Hello everyone! My name is Percy Xu, and I am a new 2023 intern at the Student Farm. I am a sophomore majoring in Agricultural Science, minoring in Agribusiness Management. I am from northern China. As Chinese kids, we don’t usually have a lot of opportunities to get in touch with farms and farming. But I was different, my parents had a little garden in the suburb, and they used it to grow vegetables. So, I spent many summer vacations on the field. I guess I started to gain some interest in growing stuff at that time. So, when I had a chance to be a part of the Student Farm, I took it without a doubt.
When I first came here, I actually didn’t know a lot about agriculture. Since we only grew a small number of vegetables on that piece of land when I was young, and there was no demand for production, we just grew the vegetables as much as we could and took them as our dietary supplement. So, in my memory, growing vegetables is just a fun thing. But after coming to the Student Farm, I found that there are actually many things that need our attention during the production process. For example, we will go to buy seeds and sprinkle them directly in the ground. But if you want to ensure the quality, you should actually breed and transfer these seedlings.
I think when I came to the Student Farm, a lot of the ideas are the same as what I experienced when I was a child. The reason why we want to grow some vegetables in my house is not that the market price is too expensive or anything, it’s just because my parents feel that we need to eat some healthier vegetables without “pollution”, which is very important for our health. And the Student Farm is also practicing this idea. When we grow vegetables ourselves, we can make sure they are safe and healthy.
I think what makes me happier is how we get involved in community service. Long before I came to America, I heard that Americans have a strong connection with the local community. I think it is very good. When we grow vegetables in a scientific and healthy way, we also bring this healthy lifestyle and concept to the community. For me, this is not only a continuation of my childhood lifestyle, but also a promotion of this lifestyle, so that more people can enjoy a healthy life.