Hello everyone! My name is Ben Rudnik, and I am a rising senior in the College of Ag. I am majoring in Plant Science with a focus in Agroecology. I also found I really enjoy studying entomology, and I would love to pursue a minor if I can squeeze the remaining credits into my final two semesters. I am originally from State College, and I have lived here my entire life. In addition to working part-time at the Student Farm this summer, I will be continuing my employment at the local Ace Hardware.
As long as I can remember, my parents have kept a large garden in our backyard. Growing up, I always loved helping out in the summers and picking fresh fruits and vegetables to cook with. As I got older the garden grew in size, I am now able to apply some of the things I learn in school to our garden at home. In addition to cooking and gardening, I love going hiking and spending time outdoors with my dog Max, a three year old Husky mix I adopted from Pets Come First. He is the sweetest yet sassiest dog I have ever met, and the best thing to happen to me during college. He also shares an interest in gardening!
So far I have loved my experience working on the Student Farm, and I find it very valuable because I have never had any professional experience related to my studies. Even though it is relatively small, working on the farm is still a lot different than keeping to my garden at home, and I think it is especially interesting to learn about the organic production methods used. Overall, I am amazed at many of the creative solutions other interns have developed to solve all sorts of unique problems associated with farming on only five acres.
Although I am still very unsure about what exactly I want to do after I graduate, I have always intended to eventually work in sustainable agriculture, and working at the Student Farm has only cemented that desire. Not only do I enjoy working there, but I feel good about the work I am doing, and I think it is a great way to get involved with the community. I really hope that in the future I can get involved with more operations like this.
