Q&A with Selina Royer ’26
Selina Royer ’26.
Q: Tell me a little bit about yourself and your background!
A: Hi! My name is Selina Royer, and I am currently a Bard student from St. Thomas. I’m a second-year studying both biology and anthropology. I’ve been an on-and-off gardener since I was a child. Both my grandparents were avid gardeners, and I grew up helping them harvest melons, pineapples, and lettuce from our little garden in St. Thomas. Through them, I grew a love for the natural world and growing produce.
Q: What made you want to get involved with the Bard Farm?
A: After we moved to the mainland US, we didn’t have space or land to have a garden anymore. This issue of space persisted until my senior year of high school, when we finally moved to a house. But by the time I started planting, I was moving to upstate New York for college. I’ve always had the itch to plant and take care of a little garden, so when I saw that Bard had a farm, I knew I had to apply and be involved somehow.
Q: What has your experience been like at the Bard Farm? What do you like about it?
A: I love it with every fiber of my being! I’ve only taken care of small scale, personal gardens, so I was intimidated by the size of the farm. But everyone at the Bard Farm was very welcoming and open, so I felt it was easy to adjust. I love everything about it: seeding, maintaining, harvesting, etc. I enjoy the feeling of being present; talking with everyone while sorting tomatoes, smelling the plants or the dirt, watching the birds playing overhead and the bees making their rounds. It’s definitely a lot of physical work, which can definitely be hard sometimes, but I love the feeling of ending a shift and feeling accomplished. I have so much more to say, but it’s hard to put it into words.
Q: You spent a part of your summer working at Bard Farm. What was that experience like?
A: I spent the last summer there, and I loved it. It was different because I worked longer shifts than usual, which made it hard to adjust to. I had to figure out how to feed myself properly so that I didn’t overwork myself or feel lightheaded, but I enjoyed it thoroughly. I spent more time at the farm and learned things I hadn’t before. It was my first time seeing the farm so full and rich, because during the school year we spend a lot time preparing the lots, seeding, etc. I worked with the summer crew and met a lot of cool people, so I never felt lonely or bored. I was so much more involved with the farm, so a lot of my fond memories come from that time period. I worked the morning shift, so I had the luxury of watching the area wake up. It’s absolutely gorgeous.
Q: How has the Bard Farm given you a glimpse of the Bard community, and how has it been being a part of this community?
A: It’s given me a glimpse of both the Bard community and people from outside the campus. People come to the farm through events, classes, or volunteering, so I was able to meet people and introduce them to the farm. I never had the chance to work at the farm stand, but I did visit. At the stand, students, faculty, and people outside the campus are exposed to the farm and its staff. I feel we are deeply intertwined with Bard filling orders, growing plants for classes, hosting guest speakers, etc., and I love it. I adore the farm and love sharing my passion for it, so it’s fun to have people enjoying the space as much as I do. I feel proud to work at the farm and to be a part of this community.
Q: What have you learned from the Bard Farm, and how do you plan on taking that with you into the future?
A: I’ve learned a lot of technical things, like how to harvest certain food, how to store tomatoes, or how to make a seedbed. But I’ve also learned how rewarding it can be to give back to my community, how to work with different people, and handle responsibility. I gained a new love for nature, and I learned how to stop and appreciate it. It solidified my drive for studying ecology, and I know for a fact that I want to continue my studies as an ecologist.
Post Date: 11-30-2023