Hello! My name is Amber Truesdale, and I am a new intern for the Student Farm. I am a sophomore. I am majoring in Plant Science, with a focus in Plant Genetics and Biotechnology, and minoring in Horticulture. I will be joining the executive team on the Student Farm as the Field Production Director next year.
I grew up by the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and spent much of my time exploring the forests and trails near my home. Every summer, I would pick the wild raspberries that grew everywhere and turn them into jam. Along with the raspberries, I would also gather flowers to press and preserve them. While I attempted to grow a garden, my parents’ backyard, full of trees, did not allow enough sunlight in to successfully grow anything. Outside of foraging and attempting to garden, I also enjoy drawing and lifting weights in my free time.
I first learned about environmental problems like climate change, erosion, and pollution when I was very young. My elementary school often focused on learning about how to take care of the environment and even had their own rain garden where students could volunteer. Growing up near the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay, my education focused strongly on trying to fix the pollution and erosion around its shores. During the summer months, we were advised not to swim in it as, not only was the water disgusting and unsafe (“don’t go swimming if you have any open cuts!”), the algae blooms and warmer weather would cause huge population booms of jellyfish. Often, you couldn’t go swimming without getting stung at least once. Much of this pollution is from excess fertilizers that run off into one of the many streams that empty into the Bay. Sustainable agriculture is very important to me because I grew up learning about how the Chesapeake Bay used to be, and one day I want to see it be clean of pollutants once again.
With the Student Farm, I hope to learn more about these sustainable practices, and hopefully spread this knowledge to some of the farms in Maryland. I also hope to learn more about how to lead a successful farm and one day lead a self-sustainable garden of my own. Before joining the Student Farm, I did not know what CSAs were. My family always bought our produce from grocery stores, which, after trying locally grown food did not even come close to comparing. I enjoy knowing where my food comes from and that it is ethically sourced.
