Hey everyone, my name is Zach Raugh and I am an intern for the Student Farm for the 2023 growing season! I am currently a sophomore double majoring in Community, Environment, and Development & Political Science.
I grew up in Boyertown, Pennsylvania, which is located about an hour outside of Philly and is surrounded by miles of corn and cows, so naturally I’ve always had an interest in agriculture and the outdoors. I try to spend as much time as I can outside, either hiking, running, or gardening, and I found myself immediately drawn to the Student Farm once I transferred to Penn State from my local community college. I was impressed by the impact that the farm had (and continues to have) on the Penn State community and it was something that I wanted to get involved with since a lot of the work could be applied to my home community and other food systems. Other than being an intern, I am a member of the Student Farm Club and an active member in the hydroponic lab project team. I am also a member of the Community, Environment, and Development club.
As a Community, Environment, and Development major, I’ve learned the importance of community and the impact it can have on an individual’s health and well-being. I view a community as a group of people working together to make their home the best it can be and to benefit as many people as possible. A community should be there for people in their times of need, and food is essential for every community out there. For a community such as Boyertown, many people rely on agriculture and food systems as their source of income, so it has been great to learn about the processes behind farming and to be able to apply it to some of my personal experiences.
As an intern, I have been able to turn my passion for the outdoors into a professional experience. I’ve learned so much about local food systems and just how complex they can be, but also the positive impact it can have on people within a community. I had never heard of programs such as community–supported agriculture before, and I think that many of the practices applied here at the Student Farm have the potential to reduce food waste and food insecurity if implemented on a larger scale. I think that a community farm has the potential to bring people together in order to have important conversations on these topics and I would love to see something similar in my own hometown. Overall, the Student Farm has been a great experience and I am excited to start the summer growing season as an intern!