Here at my first week at the stiles farm has been an instructive learning experience. During the past few days I’ve been getting to know the layout of the farm, and slowly learning the names and locations of the different pastures. On Wednesday Ryan began teaching me how to drive stick on the truck, and safety protocol for the herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers that we use here on the farm. Mostly Ryan and I have been working on the sprayer, spraying cotton and observing him, and seeing how to maintain and safely operate farm equipment.
This week I also learned how to attach a trailer to the farm pickup, and the extra precautions that have to be taken when using equipment. We had a cow get out on Thursday and we were able to get it back with it’s herd. All week we’ve been checking the cows body condition, making sure their water sources are supplying enough to the herds, and supplementing hay due to the drought. Lastly this week Ryan thought me how to use the ranger, checking for the proper fluids and maintenance of the radiator. This week has been a great, hard working week, but a positive start overall to my internship here at the Stiles Farm.
-Georgina Macias Fall 2018 Intern
Stiles blog 8-31-18