Our third week is beginning here at the Green String Institute. The days are short. Flecks of orange and pink are just starting to color the grey morning sky when we begin our 7 AM stretches and the chickens are already starting to think about bedtime when we wrap up our afternoon lessons with Bob. A few of the mornings have been frosty, and we've had a couple good rains, but all in all the weather has been quite pleasant- especially for the interns who are used to midwestern winters. 

I feel very lucky to be a part of this program. In many ways it is an experience that I was craving during my college years but never really got. In college I felt a sharp disconnect between my intellectual life and more mundane things like feeding myself, housekeeping, and balancing my sleep schedule with that of the rest of the people in my dorm. Here my life feels grounded and integrated. The eight of us interns all get up around 6 and are working in the fields by 7. Instead of a janitor to sweep up after us one intern stays behind in the house for an extra hour each morning to tidy up our living space. Everyone either helps cook or clean up a meal each day of the week. We eat seasonal produce from the farm and bulk foods that we pay for through our morning work study. 

 At the liberal arts college I attended there was a noticeable distinction between those who had work study jobs and were on a tight budget and those whose parents were bankrolling their 'unique intellectual adventure'. The program at Green String isn't free, but none of us will be leaving with any sort of loans. Instead, regardless of whether we could afford the program otherwise, we are all required to participate in work study out in the fields each weekday morning. 

In the afternoons we have a two hour lesson with Bob, though it's not unusual for it to stretch for an extra hour. Unlike many of my college professors, Bob has held a number of jobs outside of teaching. His lessons are practical and rooted in years of experience. Topics covered thus far have included: the four basic ingredients for a healthy plant, re-handling tools, scything, cover crops, knife sharpening, and seeds. We have held class at four different farm sites already. 

It is certainly no utopia here, but from my experience it is, unfortunately, a fairly unique learning situation. There are many farms you can go work at and learning something through hands on experience, but not many where you will have regular in depth lessons for two plus hours every weekday afternoon with a master farmer. There are also a number of colleges you can attend and learn something along the lines of sustainable agriculture, but few where you can actually put into practice the life you are learning about day in and day out, study from a teacher who practices what he preaches, and get though the program without lightening your purse by many thousands of dollars. 

For anyone reading this that's considering applying (as I was doing not too many months ago), I suggest watching a video or two of Bob Cannard on Youtube if you haven't already. If you aren't intrigued and inspired in some way by him and his subject matter, you probably won't enjoy this program very much (you will spend a lot of time here listening to Bob talk).

I have a lot more I'd like to share, but it is now well past my bedtime and aside from a rodent or two scurrying around somewhere in the ceiling the rest of the house has already gone to sleep...

Luke P - Intern, Winter '16