When considering internships to pursue for this summer, students should look beyond the typical options and consider an experience in local, sustainable farming.
For all of the talk on campus about the local food movement, there are concrete ways for students to get their hands dirty in the actual practice.
One can be found just down the Eno River in Hillsborough. Coon Rock Farm is a family operated business. For more than 120 years, Coon Rock Farm has been a notable landmark in the town.
In 2004, the Holcomb family purchased the property. Richard Holcomb and his partner, Jamie DeMent, a UNC and Morehead-Cain alumna, have expanded their farm to more than 10 acres of organically grown food and sustainable farming.
During the summer months, the farm hosts up to 10 interns, sometimes including UNC students. This summer experience gives an opportunity for interns to learn about sustainable farming and entrepreneurship.
In addition to the organic fruits and vegetables, the farm raises a large amount of livestock. Cows, sheep, pigs and chickens all grace the grounds of Cook Rock Farm.
Animal lovers are not encouraged to apply; those who have a moral opposition to eating meat would not fit well with local animal farming.
Students should not expect an easy ride. Five or six days a week, interns will work alongside the family, contributing in all farming tasks for ten hours a day. The experience involves hard work and shared responsibility.
While the internship won’t be the easiest, the family boasts of a laid back and easy demeanor.
