Students look forward to a summer of learning and growth

It’s a sure sign of spring in Lethbridge as students join Farming Smarter for a four-month summer work experience. 

About a dozen students took an orientation to kick off a summer of learning, discovery and personal growth.  

The students spent the day learning about Farmer Smarter, getting to know the organization’s facilities and picking up tips on equipment, operations and safety. They even got a taste of the work ahead by braving some brisk weather to count plants in a camelina research plot. 

“We started right away counting plots and working together, so I thought that was really cool,” stated summer student Peyton Cseke from Lethbridge. 

Cseke is attending Canadore College in North Bay, Ontario on a volleyball scholarship, a summer work experience with Farming Smarter fits in well with her career path as a biotechnology student. She also had a friend who had previously worked as a summer student at Farming Smarter. 

“She didn't tell me a lot about the job, just about the people and how friendly everybody was,” she said. 

Tristan Jacula also enjoyed his first day at Farming Smarter. 

“I am really excited. There are really friendly people here, so I can’t wait to make new friends and make new experiences.”  

The University of Lethbridge student has plans for a career in agriculture and feels Farmer Smarter will provide some great practical experience. 

“I come from a farming background and considering what I want to do for a career, a little bit of experience in the research side of things will definitely help my future,” he related. 

Farmer Smarter executive director Ken Coles has seen a lot of summer workers come and go over the years. He says the students are a critical component in the work done by Farming Smarter. 

“For us it's an important workforce that we need to accomplish all the tasks involved in completing all of our research projects,” he explained. 

More than that, he says Farming Smarter provides a work experience that can be critical to students in their education and career paths. 

“They get exposed to a lot of different ideas, scientific method, research, agronomy and all kinds of different crops. It’s a high performing job and they learn lots of skills like record keeping, time management and being able to work with others. I think they leave with a lot of good skills,” he said.  

Like Cseke and Jacula, most of the students working at Farmer Smarter are looking forward to a career in agriculture when they complete their education. For others, the experience at Farmer Smarter may pique their interest in a career they may not have previously considered. Either way, Coles says the Farming Smarter tries to help them reach their career goals. 

“We've developed a brand here at Farming Smarter which can help them get their next job or even start their career so that's very exciting.”