By: Olivia Stultz & Paxton Evans
Haley Becker is a University of Florida senior majoring in sustainability studies and minoring in organic and sustainable crop production. In order to gain hands-on experience in the field and knowledge about sustainable agriculture, she works at Field & Fork as a gleaning intern at the student gardens.
Haley’s plant science background extends from her interest in agriculture, cultivated through her sustainability classes. She originally found out about the Field & Fork internship program while looking for a sustainability-related internship. She always knew volunteers helped run the gardens but wasn’t aware of the internships Field & Fork offered until she saw them posted online.
The specific project she is working on to create a community-wide gleaning program. Gleaning is the process by which the edible left-overs of an initial harvest are collected. It has been used for thousands of years, primarily as a way to feed the poor or stay frugal. Today, gleaning isn’t used as much as it is costly to rehire labor for a second harvest and consumers may not be used to the by-products (such as broccoli leaves). Gleaning has quite the impact on Florida agriculture. Even though it is costly, it prevents edible food from going to waste, which can then be used to feed consumers who are willing to try something new and help support food banks.
Haley’s favorite aspect of her gleaning project is the people she works with and the overall environment. She explained, “...everyone is so kind and welcoming, it really is like a small family between all of the interns…It’s just wonderful to be doing something that is genuinely good for the community.” Haley hopes the outcome of her gleaning project is to become a reality in the entire Gainesville community.
The mission of Field & Fork is to eliminate food insecurity at the University of Florida. Field & Fork is battling food insecurity by bringing people of all backgrounds together to provide free food to students and faculty. They use the student gardens to supply fresh fruits and veggies to the pantry. Students can get involved with Field & Fork through volunteering or interning. More information about when these opportunities will become available on their website.
Credits:
Olivia Stultz, Paxton Evans