FARM EXPERIENCES

TESTIMONIALS

EMILY

Student Farm Worker

"As a student of the University of Minnesota Duluth, halfway through my college career I decided to change my major to Environment Sustainability and Geography. I thought the job opening at the UMD Land Lab would be a great opportunity to get hands-on experience in sustainable agriculture.  On my first day, everyone welcomed me and made me feel like I belonged there. Everyone was eager to teach me new skills. My new manager and coworkers shared previous knowledge, new ideas, and community involvement opportunities with me. For the first time in my life, I learned where my food came from along with the benefits of organic farming for the soil and surrounding ecosystems. I learned of the interdisciplinary aspects of sustainable food systems. Being able to have a job at the farm helped me connect a lot of information I received through Sustainability courses to real-life. Not only did I learn so much, but there was a huge sense of community amongst everyone working there. My job at the UMD Land Lab was the most meaningful job I had. It got me outdoors, away from technology, where I would preform labor-intensive work for a good purpose. My time at the UMD Land Lab was special and has had long-lasting impacts on me personally and my outlook on life. It is definitely worth keeping and has potential to grow even more."

HUNTER

Student Farm Worker

"My farm experience I would describe as therapeutic, as I worked in the fields I would and just be in awe at the beauty that was created by the farm we had created. I always enjoyed showing up to work because everyday was an adventure full of learning. The friends I made and the things I learned will be with me for the rest of my life. Shortly after beginning my work at the farm it changed from being a job site to a home away from home and I wish that others have the opportunity to experience what I did that memorable summer."

JESS

Student Farm Worker

"The land lab is one of my favorite places at UMD. I found it hard to find my place on campus until I started working at the land lab. I have found that students from a farming background have a hard time fitting in at UMD. The land lab is a valuable asset to the college and it’s students interested in agriculture. The world needs all kinds of minds to function properly. UMD should be able to accommodate them. I would love to see the land lab flourish in the coming years.The land lab had a very successful turnout for the 2018 harvest. The program was very unique and grew a wide variety of produce. I hope to continue working there and learning different types of agricultural practices that the land lab participates in."

AUSTIN

Student Farm Worker

"My name is Austin and I am a recent "Environment & Sustainability" graduate at UMD, as well as a previous worker at the UMD Land Lab. The Land Lab gave me the experience, knowledge, and confidence to become a regenerative farmer, as a career. Before working at the SAP Farm, my only gardening experience was growing personal potted plants and the occasional hydroponic experiment.

Working at the farm really ramped up my practical skills and knowledge, which are essential to become a successful farmer. I learned so many little details that you simply cannot pick up on, in a classroom setting. Don't get me wrong, my time at UMD proved to be very rewarding, and I gained a ton of useful scientific knowledge that will help me in my field. However, working at the Land Lab was by far the most useful tool that UMD provided me, regarding building my resume/hiring ability. 

Because of my work at the farm and my wonderful bosses supportive recommendations, I now have job offers from several local organic farms. Those employers told me that my work at the farm was their biggest reason to hire me. Without the Land Lab, these employers might not have offered me the job. Even worse, I might not have ever found my true passion, which is regenerative agriculture. 

Additionally, my work at the Land Lab gave me the experience and confidence to start my own farm business, "Sol Sain Farm" which will be expanding, hopefully soon. The practical knowledge and business wisdom that my bosses (Kevin Moris, Michael Mageau, & Randy Hanson) instilled into me inspired me to go forth and attempt to realize my dreams of being an independent entrepreneur that simultaneously benefits the planet as well as it's biological and abiotic inhabitants.

Securing this farms funding is imperative so that people like me, who are passionate about sustainable agriculture, can continue to gain the skills and experience needed to get into an already difficult workforce to enter. 

Without the UMD Land Lab (also the "Environment & Sustainability" degree), UMD is just another standard U.S. college, focusing on maximizing revenue/minimizing costs instead of programs that put people, planet, and peace above profit. In fact, I never would have gone to UMD, had it not been for the Land Lab and the old ES degree."