Our intern program is as rewarding to us as it is to our interns. We’re proud to be apart of their lives when their horizons are broadened and enriched by their service to their communities. It’s inspiring to see how they begin to connect with the world around them in new and passionate ways. The best thing about our internships is, there’s something for everyone, no matter what their interests are, and more times than not, they’ll even come away with some new interests and passions.
A perfect example of this is Allison Bolte who is interning with Amos Hinton for the Ag. Department of the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma.
This summer Allison decided to pursue a couple of her interests, service to Native American communities, and agriculture, by working the land with the Ponca Tribe to cultivate their 12-acre garden. Despite being raised in an urban northern-Kentucky setting, Allison was already aware of the Tribe’s struggles for clean, healthy food sources.
The garden grows tomatoes, onions, beets, and more to provide nutritious food for those nearby. She was also able to take part in an Oklahoma St. University experiment studying the most fertile environment for tomato growth.
In addition to spending much time weeding the garden, Allison has also been a natural hand with the livestock. She has made chutes for transporting, wired a chicken house, and delivered piglets!
Most exciting for us is Allison’s enhanced perspective on community, health, and service. She has found life on the farm to be, “not easy,” but rewarding – “an exercise in spirituality.” Bolte also has a new appreciation for the healthy, active lifestyle inherit with ag-life. Through Amos, she has been able to see how health and wellness are interweaved throughout a community and evidenced within its institutions.
Allison wishes everyone could have the experience of farm living, and so do we. Well done, Allison. Thanks for everything you are doing through your internship!
