The Fruits of Their Labor
While many interns flocked into offices across America this summer, Sydney Williams ’27 and Matthew Wright ’26 traded the prospect of cubicle life and coffee runs for compost and carrot tops.
Interning this summer at in Wenham, Mass., the two environmental science majors garnered firsthand knowledge about managing operations on a sustainable organic farm—from hoeing to harvesting and everything in between.
The work came naturally for both Gulls. As a kid, Wright remembered watching his father work a 9-to-5 job and recalled thinking, “I can’t sit at a desk all day.”
When he was recruited to Endicott for lacrosse, he first fell in love with the College’s beaches, then environmental science after taking classes with Associate Professor Gordon Ober.
“I’ve always been a science guy, so being outside doing more hands-on things—every day is always different on the farm,” he said. “You’re never doing the same thing.”
For these Gulls, a day at Ramblin Roots starts at 8 a.m.— seven if it’s particularly hot, noted Williams. Under the direction of Ramblin Roots owner and head farmer Graham Ball, Williams and Wright spend the first part of the morning weeding the farm, which is planted with lettuces, tomatoes, onions, squashes, cabbage, watermelon, herbs, and other vegetables, plus an endless array of flowers, carefully tended by Ball’s partner and registered nurse at Mass General Hospital, Donna Diamond.
“It’s a lot of weeding but lately we’ve been doing a lot of harvesting, too, because it’s that time of year,” said Williams.
But it’s a rewarding process, Williams said, adding, “Everything starts as such tiny plants and we get to grow them up.”
Eventually, food grown from Ramblin Roots is distributed across the North Shore in a 40-person community-supported agriculture program, or CSA.
Williams’ mother works in a greenhouse, so she grew up among plants and gardens in East Windsor, Conn. She furthered her knowledge working alongside Diamond, who partners with local restaurants to sell edible and ornamental flowers.
Both Gulls aim to pursue marine biology eventually, and their hands-on experience at the farm complements their studies in biology, chemistry, ecology, and biostatistics. They’ve also gained insights into the environmental impact of local, organic farming, transforming their perspective of the American food system and how food reaches our plates.
“Being able to have a small-scale sustainable yield of food is important to me. The food grown here doesn’t travel far so it uses fewer resources. We only really sell to people in Beverly and Salem and maybe as far as Swampscott,” said Wright.
Working at Ramblin Roots has taught Wright to act and think small. “It’s solving problems in Beverly versus figuring out worldwide problems,” he said. “I think it’s important to see things on a small scale, that way you can deal with them on a big scale.”
During the pandemic, Ball transitioned from his administrative role at Harvard University to farming, initially on a small scale. But in 2022, he moved from Boston to the North Shore with Diamond to pursue farming more seriously. He doubled his acreage this year, relocating from Beverly to the New Entry Incubator Farm in Wenham. Realizing a need for more help, he turned to his connections at Endicott.
Through his longtime friendship with Endicott Professor of Mathematics Gianluca Caterina, Ball also befriended Professor of Political Science Michael Kilburn, who volunteered at Ramblin Roots the previous year. Kilburn suggested bringing on interns from Endicott, but initially, Ball wasn’t sure he could manage it. As his new farm expanded, however, “Michael mentioned again, ‘You should think about pitching an internship,’” Ball recalled.
Support from Williams and Wright has been invaluable for the head farmer, who views his interns as vital contributors rather than mere fieldhands and sees this partnership with Endicott as the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship.
“I wanted to make these positions more than just ‘I need you to come and do work for me,’” Ball explained. “I want this internship to be collaborative. I want interns to feel invested. I want them to feel like they are developing this farm alongside us. I want their input. I want them to learn and to take responsibility for things. Like, Matt loves potatoes. So, I’m like, ‘Dude, you’re in charge of the potatoes.’”
Wright, who lives off-campus, has embraced the challenge of cooking his meals, inspired by the abundance of fresh produce he brings home from his job.
“I cooked bok choy the other day,” he said. “I would have never thought to buy bok choy at the market. So, it’s pretty cool to get a taste for everything and try to try new things.”
“Graham takes so much pride in everything he does,” added Williams. “And, honestly, the food tastes much better when you grow it yourself.”