Emma Oberholtzer – Greenhouse Internship

Hello, my name is Emma Oberholtzer and I am a senior at Garden Spot High School. I am currently enrolled in an independent internship with Garden Spot Village’s Aeroponics Greenhouse in New Holland, PA. My current duties include checking if the towers are running properly, assisting residents with harvesting lettuce, tower cleanup, and planting sprouts. One of my newest jobs is the management and care of my own crops in some of the smaller towers. During any free time, I’ll usually end up rotating lettuce so it grows properly.

With the structure of the operation here, I am mostly free to directly work with the residents and plants alongside my supervisor, Mr. Heydt. On a typical day, I’ll help select 5-6 varieties of lettuce to harvest and check the towers’ water flow. Mr. Heydt and I will take note of any pests or system issues that need to be fixed. Resident volunteers will then start to harvest lettuce, and we will assist whenever the need arises. I really enjoy interacting with the residents, as there are plenty of stories to go around! After harvest, residents will then plant 2 new kinds of lettuce to grow, and I will tend to the herbs or half-track gardens

My favorite part about this internship is the hands-on experience it provides through the half-track gardens. These are smaller and more portable setups to grow plants hydroponically in. With the help of Mr. Heydt, I’ve been able to use these towers to grow a variety of crops; such as peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, brussels sprouts, and even beets! This way, I can experiment on my own and learn from my mistakes while gathering more information on the hydro/aeroponics systems.

This opportunity has helped me to prepare for what running a greenhouse might be like in the future. Mr. Heydt has been great with teaching me how to cycle crops and properly care for them through all stages of growth. I am very thankful to him for making this all possible in the first place. All in all, I am very grateful to have this opportunity given to me. I will put this knowledge to good use as I continue my career path in the plant sciences.