Teagan Flaherty - Week 4

Every week, I think this internship can't get any more interesting or exciting, but it just keeps getting better and better. This week was defined by an amazing farm tour on the Eastern Shore, accompanied by my mentor and other interns, as well as many hours of blackberry harvesting at the urban research farm.

During the tour hosted by the Maryland Association of County Agricultural Agents (MACAA), we were able to view a variety of different agricultural operations on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. This did not just include some more typical agricultural operations, such as a dairy farm and a plant nursery, but also some more unique tours, such as hydroponic lettuce and Maryland seafood. However, together, it was an informative experience all around, in addition to being an opportunity to engage with extension agents across the state whom we do not often interact with on a daily basis. This included people like Andy Kness, who is the extension agent for Harford County, where I am originally from.

The awesome hydroponic lettuce setup at Red Acre's farm. During this part of the tour we were able to witness the long process of collecting rows of lettuce, washing, and packaging for local restaurants.

During the tours, we also learned a variety of facts about how each operation runs and succeeds on a daily basis. Some of the most interesting things I learned pertained to the hydroponic lettuce operation at Red Acres Farm and Angelica Nursery, which grows a variety of landscape-style plants. At Red Acres Farm, the owner shared with us his story about selling lettuce to restaurants and, eventually, school districts. It was interesting to hear him talk about the business side of farming compared to the growing and planting aspects we typically learn about. He emphasized that his lettuce has a unique selling point: it's local and fresher than what most restaurants order. As for the nursery, it was amazing to see the scale of the operation, which was only accessible to us by bus! One of the most interesting things I saw was how they staff the nursery throughout the year. I was very surprised to learn that they not only have seasonal housing for migrant workers but also a full community of housing for full-time employees, such as a horticulturalist on staff. I can't imagine what it must be like living in the middle of a farm year-round.

While I did not discuss this part too in depth, I cannot emphasize enough how unique and interesting it was to tour a seafood operation on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Many people seem to forget aquaculture is it's own form of agriculture. Me and some of the other interns were able to hold one type of seafood they produce: a Maryland blue crab! 

Beyond this engaging tour, things were quite busy at the urban research farm clinic in Anne Arundel, and it is currently blackberry season. About every other day, I spent a few hours outside collecting the berries that ripened over the week. Our blackberry plants cover over 50 feet along the farm border, so it is crucial that we go outside and collect them when they are ready. With that many blackberries, it is easy for them to get preyed on by birds and other pests. Almost all of the blackberries will be given to the local Pherm brewery to create a signature IPA. However, one of our master gardeners was kind enough to make blackberry jam for the rest of the staff members!

Here I can be seen picking some blackberries early in the morning at the urban research farm. Each blackberry bush must be harvested by hand throughout the week accumulating to about 10 pounds each day. Lucky for me, these blackberries however are not like the wild variety with thorns and additionally, my mentor has planted two different varieties at the farm (one being more tart, one being more sweet!)

Another crucial part of my week was listening to guest speakers during our weekly connection, which gave me broader insight into AI use and technology in the context of agronomy. So far in the office, I have been able to see an equal balance of AI in weekly tasks and, as Dhruti Patel mentioned, how best to manage the tasks we use these websites for. One example that came to mind is when working with one of our staff members, Gwen, who is our extension program assistant and runs all of our social media platforms. These accounts are very important to our office in particular, as Dave uses them to inform followers about seasonal updates about crops growing in the research clinic and how they can be affected by cold freezes, diseases, and pests.

In this scenario, the balance truly comes from my mentor's knowledge and research, the extension agents he collaborates with, and the use of AI to reduce workload and excel at tedious tasks. Gwen has recently been teaching me how to create these posts, including editing videos, writing captions, and scheduling them throughout the week. One thing I have noticed is that although Gwen often uses AI (such as Meta on Instagram or ChatGPT to write Instagram captions), she never fails to meet with Dave or me to verify the information we see in the field. I think this, in particular, is an excellent example of how technology can play a role in agriculture or science, particularly in marketing or communication, where we are not all experienced.

Although I do not think it always has a place in every task we do (for example, AI cannot pick blackberries for me by hand), it can be integrated to better manage workflow across a variety of tasks. However, it is always important to take into account our own knowledge and research and to show respect for the procedures followed by many farmers. Even during one of the tours on the eastern shore, we saw a machine designed for automated weeding in crop fields. While this is an amazing device and a form of precision agriculture that integrates some form of artificial intelligence to move across the field and identify weeds, I can't help but think that this knowledge of the weeds and the machine's movement across the field came from someone with this background. So with every advancement we use in our field, it is always important to check our sources and experiment with the methodology.