Growing Food, Skills and Community: An askîy intern reflection

My favourite aspect of this internship has been watching the plants grow and develop. What started out as little plants that were easy to overlook became something that flourished and produced abundantly. Throughout the summer, I learned a lot and developed many practical skills that relate not only to gardening, but also to real life.

My passion project for the summer was composting using worms, also known as vermicomposting. It was really cool to see the food I put in eventually break down into nutrient-rich soil. Not only that but taking care of something living gave me a sense of purpose. In a way, they felt like my little babies.

I expected to see lots of bugs when working in a garden, and I certainly wasn’t disappointed. One of the most memorable moments was while I was watering, a ladybug landed on my hand. After crawling around for a little while, it eventually settled onto my thumb and stayed there for a couple minutes, content to just sit and rest. I was so cautious about not moving because I didn’t want to scare it off. Eventually, it went on its way. The cutest thing I encountered, though, had to be a sleeping bee on a flower. Both bugs reminded me that through busy seasons we need rest as well.

Not only did we watch the plants grow, but we also got to see how they were shared within the community. Each week we harvested flowers and made beautiful bouquets to sell. But it was the purpose behind them that I was really proud to be a part of. The proceeds from the flowers go towards the Pay It Forward program, which made it feel that much more impactful. We created beautiful things for an important cause.

I took so much time appreciating the beautiful things in the garden, and I think that is something that can be applied to life as well. There is so much happening around us, but sometimes we need to slow down and appreciate the little things, the things that grow, the things we care for, and the beautiful things we get to share with others.