Hi everyone! My name is Michael Vignone and I am so excited to be joining the 2023 internship crew for the fall semester. As an Italian, I have always appreciated food, and nothing compares to growing it yourself. Since I was young, I remember spending time with my family in the garden during the summer growing our precious tomatoes and squash. As I got older, it just seemed the garden kept growing with me. By the time I was entering high school, we were working on a greenhouse, and I was spending more time than I probably should have been researching varieties and planning where I could fit them in. Coming to Penn State to study horticulture, I thought I would get all the plant time I need, but, even then, it wasn’t enough. Now, I am a part of the student farm, and get even more time!
Although I have always tried to grow my fruits, vegetables, and flowers in what I would call a “clean” way, my appreciation really has grown for the word sustainable. Throughout the Student Farm’s website and promotions, you’ll see the word sustainable come up quite frequently. But, getting a good definition of sustainable can be hard because there is not one all-encompassing answer. Growing sustainably is more than just growing plants without pesticides or herbicides. It is being a steward of the land. It is protecting the environment. It is giving back more, not just the same, as you take. While preparing for the internship in class, my eyes were opened to just how many ways “sustainability” can be implemented in our world and on our farm.
One thing I hope to gain from my time working on the Student Farm is learning what it takes to run a real agricultural business. Having come from an extreme hobbyist background, analyzing profits and my market was something I never had to consider when preparing my garden each year. Now that I grow and sell cut flower arrangements and hope to one day own a nursery, I need to begin considering a lot more than just what I like and what I want to grow. The Student Farm is in such a great position to help me learn what I need for the future. Not only do we have a strong relationship with chefs all around Penn State’s campus, but we also have a very personal connection with the members of our surrounding community. That means we are growing for the biggest and smallest kitchens of Centre Country, with each having vastly different interests, needs, and preferences we must take into account.
I may consider myself to be a semi-seasoned gardener, but I truly believe you can never know enough, especially in the green industry. I can’t wait to be on the farm in the fall to continue learning while also growing quality produce for our massive Penn State family!