January 2023 - 32

INTERN OF THE YEAR
bit easier, I thought, on figuring out the needs for the
different plants because there was less variation and it
was more in mass. "
Once Seth started his internship, he had a desire to learn
as much as he could about greenhouse irrigation systems.
" [Mast Young Plants] has a wide variety of different types
of irrigation, and so I made it a goal of mine to learn how
to use all of them or at least have a general knowledge of
how to use them. " He learned to use the irrigation booms
and drip tape system, and spent time cleaning out the
flood tanks. " I worked a tiny bit with flood floors, but by
the time I got there they had mostly shut down [for the
season], " says Seth. " So I didn't really get to use that as
much as I wanted to. "
WITH NEW CHALLENGES COME REWARDS
Seth gained a lot of new skills and knowledge of running
a wholesale greenhouse during this recent internship. His
biggest challenge was trying to become familiar with the
greenhouse environment as a whole and how the operation
ran. His most practical experience was learning about
pesticide and PGR applications and safety protocols within
the greenhouse. " I think that is going to be pretty pertinent
to whatever I end up doing later on, " he says.
Seth also learned he is a better problem solver than he
expected. " Quite often, I had to troubleshoot irrigation
issues with filters being clogged or wires somehow being
cut, and trying to figure out how to fix the irrigation outside
on the drip tape so that it would run properly. "
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JANUARY 2023 GPNMAG.COM
One of the major
rewards he found was
watching the plants he
grew during his time there being
shipped out, showing that his efforts were successful.
" I actually grew those plants and now someone's going
to buy them, " Seth says. " And some of the mums that I
grew actually ended up at an Aldi location near one of my
Facebook friends, " he says. " Those are the exact ones I
grew, so I got to know where at least some of them ended
up, too. I thought that was really cool to see happen. "
VALUABLE EXPERIENCES
Seth says he understands the value of participating in
an internship and has gained so much from his internships
this far. There are many positions within horticulture,
and interning in multiple positions can pave the way to a
position that is the best fit for him.
After he graduates this May, he is considering other
internships and gaining more experience in other areas
of horticulture.
" I'm looking at potentially doing an internship at a
hydroponics place here in Michigan because right now I'm
in a hydroponics class at MSU, and I find that also to be
quite interesting, " says Seth. " But, at the same time, I think
I would like to get a permanent position somewhere, so it's
kind of still up in the air right now. " He also plans to visit
some horticulture-related expos in the coming months to
browse and see what's available.
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January 2023

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