Current student Zoe Garderet shared the following about being an intern at GroundWork Somerville…
How did you find this internship?
I cold emailed the Executive Director who put me in touch with the Farm Manager.
What did you enjoy most about your internship?
My favorite part of working at Groundwork Somerville was how much I learned about urban farming and its relation to environmental justice, as well as the greater feeling of connection I developed with my community. This position also challenged the beliefs I had held about Somerville in my time as a Tufts student, showing me a much more racially and economically diverse side of the city than what I was used to. I learned about food insecurity and food justice through the workshops we led but also by meeting the families in Somerville that we serve who lack consistent access to fresh food.
What did you find challenging?
The most challenging parts of the internship definitely came from the physical aspect of farm work: There were days where we worked through 92-degree July sun or through the pouring rain to accomplish all the necessary farm tasks. However, the physical challenge of it was also one of my favorite parts, and we worked through it as a team because of our dedication to the farm!
What advice would you offer to someone who wants to make the most of an internship like yours?
I would suggest to go in with the mindset of giving as much to it as you can: I was in a special position of creating my own internship, and decided to make the most of it by splitting my time between the farm and between planning an end-of-summer festival for the community, hosted at the farm. This division between the physical and creative work made both aspects even more enjoyable, and I learned more than I would have if I had chosen just one aspect!
