This internship has sure kept me busy this summer! I have had the opportunity to meet several different producers in the area at Food Summit events, farmers markets and interviews for my monthly blog posts. These producers have been so generous with their time in helping me construct these posts. They commit to interviews, photo opportunities and follow-up questions I present to them when writing the blog posts. So far, I have profiled Juicy Lucy’s Mobile Food Pantry, Alcove Farms, Caprock Berry Farms, Ogallala Greens, Creek House Honey Farm and Growing Together Texas. My favorite blog post so far would have to be Caprock Berry Farms. I got to learn about how a young couple grows strawberries on the Llano Estacado, which is not an easy crop to produce in this climate! I also created various social media posts to help create an awareness for producers in this area. It has been really rewarding to see the Local Llano community engage with my posts. My Facebook post featuring Ogallala Greens had 224 likes and 24 shares. It is so great to see that people are reading my creations! I feel like I have not only grown in my skills as a writer and photographer, but I have also grown in my communication skills. I have had to approach strangers at markets to gain more information about their business, conduct interviews with producers and stay in touch with Darryl throughout my internship. I am learning so much and am incredibly grateful for this opportunity!
My leadership goal for this internship is to grow in my ability to take charge on projects and put myself in a position to dedicate more time to helping others, such as volunteering at community gardens in Lubbock. My communication goal is to be able to write three to four blog posts this month. It can seem like a lot to juggle, but I know I can do it! I also wish to expand my network by asking producers I have already interviewed if they know of other farmers I can talk to and write a story about.
