Pictured are Slicer tomatoes growing in one of the two greenhouses at Common Root.
Image Credit: Kate Farmer
The Covid pandemic forced the whole world to face a new normal, and after moving from her childhood home to a new city after lockdown started, Kate Farmer wanted to explore her new community. Instead of being stuck inside for the summer of 2020, Farmer chose to spend time at a local farm getting hands-on experience for her major.
Farmer is a junior majoring in Plant Science focusing on Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Maryland. She completed her internship at Common Root Farm in Derwood, Maryland. The organic farm was started in 2018 by Ryan and Erica; the two attend multiple farmer’s markets, have a CSA, also known as a community-supported agriculture program, and have an online shop.
The internship, which is required for Farmer’s certificate in Sustainable Agriculture, allowed her to harvest vegetables like Heirloom tomatoes, Shishito peppers, lettuce, microgreens, carrots, bell peppers, and more. She repaired portions of the drip irrigation and was taught how to prepare beds using a paper potter to plant fresh seeds. She also observed how to apply organic fertilizers, got more hands-on experience for the entire cultivation process, and learned about crop rotation.
While Farmer was forking the carrot beds, she and her co-workers came across a small family of field mice. They were sleeping under carrot tops and scurried away when she and her co-workers uncovered them. She had never seen such a tiny animal and took many photos of the ones that stayed close. Due to the limited damage they had caused to the vegetation, they weren’t considered pests, but they gave everyone a little entertainment during the harvesting process. Farmer and her co-workers found it pretty amusing because it was not an everyday occurrence, and mice were simply using the carrot beds for shelter on a hot day.
Farmer wanted to complete this internship because it’s on a similar path to what she wants to do with her career. She wants to work with food equity and accessibility. During this internship, she constantly learned how crucial fresh produce is in a community during difficult times, such as the recent pandemic. During this internship, Farmer was able to pack online orders along with her coworkers and helped her community get access to fresh produce. She harvested some vegetables on her own, which made her feel empowered, and she has since said, “Seeing a crop start from a seed and end up in a customer’s hands is one of the best feelings ever.”
During this internship, Farmer learned about the skills needed for organic farming and deepened her passion for the accessibility of fresh produce. Because of this, Meredith B Epstein, Farmer’s Internship advisor, said "Kate's passion for plants and interests in community food systems made Common Root Farm a great internship choice. They grow a beautiful diversity of crops, and she was able to gain skills in their production from seed to table."
