In April 2025, I began my OGI internship at Moyleabbey Organic Farm, located between Kildare and Carlow, where I had already been WWOOFing in January and February. The internship began with glorious weather, plenty of seeds to sow, and strawberry beds to prepare for a fruitful summer. Coming from a busy city in Germany, I was really looking forward to returning to fieldwork and living in this beautiful part of Ireland alongside the wonderful people on the farm.

The farm is around 13 acres in size. Liam, the owner, sells his own organic vegetables as well as imported organic produce at the farm market every Friday and at the farmers market in Carlow on Saturdays. Our team consists of five lovely people: Liam, Hannah and Louise—both of whom also completed the OGI internship—Rachel, who works at the Carlow market, and me. On top of that, there are always WWOOFers staying for a few weeks or months.

Having already spent January and February on the farm, I can see how the workload and pace pick up in spring. Everything needs to go into the ground: seeds must be sown, seed trays watered regularly, and beds prepared to provide good growing conditions. At the same time, salad, spinach, green garlic, kale, asparagus, purple sprouting broccoli, rhubarb, and salad onions are ready to be harvested, washed, and packed for the markets. Then there are all the other jobs: ordering supplementary vegetables in time for the market, documenting every use of fertiliser or soil treatment, and countless other things I might not even be aware of—but that Liam has to plan and manage.

It’s truly impressive to watch him do it all at once—keeping everyone on track, always taking the time to explain what he’s doing, how and why, and somehow maintaining an overview of it all. What I enjoy most is seeing how much the customers appreciate and value the work when they buy the vegetables at the market each week. After just a few weeks of working there, I’ve already met so many amazing, kind, funny, and interesting people. Slowly but surely, I’m starting to remember their names—and I already find myself worrying when I don’t see someone at the market.

Another thing I always look forward to are the OGI workshops every second week. The journey there is a highlight in itself, as Gary—another intern—and I live only 10 km apart and have the same taste in music. We always have so much to talk about and music to show each other on those short road trips. Then there are the other great interns, the lovely people sharing their knowledge with us in the workshops, and Úna, who supports us all and keeps everything running so smoothly. We also get to visit other farms and learn from their practices. It’s a great programme, and I’m truly happy to be part of it.

And then, after work, there’s still so much to explore and enjoy. With so much amazing, high-quality produce available to take home, I want to cook and bake as many delicious things as possible and share them with those around me. So far, I’ve gotten pretty good at baking blueberry muffins, and soon I’d like to try a summery lemon tart. Let’s see how it turns out!

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