Emily Cronk, Intern

Describe your role as an intern at Full Circle Farm.
I came to Full Circle in April. As an intern I have had the chance to experience all of the different aspects of the farm. The primary duties of myself and the other interns from April-July included seeding, transplanting, herb harvesting, working a weekly farmer's market and taking care of the plants in the greenhouse. August was mostly spent harvesting "hot crops" such as cucumbers, summer squash, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and tomatillos. In September we had the chance to work for a few days in each of the other areas of the farm; processing, packing CSA boxes, working in the warehouse/cooler, harvesting with the crew, riding along with Nacho in the tractor, observing the different departments in the office, going on delivery/pick-up routes, hanging out with Andrew, and other odd jobs. These last two months have been extremely helpful as I see and better understand how each part of the Full Circle operation fits together.

What led you to Full Circle Farm and why?
I have always been interested in organic foods and living a natural lifestyle. Before coming here I was living in New York City. I knew it was not the place for me so I started looking for farm intern jobs, mostly along the west coast. I found Full Circle Farm on attra.ncat.org. It seemed like a fit for me and it has turned out to be a great place to learn about organic farming.

Describe some current values systems that are relevant to your work at Full Circle Farm.
It's disheartening how many people's concept of food has become so distorted. With an abundance of processed, chemicalized, fertilized, sugarized, pesticide laden, packaged, nutrient deficient "food" people lose track of what REAL food is. That is what we grow at Full Circle; real food that is naturally grown the way it should be grown in symbiosis with the natural environment; food that makes us feel good; food that looks like food and tastes like food. I also think it is super cool that Andrew is into protecting the environment through restoration projects, conserving our natural resources, creating wildlife habitats and other practices that give back to the land.

What is the best part about working at Full Circle Farm?
There are many "best parts" about working at Full Circle. Seeing the growth cycle of the plants from seed to harvest and doing the physical labor to bring that cycle to fruition, working with fabulous people that I enjoy being around, eating awesome REAL food that we grew, and driving tractors and big trucks are what make working here so great.

What is your favorite meal and do you like to cook?
I like to cook when I have the time and the resources. I lived with my uncle in NYC and we would have cooking contests with each other, mostly breads and soups. He had the cook book How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman, and I just got it for my birthday. I'm excited to try some new recipes.

When you're not working, how do you like to spend your time?
I love the outdoors, and having mountains almost at my back door to hike and explore. I also enjoy a variety of sports, running, reading, and traveling.

Music you like to listen to or best book you've read so far this year?
I'm a big fan of Barbara Kingsolver so when I saw that she had a new book out, without even knowing what it was about, I bought it. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle put her on the top of my favorites list. It's got great recipes in it, too. How about making pumpkin soup right in the pumpkin?