Meet our intern Elizabeth Herman, a current UW Student who is interning with Taste of the Wind through the GrowinG Wyoming Internship Program this summer.
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Elizabeth grew up in Arizona before moving to California, where she first ventured into the world of horses. This experience sparked her interest in animals and lead her to pursue a career working with them. Elizabeth is working on a degree in Animal Science with a concentration in business at the University of Wyoming.
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Elizabeth does not have an ag background, but she hopes to gain more experience, using this internship as a jumping off point.
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So far Elizabeth has learned how to use electric fencing, she has helped take down old barbed-wire fencing and build a new fence, she has castrated a lamb, she has helped shear some sheep, she has learned about moving animals and how the dogs help to move the sheep, she has learned about flood and sprinkler irrigation, she has helped with doctoring mastitis, and she has learned some things about wool quality, how to wash wool, and make felted wool products.
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We have lots more to learn as the summer ramps up too!
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This is the second year we have hosted an intern through this program, and it always is a great learning experience for myself as well. I get to really work on skills like effective communication, delegation, and time management, and I learn a lot about what our farm actually takes to run. It's funny how working by myself so much (well with Peter too of course...) leads me to forget just how much variety my days contain, and how nuanced farm work can actually be. This is part of why I love this work so much. I get to use so many different skills every day- I never get bored. Sharing that with someone new can be such a humbling experience.
Mostly, because I remember what it was like to be on the intern side, as someone who did not grow up in Ag, approaching someone's heart-and-soul business from the outside, and trying to jump right in a gain an understanding and make myself useful. I hope this memory of what it was like helps to keep this internship relevant and my expectations realistic.
This experience lasts 10 weeks, and we are in week 4 already. It is only a very brief opportunity to scratch the surface on what a small operation like Taste of the Wind involves, but I hope it is a door into the world of the local-food for Elizabeth. It may not become her career path, like it did for me, but I know it will have a lasting impact, and I hope it will give her skills she can use in whatever path she may take in the future
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"I have already gained quite a bit of knowledge and am looking forward to applying these lessons as I gain more experience in the future."
Elizabeth will be taking over our social media channels every Wednesday for the next few weeks, so tune into @tasteofthewind307 on Facebook and Instagram to hear a bit about her experience on the farm.
We have officially moved all of the animals to their summer spot south of town, and they are loving it so far!
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This spot has much more water, lusher grass and more sheep on it. We combined the resident sheep flock with mine and are moving them all in one electric fence to give other parts of the pastures some rest from grazing.
I think the sheep are enjoying their new flock-mates and having access to fresh running water and softer ground with less cactus!
Jameson and Pip love running to the big pond and jumping in when they get hot, and Peter is loving all of the different flowers that are blooming out at this place.
Peter also loves that we are right up next to the train tracks so he can see the train go by right up next to us. This new place is also along a quarry road so he has very much enjoyed watching all of the "haul trucks!!!!!" go by throughout the day.
He is becoming quite the large engine enthusiast these days...
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My favorite part of this place is the grove of cottonwoods near the house. It is sure nice to have a shady spot to retreat to and work on wool crafts and hides when the day gets sweltering hot, like it is starting to this time of year.
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We will be at this farm until the fall, when we will trade irrigation duties and grazing rights back to another family I work with, the Rardins.
It is really cool that I get to work on multiple different landscapes and with multiple small-scale ag operations run by different families who are all working together. It really gives me a sense of community around local food and brings me a deep gratitude for how mobile and flexible my operation is.
While we are "vacationing" on this farm, the family that owns it (The Storeys) are vacationing up in Alaska for several months!
They were excited that they could work out a trade for grazing while they were gone so the irrigation could keep running and they could keep their sheep healthy and safe while they were enjoying their trip. So far it seems like a pretty good deal for everyone involved.
I am looking forward to spending the summer at this "vacation-farm" south of town!
Grill Bundles are Still Available for One More Week BJ!
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The other day, Chris and I were lamenting how we can't get out of the grocery store without spending $200 these days...
Ugh! And we aren't even buying any meat there!
So I decided to offer these grill bundles at an extreme discount for one more week to help out my friends, who maybe just want to enjoy a meal without feeling like you have to break the bank.
Snag yours through the weekend HERE.
Hope you have a nice shady spot and a glass of your favorite summer beverage in your hand!
Until next week...
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-BJ and the Taste of the Wind Crew
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