From Barnard to the barnyard: Educated youth in the countryside, American style.
Here is where reverse chic has taken us: Summer internships on the farm are a hot new trend, according to Kim Severson in the New York Times
But be aware, before you jump at the chance:
"It is not all hayrides and flowers for the apprentices, either. Ms. Adam sometimes gets complaints from interns who say the amenities are not good enough or the farmers work them too hard."
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I spent 2 summers working at a summer camp on a farm. The camp "curriculum" focused on personal responsibility and independence, but the activities included raising chickens, gardening, and cooking. I was technically a camp counselor, but counselors were also responsible for a lot of the normal farm work - we often stayed late to do the chores that were not appropriate for 5 years to help with like moving hay bales to the loft. It was very physically demanding but almost always lots of fun. I had the benefit of going home and sleeping in my own bed every night :) and my contract stipulated that I could take "my share" of the eggs and veggies produced every day. 30 hens and a 400 square foot garden produce a lot of food to share among a small staff!
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