Jessica's Journal: Oh Danny Boy

Our next blog post is about a guy named Daniel. He came to know about Keipos through some friends and decided to check it out, leading him to apply and be accepted into the Keipos internship program last fall. Before coming to Keipos, Daniel had some farming experience, already working for a father and son commercial farm, so he knew a bit about sustainable agriculture and soil building but says his time on the farm taught him even more.

“Living in Nebraska, you are surrounded by agriculture and farming,” says Daniel, “but driving past a field and working it are two different things.” Getting the hands-on experience at Keipos changed how he saw soil management. He was energized upon hearing how communities had taken desert land and turned it into fertile farming land, and that he could learn to do that himself with the help of the education he received as part of the internship. Working with Keipos gave Daniel a new appreciation for biodiversity and maintaining complex ecosystems.

Daniel told me that having both the experience at the commercial farm and the “grass roots” farm at Keipos helped him realize why environmental protections are vital. He continues to be interested in agriculture and is even starting his own garden this year. The internship program is just one facet of what Keipos does, being a part of the transformation of students’ lives through their learning and work on the farm. After 12 weeks of education and training, the students walk away with a firm grasp on sustainable farming practices as well a certificate in Permaculture Design grounded in a biblical foundation. The 5 interns, like Daniel, this summer are just 5 of the lives you affect for good when you give to Keipos!

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