Drawing the Curtain Closed
As I think about this year as an intern at Grand Oak Farm, the main question is did you receive the information you were looking for so that you can start your own farm? That answer is YES. Working this year with Camille and Dana has been a rewarding experience and it’s a good thing I choose to do this, because my wife and I have recently purchased 17.5 acres of prime farmland in Limestone.
The farm has an old house, build in 1900, which will go through a complete renovation.
It also has two barns that are in good shape and a springhouse. The added bonus of this property is a historic log cabin, which we want to eventually turn into an AirBnB. We are super excited to be moving out to the country and get started building our forever farm. This first year coming up in 2019, I want to plant about two acres of produce. One afternoon Dana and I took a visit the farm and it was great to have her out because she was pointing out details in the landscape I had not yet noticed.
As I think about the future on my own farm, a lot of what is going to happen when I am deciding how to do something is going to go through my head like—‘Well, Camille did it this way, so I am going to do it that way too.’ I hope to have made some lasting friendships (they are going to be my neighbors) so I can call to get advice on issues and to share experiences with.
On the last day I was working at Grand Oak we where harvesting the last of the summer crops, because there was a chance of frost coming. I felt a sense of complete satisfaction, as we where drawing the “curtain” closed on another year. We made it! My journey to becoming a farmer has been a long one. I really wanted to make it through whole season working with an experienced farmer and I am grateful to have had this experience.
William White, 2018 FARM Intern