My name is Adelaide Foden-Vencil, class of 2024. I’m a math major, and I’ve been spending my summer at Luscher Farms in Lake Oswego, Oregon. My work at Luscher Farms largely has to do with maintaining the community garden plots, but I also help out with the summer camps held here throughout the summer.
On a typical day here on the farm, I start out the day watering the plants before it gets hot, around 8:15 am. I look after certain areas of the Luscher Farm, specifically the children’s garden and the community adoptable plots. These areas take up about half an acre of space put together. I’ve learned that some plants need much more water than others, and how thorough of a watering job I do depends on how hot the day is going to be. Watering the plants usually only takes me about half an hour to 45 mins.
Once I am done watering the plants, I will check in with my supervisor, Angie, to check with her what tasks need to be done around the farm that day. A common activity I end up doing in the mornings is weeding or harvesting in the children’s garden. This kind of work can be physically demanding (at least for me) so I make sure to have a lot of water with me and take short breaks when I need them. It is very satisfying to clean up an area of the garden to allow the wanted plants to grow and thrive. Angie has taught me a lot about different types of weeds, their rooting strategies, and how to spot when their sprouting seeds need to be removed right away. It depends on the day, but most of the time I will be finished with this kind of job around noon.
After I take a lunch break, I help the summer camps with a craft or a game they’re doing. The summer camps have two groups, a 5-7 age group and a 8-12 age group. Each week has a different theme, and the activities and games they play will often have to do with the theme they have. For example, the theme for the camp I’m helping out this week is “Food Around the World,” so each day of the week the kids will learn about one country and make foods and crafts that are popular in that country. Helping out with the kids is super fun, it’s always exciting to see how much they learn from the garden and activities we set up for them. I will help the camps for as long as it seems I’m needed, and then I will work on something else until I’m done for the day at 4 pm.
For the time I take after helping the kids camps, I work on one of a couple ongoing projects around the farm. If it’s not too hot outside I will weed and cover the bark chip path ways, I have been painting new signs for plant beds, and I dress the scarecrows in fun outfits for the kids. At 4 pm I check in with Angie quickly to talk about the day and what kind of projects might come up the next day. I’ve loved being a part of the Luscher Farm family, and I’m so glad I’ve been given the opportunity to be here this summer!
Experiences like Adelaide Foden-Vencil’s are made possible by the Whitman Internship Grant, which provides funding for students to participate in unpaid internships at nonprofit, some for-profit, and government organizations. We are happy to be sharing blog posts from students who were supported by either a summer, fall, spring, or year-long grants at organizations, businesses, and research labs all around the world. To learn how you could secure a Whitman Internship Grant or host a Whitman intern at your organization, contact us at ccec_info@whitman.edu.