UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN River Falls

Horticulture

Internship Opportunities

Internships provide students with an opportunity to apply classroom learning in a real world work experience. Internships lay the experiential foundation for future opportunities and establish professional networks that launch careers. 

UWRF students are placed with leading regional, national and international companies and organizations in all aspects of horticulture. The internship faculty coordinator for horticulture works with students individually to ensure a targeted, well-matched placement for the required internship.

Read more about some of the internships our students have completed.

Holly Borleske, Horticulture Intern

Holly Borleske

Major: Horticulture
Position Title: Production Intern
Employer: Bushel Boy Farms

I interned at Bushel Boy Farms in Owatonna, MN. I was there for the summer of 2011 and it lasted 12 weeks. I wanted an internship in fruit or vegetable production. I talked with my faculty coordinator and she told me about Bushel Boy Farms, which is a Hydroponic Tomato Company. I was interested so I sent them my resume. A few weeks later I was packing my bags and moving to another state.

My internship involved working with each part of the company to learn how a Hydroponic Company runs. I did everything from pruning, deleafing, clipping, mixing fertilizer, making phone calls to obtain tomato orders, picking and packing tomatoes, managing a small group of people, and even riding on a tuck to see how the tomatoes reach the consumer. Not only did this internship give me the inside scoop on how an operation like this runs, but it also gave me the benefit of getting to know people in the industry.

What I enjoyed most was the hands-on education I received. It wasn’t just an opportunity to make money, it allowed me to gain valuable insight that I could not have learned in the classroom.

My advice for anyone thinking about interning is to do it. These experiences are a lot of fun and extremely beneficial. I would also say don’t be afraid to go to another state. It’s a great way to meet new people.

Tha Cha, Horticulture Intern

Tha Cha

Major: Horticulture
Position Title: Greenhouse Management Intern
Employer: Tagawa Greenhouse Enterprise

Coming to UW-River Falls my adviser informed me that one of the requirements for graduation was to complete an internship. I was told that I could choose the company I wanted to apply to but at the same time it was a decision I knew had to be taken very seriously. This experience would allow me to apply my undergraduate knowledge, gain critical hands on experience and shape my professional career. 

I decided to complete all of my classes before pursuing an internship. As my senior year approached, my adviser actively helped with my internship search. I quickly learned about the Vic and Margaret Ball Intern Scholarship Program, which was created to help students studying horticulture find an internship at a commercial greenhouse. The only requirement was that the six-month internship be outside of my home state. With the help of my adviser and AFE I secured an internship at Tagawa Greenhouse Enterprise in Brighton, Colorado.

Selecting an internship away from home took me out of my comfort zone and forced me to interact with new individuals. Tagawa Greenhouse also exposed me to the production, operations, marketing, and all senior management positions within the greenhouse.

The best part of this internship was that upon completion my love for the floriculture field grew tenfold. The experience shaped my professional career in a positive way and allowed me to entertain multiple job offers upon completion.

Joanna Kusilek, Horticulture Intern

Joanna Kusilek

Major: Horticulture
Position Title: Cultural Research Intern
Employer: Ball Horticultural Company

Recently I interned at Ball Horticultural Company in West Chicago for a summer. They are a huge company within the horticulture industry and always have a solid summer internship program. As a cultural research intern I worked on a research database, product development and a seed germination project. My responsibilities included being organized and working a lot with an online database and Microsoft Excel. I also was responsible for coordinating treatments for my product development project with the head grower for my facility.

I enjoyed working for a large company and gaining a very professional feel for the industry. They are the leader in many aspects of the industry and it was a wonderful experience. They also usually have multiple interns, so you are not alone and they also have various activities for the interns to expose us to more than just our specific internship responsibilities within the company.

This internship offered me great professional development options with a leader in the industry. When looking at an internship be open to new ideas or something that may not be exactly what you planned. You learn a lot to about yourself and what you truly want to do with your career. It is important to remain positive about your internship even if it does not turn out exactly as planned. That is part of life and employers really look at internships as a commitment to work and willingness to learn.

For more information on internships, contact the CAFES Internship Office:

210 Agricultural Science
cafes.intern@uwrf.edu
715-425-3368
website

Contact Us

Plant and Earth Science
pes@uwrf.edu
715-425-3345
324 Agricultural Science
611 S. 3rd St.
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