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| Those Upon Whose Backs The Farm Has Been Built |
| How fortunate we have been to have the privilege of working with incredible interns over the last three years. It has been a true pleasure getting to know each of you. You have helped to build the foundation of our operation. Your help and dedication have been invaluable as we continue to work to turn our farm into a way of life. We sincerely hope that Dancing Crane Farm stays in your heart as you move onto other endeavors. You are always welcome here! --David & Natasha |
Lisa 2007
For the longest time I didn’t think
anything would ever grow. Then suddenly
lettuce, kale and new friends surrounded
me. It was amazing to be part of an entire
life cycle on the farm. I planted seeds,
tilled the
land, watered, killed pests, harvested,
pulled the plants, and covered the flower
beds for winter. My days interning on the
farm were filled with hard work, but they
were also filled with friendly faces,
meaningful conversation, and great
meals.
For the longest time I didn’t think
anything would ever grow. Then suddenly
lettuce, kale and new friends surrounded
me. It was amazing to be part of an entire
life cycle on the farm. I planted seeds,
tilled the
land, watered, killed pests, harvested,
pulled the plants, and covered the flower
beds for winter. My days interning on the
farm were filled with hard work, but they
were also filled with friendly faces,
meaningful conversation, and great
meals.
Erica 2007
My experience at Dancing Crane Farm
has been almost a life-changing
experience. I had been interested in
sustainable agriculture for quite some
time and heard about this internship
opportunity and thought, why not?
After I started working out at the farm, I
realized that sustainable agriculture
was not only an interest, but something
I wanted to do – in some form -- for the
rest of my life. I have gotten the
opportunity to work with 3 other young
women and Natasha, which has made
my experience even more enjoyable. I
have shared laughter, good food,
weeding gripes, and the joy of working
with the land with these four and I
would not have traded this experience
for the world.
My experience at Dancing Crane Farm
has been almost a life-changing
experience. I had been interested in
sustainable agriculture for quite some
time and heard about this internship
opportunity and thought, why not?
After I started working out at the farm, I
realized that sustainable agriculture
was not only an interest, but something
I wanted to do – in some form -- for the
rest of my life. I have gotten the
opportunity to work with 3 other young
women and Natasha, which has made
my experience even more enjoyable. I
have shared laughter, good food,
weeding gripes, and the joy of working
with the land with these four and I
would not have traded this experience
for the world.
David 2006
My encounter with DCF was completely
by chance and could not have happened
at a better time. I first came across
Natasha’s flier for the farm at the
Marquette Food Coop. I thought nothing
of it at first but, after a few days I decided
to check out the website. I sent a
message with a few questions and
ended up getting an interview for a
summer internship. I started out with
little knowledge about farming. I had
grown some tomatoes, a few herbs, and
squash. It seemed rather easy but I just
bought seedlings from a store and
transplanted them to my backyard
garden. I really didn’t spend much time
with the garden other than watering it
everyday and waiting till some produce
was ready.
My encounter with DCF was completely
by chance and could not have happened
at a better time. I first came across
Natasha’s flier for the farm at the
Marquette Food Coop. I thought nothing
of it at first but, after a few days I decided
to check out the website. I sent a
message with a few questions and
ended up getting an interview for a
summer internship. I started out with
little knowledge about farming. I had
grown some tomatoes, a few herbs, and
squash. It seemed rather easy but I just
bought seedlings from a store and
transplanted them to my backyard
garden. I really didn’t spend much time
with the garden other than watering it
everyday and waiting till some produce
was ready.
Nick 2005
The time I put into working at DCF was no
doubt well spent. Every week I would look
forward to working on the farm, I could
count on a day with laughter, hard work
and delicious produce. I am amazed by
the Life Cycle and one of the most
satisfying parts of the internship was
being in contact with and observing that
Life Cycle. Having little previous
experience with organic farming, David
and Natasha were happy to address my
interests and questions. It was exciting
not only to learn about organic farming but
also to meet the customers whose food I
helped to grow. I am very glad that I was
able to be a part of the DCF food
community. I would definitely recommend
putting time aside to experience a working
day at DCF.
The time I put into working at DCF was no
doubt well spent. Every week I would look
forward to working on the farm, I could
count on a day with laughter, hard work
and delicious produce. I am amazed by
the Life Cycle and one of the most
satisfying parts of the internship was
being in contact with and observing that
Life Cycle. Having little previous
experience with organic farming, David
and Natasha were happy to address my
interests and questions. It was exciting
not only to learn about organic farming but
also to meet the customers whose food I
helped to grow. I am very glad that I was
able to be a part of the DCF food
community. I would definitely recommend
putting time aside to experience a working
day at DCF.
Rachel 2006
My time as Dancing Crane Farm was a great learning and
growing experience. Every week, I would look forward to going
to the farm to learn something new and be exposed to things
that I had never encountered in day to day life. Although days
were spent doing hard work and learning, there was so much
fun involved. The laughter and conversation while working
made the hours seem like minutes.
My time as Dancing Crane Farm was a great learning and
growing experience. Every week, I would look forward to going
to the farm to learn something new and be exposed to things
that I had never encountered in day to day life. Although days
were spent doing hard work and learning, there was so much
fun involved. The laughter and conversation while working
made the hours seem like minutes.
This page is a work in progress. We still have more intern comments to post.
I was interested in farming because my grandparents were farmers in Oakland
County before it became a suburb of Detroit. Garner, my grandfather, was the
average farmer. He raised the typical livestock you would find on a farm to support
his family and farmhands, while managing about 200 acres of land. His main crop
was corn, but he grew just about everything a farmer needed. Eventually they sold
the farm and it became a subdivision.
As I grew up, I remember seeing his small gardens and being amazed at how big
they were (of course I was only 3 foot tall at the time). Everything seemed perfect
in size and color. We had a great arrangement, I would do the watering and he
would manage everything else. This past summer I was able to learn about every
aspect of “real” farming: from preparing the plots, to planting the seeds, and
picking the weeds and pests. Nothing we ever did felt like a chore, it just felt good.
No matter what we did that day, a sense of accomplishment filled me and I was
proud. As the summer went by I felt closer to my past and I enjoyed every minute I
was at the farm. The biggest reward of all was being able to tell my grandmother
about my experience and share out memories.
County before it became a suburb of Detroit. Garner, my grandfather, was the
average farmer. He raised the typical livestock you would find on a farm to support
his family and farmhands, while managing about 200 acres of land. His main crop
was corn, but he grew just about everything a farmer needed. Eventually they sold
the farm and it became a subdivision.
As I grew up, I remember seeing his small gardens and being amazed at how big
they were (of course I was only 3 foot tall at the time). Everything seemed perfect
in size and color. We had a great arrangement, I would do the watering and he
would manage everything else. This past summer I was able to learn about every
aspect of “real” farming: from preparing the plots, to planting the seeds, and
picking the weeds and pests. Nothing we ever did felt like a chore, it just felt good.
No matter what we did that day, a sense of accomplishment filled me and I was
proud. As the summer went by I felt closer to my past and I enjoyed every minute I
was at the farm. The biggest reward of all was being able to tell my grandmother
about my experience and share out memories.
Shannon 2007
The work is hard and humble but that had proven to be a very rewarding
but also involved picking raspberries and lilacs, arranging flower
bouquets, and having the opportunity to work at the farmer’s markets. It’
s an experience like no other in which you can have an intimate
relationship with nature and get to develop a personal understanding for
the amount of work that goes into running a farm. You develop
relationships with not only nature and other interns, but also with the farm
animals, the customers, and the other volunteers. At the end of the day
on the farm, I left with a different perspective, a sense of accomplishment,
as well as a nice set of bicep muscles!
The work is hard and humble but that had proven to be a very rewarding
but also involved picking raspberries and lilacs, arranging flower
bouquets, and having the opportunity to work at the farmer’s markets. It’
s an experience like no other in which you can have an intimate
relationship with nature and get to develop a personal understanding for
the amount of work that goes into running a farm. You develop
relationships with not only nature and other interns, but also with the farm
animals, the customers, and the other volunteers. At the end of the day
on the farm, I left with a different perspective, a sense of accomplishment,
as well as a nice set of bicep muscles!
Elizabeth 2006
Cassy 2007