Meet our Intern: Kayla Hogan

First off, let’s all do a happy dance: we’re 2 weeks out from our first delivery! 

Ok, now, let’s meet the intern!

We knew from the beginning that we wouldn’t be able to do this all on our own. Even with the amazing help we receive from our families, it wasn’t quite enough to help us sustain our day-to-day, weekly, monthly tasks.

Kayla came to us through FARRMS and we couldn’t be more thrilled!

Here’s what she has to say…

Hi, I’m Kayla. I’m interning with FARRMS (the Foundation for Agricultural and Rural Resources Management and Sustainability in Medina, ND) this season. Each FARRMS intern works at an area farm to contribute and build their skills and knowledge surrounding agriculture, livestock, sustainability, and more.  I’ve chosen to work at Forager Farm this season, and I’m so excited to learn and grow alongside Hannah and Jonathon. 

I chose Forager Farm because of its commitment to organic, non-GMO, non-treated, good food.  In an age where conventional farming calls for more and more chemicals and other practices that harm the earth, I’m proud to stand with Hannah and Jonathon as they work with the earth to produce healthy food for their friends, families and neighbors.  

In the weeks since I’ve arrived, I’ve already learned so much, not only about organic farming, but about life in general.  How humans have lived in the past, and how we continue to live now, will greatly affect life in the future.  We can take a collective stand to be good to ourselves and the earth, as Hannah and Jonathon are doing, or we can further the damage.  Throughout my time here, I hope to help Forager Farm’s mission reach more people, in North Dakota and beyond.

I’ve already met so many wonderful people in Windsor, Medina, and the surrounding areas, and I hope to meet many more.  I’ve found a real sense of community here already, and a charm I did not expect.  I’m originally from Kansas City, Missouri, which boasts a population of nearly 500,000 people, not including the surrounding suburbs.  For the past four years, I attended Tufts University in Somerville, Massachusetts, which is right outside of Boston.  It’s only been one month since I graduated.  

Needless to say, life in North Dakota is a major change for me.  I’ve never lived in a rural area before, much less with completely new people.  And besides a little work here and there on my sister’s urban farm in Kansas City, I’ve never lived the life of a farmer.  That being said, after sixteen years of school, I’m ready for a break.  This won’t be an easy or relaxing break, but rather a quite busy, sometimes exhausting break.  It will be filled with sunburns and bruises and achey muscles, but it’s meaningful work, and therefore work that I can get behind.

I’m so glad that I can join Hannah and Jonathon this season, and I can’t wait for what is to come!  Supporting local farmers is very important, and I think that that support can take many forms. For me, it will be getting my hands dirty to provide North Dakotans with food grown right here. From North Dakota to North Dakota, with love.

In the 3 short weeks Kayla has been with us, she has helped us immensely! We try not to think of what it was like before she got here – what a lifesaver! It’s been a blast so far and we are looking forward to enjoying her company (and work!) for the rest of the season.

Welcome to North Dakota, Kayla!