept up with garden maintenance and grown all we did for the campus pantry without her!"
Karides learned a lot about plants, but most importantly she learned to be a hard worker and have a good work ethic. This work ethic will without a doubt help her throughout her schooling as well as her business ventures in the future.
After Marina’s service-learning project, she now has a new found respect for agriculture and the duties it requires. Needless to say, she has come out of this experience with new knowledge and a new outlook on working with her hands.
