Editor’s Note: This series of stories will follow Peekskill Regeneration Farm through the growing season. It is funded by a grant from the Dominican Sisters of Hope Ministry Trust Fund. 
Peekskill Regeneration Farm is looking for young people who don’t mind getting their hands dirty. The farm wants to hire several youth apprentices to sow, plant, tend, nurture, and harvest the garden’s bounty alongside farm steward Amanda Armenteros, fellow apprentices, and community volunteers.
Apprentice and Peekskill resident Mikayla Gonzalez says she would definitely recommend the job. The 16-year-old worked at the farm last year and hopes to do so again this summer.
“It’s hard work, but it’s fulfilling,” Gonzalez said. “At the end of the day you get to see the flowers and the fresh vegetables.”
Working at the farm taught Gonzalez a good deal. “You can start your own garden at home from what you learn,” she said. “You also learn more about being healthy and eating the right foods.” Gonzalez frequently took home fresh vegetables. “I even cooked bok choy,” she said, “and it was really good.”
Gonzalez did all sorts of work at the farm. She watered plants, weeded, mulched, and helped teach young campers who visited the farm.
Her favorite part of the work was weeding. “It was so satisfying,” she said.
What was Gonzalez’s least favorite part of the work? “The bugs! There were mosquitos, flies, and even spiders!”
The Peekskill High School eleventh-grader said she found her way to the farm after her mother saw a post on Instagram. Gonzalez has always been interested in culinary arts, so working at a farm was a perfect fit for her. It helped that she lived within walking distance of the farm.
After being a youth apprentice at the farm last summer, Gonzalez began the culinary arts program at BOCES last fall. As the school year winds down, she hopes to spend another summer working at the farm.
“Being in the sun and working at the same time made me feel so productive,” she said. “And getting a tan and a paycheck was great!”
If you know a young person who might be interested in being a youth apprentice at Peekskill Regeneration Farm, find the application on the farm’s website.
