Hi everyone! My name is Haddy Davis, and I am currently completing 1.5 GHW credits with the Student Farm. I am a junior in Environmental Systems Engineering here at Penn State. I am also the current Social Chair on the executive board of the Student Farm Club, and I am going to be the Club Programming Director next academic year.
I grew up outside of Scranton, PA in a very rural area called Newton Ransom. I spent most of my childhood playing outside with my sister. Whether it was catching lightning bugs on summer nights, or making snow angels in the winter, we were always having fun in nature. We knew almost all of our neighbors, and many of them were farmers. Our parents taught us to be grateful for everything we had. Specifically, my dad made sure we understood the importance of the people who worked hard to grow the food that we consumed. We were constantly reminded “No farms, no food”.
Although I was thankful for the hard work that farmers do, I never saw myself doing that work in college. My mom always had a garden and a compost pile, and we have chickens that I help with at home, but that was about as far as it went for me. I chose to be an environmental engineering major, because I wanted to protect the environment that I grew up in and provide clean air and clean water for everyone. I joined the Student Farm Club because I had friends that encouraged me to come to meetings, but I ended up falling in love with the club and its mission immediately. I started learning about food justice, food waste, eating healthy and local, and growing my own food sustainably. As I became educated on these topics, I knew I needed to spread the knowledge to as many of my peers about it as possible. So, I joined the executive board, learned more than ever and found my best friends.
I was later made aware of the possibility of earning GHW credits through the Student Farm. I decided to do it for the hands-on experience, and it has been one of my best decisions so far. I currently have about 36 hours combined in both the greenhouses and on the farm. In the greenhouses, I’ve seeded and potted up plants for the plant sale, helped lead volunteer workdays, worked with succulents, mixed soil, planted microgreens, and more. On the farm, I’ve learned how to use equipment like a wheel hoe, a broad fork, and a saddle hoe. I’ve fertilized plants, covered beds, prepped beds for seeding, harvested edible flowers, and much more.
I’m so excited for the rest of my hours, and I can’t wait to see what else I learn. I’ve met the most extraordinary people through the Student Farm, and I’ve improved as a person tremendously both in mental and physical health. I’ve learned that salad is DELICIOUS and providing for yourself is empowering. If you’re not yet involved with the Student Farm Club, I highly recommend coming to a meeting ASAP.
