Homestead 1839 in West Burlington helps high school students learn farming with help from state grant

WEST BURLINGTON — The warm and sunny weather wasn't too much for the high school interns hammering away on wooden posts and digging holes for a compost post for Homestead 1839 on Tuesday morning.

Homestead, located at 701 W. Agency Road in West Burlington, is hosting a summer farming internship for local high school students this summer. Students from Danville, Fort Madison, Great River Christian, Burlington and West Burlington are participating in a variety of farming work and activities to earn school credits and money.

In April, Homestead was awarded a $9,000 grant through the Future Ready Iowa Summer Youth Internship Program, which is funded through Iowa Workforce Development. The program will allow nine high school students to gain or recover school credits and earn $600 for their work.

Homestead worked with Laura Blanchard, a special education teacher with the Danville School District, to apply for the grant in partnership with that district.

Homestead was established as a multipurpose, nonprofit farm that focuses on food security and farmland preservation seven years ago by Tobin and Mollie Krell (whose family started the farm in 1839).

The farm has 30 acres and uses sustainable agricultural processes, which excludes chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and grows produce and flowers that are sold or donated throughout the community.

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Homestead also works with area school districts, youth groups and juvenile court services to provide children with educational and community service opportunities.

"It feels amazing, and my heart's full," Mollie Krell said of the opportunities the farm provides to youths. "Every time we see these kids working, laughing and having a good time, plus learning something, it's an amazing feeling.

"It's a long time coming, because we've had this vision for so long. It's so great to see it actually happening consistently."

The state program awarded 35 projects $2.26 million to help launch youth internships across this summer, with the focus of supporting efforts to increase career opportunities for an estimated 659 students from 85 Iowa communities, according to an April news release announcing the grant awards.

"This is the thing that will keep them coming back," Tobin Krell said of the kids that come to work on the farm. "That sense of belonging. The sense of success, where they don't often find that in traditional schools. And to see them come together, form relationships, work together, I think that's where we need to be heading as far as how we think about education."

Through June and most of July, Homestead will be working with agricultural/environmental and educational interns and members of Grow With Us! Summer Camp.

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When The Hawk Eye came to visit the farm Tuesday, one group of interns was building a compost bin, while others were working with hydroponics systems. One was working to identify invasive insect species within a stretch of land spanning 14 acres. Two others were putting together a lesson plan for a summer camp program.

The group working on the compost bin consisted of Ryann Logan, 15, Gage Herbert, 16, and Ryan Freese, 17, all students at Danville High School.

Herbert said the compost bin was the biggest project he has worked on so far during the internship.

Freese said the group has done a lot of mulching, transplanting plants and weeding in addition to working on the compost bin.

"At home, I get bored a lot," Freese said when describing why he liked working on the farm. "I get a lot of energy built up. So when I go out and work a bit, I get that energy out of me."

Logan, Herbert and Freese all said they were excited to earn the $600, even if they weren't sure how they would spend the money.

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"It's a lot, because I've never had a job before," Logan said. "This is my first job, so it's like 'whoa!' I like to to give gifts to people for Christmas and stuff, so I'll probably save some maybe, just treat myself maybe?"

"I'm gonna be honest: I'm probably going to save some (money) and spend some on something stupid that looks cool," Herbert joked. "I don't really know yet."

Freese said he plans on spending some of the money to get his dirt bike fixed and some on his truck.

All three said the school credits and the satisfaction they felt doing the work would have been enough to convince them to participate in the internship even if it was unpaid.

And all three said they could envision a future studying agriculture or working on a farm, at the very least. They said the internship was a fun and satisfying way to spend the summer.

Other students that spoke to The Hawk Eye said the love of working and being on a farm was enough to make them want to participate in the internship.

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"Chickens. And friends," said Dallas Pfeiff, 18, a senior at Danville High School, when asked why she decided to work the internship. "I love working with animals."

Pfeiff and 14-year-old Alexis Hawkins, an incoming sophomore at Danville High School, described their work on the farm, which has including weeding, planting, working with the hydroponics systems, and tending to the chickens.

Pfeiff said she had worked on a farm before, but had never worked with hydroponics systems.

"I just like working with my hands and meeting new people," Hawkins said, adding that she lives on a farm and had plenty of previous farming experience. "It's great for you to be outside to get sun and meet new people. And to be honest, I don't care too much about the money."

While Pfeiff and Hawkins both said they will gladly accept the $600, they said they want to spend their earnings on farm accessories.

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"I know for sure I'm buying me some new work boots," Hawkins said. "Then I'm honestly going to use it to buy some feed for my animals (at home) and also try to put (a down payment) on a vehicle or a tractor that I want."

"I'm gonna get a cow," Pfeiff said, adding that she is looking to get a calf since she is not allowed to get her own horse. "I'll milk it if it's a dairy cow."

Brad Vidmar covers public safety and education for The Hawk Eye and can be reached via email at BVidmar@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Hawk Eye: Homestead 1839 hosts paid summer interns with help of state grant