New Generation of Environmentalists | Miller Goldsmith

This summer was a full circle moment for Miller Goldsmith, a rising high school senior. During his internship with the Trust he met and talked with farmers whose farm stands he has visited since he was little. “I have memories of visiting the Milk Pail farm stand in Water Mill every summer and now I got to sit down and talk with Jenn (Halsey Dupree) about her farm.” He even spent time setting up the Trust’s Through Farms and Fields event at the Halsey’s Whitecap Farm.

Throughout the summer, Miller conducted site visits to identify the different kinds of agriculture happening on the South Fork. He also met with farmers to discuss their trials and successes of farming on protected and unprotected farmland. What was supposed to be a 20 minute conversation often turned into 1 to 2 hours of walking around each farm and learning their history. Afterwards, he summarized each meeting into a two page report. The information gathered will be used in the final Southampton farmland report the Trust is preparing for the Town of Southampton.

A theme often repeated in the meetings, from equestrian to sod to fruit and vegetable farming, was the need for deer fencing, the challenges of moving equipment around in traffic and adapting to market demands to be economically viable on Long Island. “Each farmer I spoke with appreciated the Trust’s role and significance in agriculture.”

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Do you know a high school or college student interested in a conservation based internship? Please have them send a resume and brief cover letter to our Director of People and Culture, Deborah Thomas.