Hi, I’m Rachel and I’m an intern at Oregon State University Extension Service in Hood River
County. I have been working in partnership with the Master Gardener volunteers at the FISH Food
Bank Garden. The mission of the garden is to grow produce for the food bank and provide garden
education to the community. The garden is a place for people to visit, volunteer and connect with
others.

My position in the garden was that of a garden manager. I found it enjoyable working with
the plants and soils as well as background systems and structures. I have years of experience in
vegetable farming and brought new ideas with a production mindset into the garden. This was a
fun challenge stepping into the gardening world and learning how to interact with vegetable
production in a more lowkey environment where community is really one of the main
components.

I have not fully comprehended the extent of this internship’s value. There were so many
things that I got to do and take part in including public speaking, infographics, creating systems,
building relationships and developing better intergenerational communication skills, working
with youth, grant writing knowledge, volunteer management, garden management and more.
When I went back to school, I had my eyes and heart set on the NRCS. That dream was derailed
this winter and since then I have been reassessing what I value in a future career. I went back to
school with the core mission to help rural farmers and communities.

Through the grant writing courses and discussions with a mentor I have seen the value in
those skills and the foundations that fund farmers and rural community projects. While I still have
interest in working in soil conservation, my interest is peaked and I wonder if a career working for
an organization or foundation that focuses on funding rural communities. While I love being
outside and working with plants and soils, I do think that my experience here has shown me that
I could take my career in many different directions. I have become increasingly more confident in
my right to guide my own days. I have invested my time in the things that benefit me and benefit
the garden. I have also become more confident in knowing what workload is manageable for me
and when to say no to extra tasks and projects while still finding a way to delegate the tasks so
that they get done.

My name is Rachel Fuller, and I am an intern for the Oregon State University Extension Service
in Hood River County. This is my first time working with Extension, and my three weeks here
have already been very impactful. I am a senior at OSU, studying crop and soil science. Prior to
going to university, my background was primarily in small scale vegetable farms with a focus on
rural communities.

Through OSU Extension, I have been working at the FISH Food Bank Garden. The garden
produces vegetables that go straight to the food bank, providing the community with hyper-
local produce. The garden also serves as a classroom for groups of kids to learn about the
garden ecosystem.

In the garden I oversee the irrigation systems, plant health, harvesting, seeding/transplanting,
pest management, nutrient management and weekly flow of volunteers. I primarily work with
Master Gardener volunteers. They are a lovely bunch of people with a variety of passions,
knowledge and interests that I have learned a lot from already.

When I’m not in the garden, I have been working on projects in the Extension Office. I have
taken a grant writing class and am preparing to take the second course next week. After I have
completed this, my goal is to write a grant to create a funded Garden Manager position. In
addition, I have made a binder of garden lesson plans, created a record keeping system for the
garden and worked on systems to streamline the productivity of the garden.

The three weeks that I have been here have gone by so quickly and have been very enjoyable.
I’m excited for what the rest of the summer has in store!