Today is my last day at the Stiles Farm, while bittersweet I get a chance to reflect on where I started and what I’ve accomplished during my time here. Starting here back in August I did not know how to drive a tractor, had not applied the concepts of cattle management I learned in school to actual producing herds, and did not know how satisfying being in production agriculture is. Now five months later I’m comfortable driving a tractor and feeding hay on my own which is satisfying knowing the amount of hours Ryan, Bobby, and Jimmy spent training me was worth it. Applying the concepts I learned in school to our cow-calf herds was interesting and had me thinking creatively on how to get the proper nutrition to our cows at the right time. Now that calves are dropping with ease, and cows are holding their condition until calving, I know we made some right decisions there. It’s bittersweet leaving the Stiles Farm and all of our wonderful employees but I’m thankful for my experience here and excited to get started on a new chapter.
-Georgina Macias Fall 2018 Farm Intern