Local students also learn life lessons in the field

By Karen Donato-Duff  
Staff Writer
    Since I was knee deep in the harvest this fall I thought I would gain a little perspective from the local girls working on the Fitzpatrick farm. I spoke with them individually and was surprised they all responded to my questions very similarly. They all think that harvest break is advantageous to the students. It is a great opportunity to work and earn some money. They appreciate the work the farmers do and genuinely want to help them with the harvest.
    Dow and McPartland said their families had grown up here and working on the harvest was just part of life. Herring moved here from California seven years ago, and has worked all four years of her high school career.
    The girls all said they enjoyed meeting Julianna Lord and working with her. It was a good experience, and they thought it was unique trying to explain the process of planting the potatoes and caring for them throughout the growing season. They had an opportunity to become teachers rather than students for a week, giving her information about the planting and growing of the potatoes. The girls learned a lot from her too, and thought she was brave to be traveling to such far away places and admired her for volunteering for different causes.
    When asked what they did with their earnings, they all said they put a lot away in savings and used it through the year as needed.
    I was impressed!
    They had high praise for Albert Fitzpatrick and the field crew. They love working for him and think more students should get involved with the harvest.