HS Freshman interested in sustainability, organic farming and sustainable agriculture

[Anonymous]

We are not in the DC metro area, but I've heard this college discussion board is pretty helpful so thought I would ask here. My first post.

I have a HS 9th grader who is really interested in everything from soil management to seed production to farm marketing to farm building structures to a little business planning. Through the pandemic (last 12 months), he has helped us create an 8 acre family farm at our summer home. He is 15 and knows how to operate tractors (we bought one last summer), make compost, manage a few livestock (goats and chickens) but doesn't really understand the business side of farming, which includes significant planning and record keeping. He sees the world where profit is generated through social, ecological and (lastly) financial forms - very unlike his parents....which is good!

Any advice you can give as we start thinking about the next few years of summer programs, ECs, summer jobs and HS course selection? He is active in the school's environment club (I've told him that he should create a sub-club on farming and make large garden boxes for the school which he is considering). Also, curious about college programs/majors that might make sense, as well as summer programs geared towards high-schoolers. I don't think he necessarily wants to be a FT farmer - so Ag programs at large schools aren't right, but I feel like there should be some good summer (and later college) programs that he can look at for now and also to start thinking ahead. I found one on Entrepreneurship and the Environment (at Dartmouth - virtual this summer) but I don't know if its the right fit.

Anyway, given his druthers, he would probably like to work at a tractor dealership this summer - hoping we can get him to do some other things, if only for a little bit in summer 2021. He attends a highly selection private school in a large metro area, and after the first semester has an A- average in all classes (I don't have gpa handy)...

Thanks all. Much appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Cornell
Ohio State
Purdue

[Anonymous]

Virginia Tech (it's actually Polytechnic) has agricultural majors.

[Anonymous]

I don't know where you are OP, but I work at a public garden and so many of them have opportunities for seasonal work over the summer. May be a nice thing to put on the resume. Do you have any in your area? Sometimes they are great resources. Look at APGA for a list of most public gardens in the US. Also, USBG may have interesting high school and college internships and opportunities, if you're in this area.

[Anonymous]

UC Davis has this.

[Anonymous]

The best "summer program" for a 15-year-old boy is hanging with friends, chasing chicks and trying to lose the big "V". Then when he's 16 he can throw in a lifeguarding job. I promise that living like a normal teenager for the next few years won't hold him back from being an organic farmer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The best "summer program" for a 15-year-old boy is hanging with friends, chasing chicks and trying to lose the big "V". Then when he's 16 he can throw in a lifeguarding job. I promise that living like a normal teenager for the next few years won't hold him back from being an organic farmer.

Hmm. did you post this somewhere else too?

[Anonymous]

Maryland, too!

[Anonymous]

I think exploring different avenues that this interest could lead him down is the way to go now. There are lots of different types of careers thus could lead to:

—owning/running an organic farm
—landscape architecture
—environmental policy
—ag or food policy
—urban planning/land use
—public health

(With the last two thinking about the intersection of food access and health/equity, local food, etc).

[Anonymous]

Does his school offer 4-H Club? That would be the best thing for him to get involved with right now, even if it is only doing the 4-H at Home.

You may also want to reach out to some of the local farmers and see if he can do an unpaid mini internship at their farms. Note I said unpaid because many small farmers work on such tight margins that they won't be able to pay him but it will give him a chance to get his feet wet. We own a farm that we lease out. Our lessee frequently will have high school and college kids doing unpaid mini internships. A lot of those young people then go on to either their own farms or different parts of the agriculture and production cycle. It is so nice when we go to some of our industry meetings and we'll see those kids now 5-10 years older - literally all grown up and starting their own families. They cut their teeth at our place and they still come back to us for advice and guidance as they move forward.

If your son is thinking about careers one place he should consider, in addition to the schools with heavy agriculture emphasis, would be some place like St Joseph's in their Food Marketing program. He could major in that and minor in Environmental and Sustainability Studies.

Another direction could be Supply Chain.

[Anonymous]

The first carbon-neutral university in Virginia could be of interest: https://www.lynchburg.edu/news/2021/02/lynchburg-becomes-first-carbon-neutral-university-in-virginia/

[Anonymous]

https://www.deepsprings.edu/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The best "summer program" for a 15-year-old boy is hanging with friends, chasing chicks and trying to lose the big "V". Then when he's 16 he can throw in a lifeguarding job. I promise that living like a normal teenager for the next few years won't hold him back from being an organic farmer.

Hmm. did you post this somewhere else too?

+1000 it's a familiar refrain

[Anonymous]

This might be something your DS would be interested in at some point:

https://wwoof.net/

What is WWOOF?
Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) is a worldwide movement to link visitors (WWOOFers) with organic farmers, promote a cultural and educational exchange, and build a global community conscious of ecological farming and sustainability practices. WWOOF started 50 years ago and has grown from a small group in the 1970’s to a worldwide community of hundreds of thousands of people today.

As a WWOOFer, you will participate in the daily life of your host, help on the farm, learn about sustainability, experience a new culture and meet new people,, and receive free room and board during your stay.

As a host, you will open your home to receive visitors who want to connect with organic food, farming and support the sustainability movement.

WWOOF is organized nationally so to join, select the country you are interested in from the map and get growing.

[Anonymous]

What awesome interests for a young person! I love organic gardening and volunteer at a local urban farm but I don't do anything like that professionally, which is probably why I am counting the years until I can retire!

I was going to suggest wwofing, too. Also, I know a college student who volunteered with the Virginia conservation corps and loved it. I'm not sure if they take high school kids. Also, through my work in international development, I am familiar with agroecology projects, which look to be the way to make our food systems more sustainable. So keep that in mind for the future.

Maybe the easiest thing to do is to volunteer at a local cooperative farm, or even just a community garden. Get to know people there and you'll probably learn what else is available nearby.

I wish I knew of more opportunities for him, and I'm so jealous.