Applied Sustainability Internship Supports Healthcare in Vermont

Morgan Chesnais spent her summer hauling 40-pound bags of chicken feed uphill and planting vegetables under the hot sun. Though it was hard work, it was exactly what the fourth-year Applied Sustainability student wanted to do. After spending semesters learning sustainability in the classroom, Chesnais wanted practical experience.

“I really wanted to get my hands dirty and actually apply some of that. So I took this job last summer to be able to do sustainable agriculture and learn more about that hands on,” Chesnais said.

Chesnais worked with the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC), a non-profit organization that builds leadership through outdoor service work. She discovered VYCC, an 11-acre farm that grows produce, through a tabling event at Champlain College.

“The VYCC mission is all about building community and working together and learning with the land, and that really appealed to me because I’m passionate about sustainability and food systems,” she said.

Along with gaining hands-on experience, the internship made a real difference in people’s lives. The farm’s produce supports a healthcare program that provides fruits and vegetables to patients through their doctors. The internship also transformed her approach to her studies. “I’m definitely more conscious about the actual application when we’re talking about food systems and how to build systems that work,” Chesnais explained.

A Typical Day on the Farm

Chesnais’ time on the farm was spent pulling and curing garlic on the hay mound, making sure plants had no pest damage, and tasting farm-grown sweet corn, which Chesnais describes as a “farmer’s tradition.” In the field, Chesnais and her colleagues plant corn in a way that allows for a constant flow of harvest, known as succession.

“We’re able to harvest corn for weeks and weeks and weeks. And it kind of gives us more of a window to feed people with that, which is awesome,” said Chesnais.

As a crew leader of the VYCC, she also tackled administrative and management responsibilities.

“I’d come in the morning with my crew of eight, we’d do a morning stretch circle, and we’d gather all the tools we needed. We’d have a daily sheet that told us all the tasks we needed to do. This usually included weeding, sometimes planting,” Chesnais recalled. “It included a lot of teamwork. It was never overwhelming because you always had your crew with you.”

While her mornings were pretty hands on, Friday afternoons were more geared toward meetings. Chesnais called it a “hang-sesh” where crews could check in with each other and reflect on the week. Leaders offered advice and gave solutions to any issues that cropped up.

Becoming a Professional

As a crew leader, Chesnais played an important role in mentoring young crew members, fostering teamwork, and managing tasks. But alongside leadership, her internship with the VYCC allowed her to cultivate interpersonal skills, gain a practical understanding of the farming industry, and apply what she learned to her coursework.

“I’ve learned how to lead a crew and how to build that community where we can all work together and have that cohesive environment. The skills I’ve learned here are definitely transferable to any career that I might want to go into in the future.”

Ready to dig into food systems, sustainable agriculture, and environmental studies like Chesnais? Apply to the Applied Sustainability program at Champlain College today!