150 Hour Experience
Agronomy Internship
During Summer 2022, I worked for the Natural Resource Conservation Service as an Agronomist Student Trainee in the Federal Pathways Program. This was a 12-week, full time internship. I was stationed out of the National Plant Materials Center in Beltsville, Maryland, but I split my time between the US Department of Agriculture's Headquarters in downtown DC and the Beltsville field office.
The People's Garden
I helped to coordinate the re-vitalization of the People's Garden DC under the Biden Administration. Working under the Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack (see right), I assisted in coordinating volunteer events and weekly produce donations to the DC Central Kitchen. Over the course of the summer, we harvested and donated more than 200 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables.
A large part of this position included cross-agency meetings with the Agricultural Marketing Service and Farm Service Agency to implement similar urban garden programs in 16 cities across the United States.
This position also exposed me to some of the unique challenges that accompany urban agriculture, such as rodent pests, theft, sanitation, and permits.
