Organic farm provides unique opportunities for students
Mariana Felix, a senior studying health education promotion, had never worked on a farm a day in her life. That is, until she became outreach coordinator with Utah State University’s Student Organic Farm.
Felix moved to Logan from Philadelphia in 2012 as a freshman and said she was surprised by USU’s focus on cows and agriculture.
“When I was first driving through Sardine Canyon, I had never been in the mountains,” she said. “I asked myself, ‘What have I gotten myself into?’”
Felix said she originally applied for the internship with the farm because she was just looking for a job.
“When I saw their application online I thought, ‘this was my chance,’ because I had always wanted to volunteer with these guys,” she said. “I also wanted to get involved with the community and with the farm.”
Felix was hired in May and began working on the farm. She said it is a labor of love.
Regardless, working on the farm invigorated her dedication to nutrition, which she initially learned from her mom while growing up, she said.
Felix said even though she came from a Puerto Rican family, her mom made it a priority to have healthy food in the home.
In high school, Felix said because she was so interested in nutrition, she would do food experiments on herself.
“For example, I would test how I would I feel if I just ate a Pop-tart for breakfast versus oatmeal,” she said. “Those days that I ate cinnamon rolls and I was at practice I was so groggy, and I couldn’t function, but days that I ate fruits and vegetables I was so pumped and ready.”
Felix said she is also a minor in psychology, so it is interesting to see how food can affect peoples’ overall performance.
Felix said working on the farm has helped her combine her love for fruits and vegetables with her love for helping people learn about nutrition.
“I want to take community agriculture and mix it with the health aspect of things to teach people how they can use their resources in your community to live a better lifestyle,” she said.
Felix isn’t the only one who is working to teach the community about the healthy resources the farm has to offer.
During the semester, 12 students take a practicum class and work six hours a week, farm production manager Joe Montoya said.
He said in addition to students, volunteers are also essential to the success of the farm.
“We love volunteers, and volunteers love their time on the farm,” he said. “I can’t say enough how much we would like having anyone, from those who have never gardened to those who have done it all their lives out on the farm to connect with the food they eat and to see the beauty of farming the earth.”
The farm also provides a unique opportunity for hands-on learning, farm director Jennifer Reeve said.
“The students learn to run all aspects of a market garden business themselves, from the planning, planting, tending, harvesting, marketing and record-keeping,” she said.
Reeve said it is essential for students to get well-rounded experience because there is a growing market demand for organic produce, as well as farm managers trained in organic production.
“The student organic farm provides some of that training and experience and an opportunity to grapple first-hand with the challenges of organic production,” she said. “It is hard work. But also very rewarding.”