Summer Intern, Jessica Hill

Jessica Hill will be heading back to the University of Delaware for her senior year in one week.  She has spent the summer milking four evenings every week since the end of May.  I “found” Jessica when Bob and I were at her parents’ home looking at antique pedal tractors and celebrating the refurbishing of my Farmall H.  Jessica’s dad, John, had been working on the H since late spring and had just delivered her to the farm.  Jessica was home for the semester break and made the mistake of mentioning that she was an Animal and Food Science major.  “Want to milk cows this summer?”  I asked.  Poor girl had never met me nor given much thought to dairy cows.  She politely smiled but did not say no!  I took that as a good sign.

 

Shortly before her spring break, Jessica called and we scheduled a date for her to visit the farm.  She was inquisitive during the tour and genuinely interested.  So we agreed that she would start after school ended. I have been thanking my lucky stars ever since.

 On several occasions while in Chestertown (at the shoe store, at our friend’s home, at Brooks Tavern), people have said that they knew I had hired Jessica and that she was a good worker.  Jessica’s mom, Sherrie, is a cardiac rehabilitation nurse at the local hospital and knows everyone!!  Small town, USA.

 

Jessica is indeed a good worker, a good sport and a tough cookie.  She is a supervisor at the University of Delaware Creamery during the semester.  This summer she exercised four horses before breakfast and trained another after milking.  In addition, she found time to place second in a run/bike/canoe race last weekend with no training.  Oh, to be 21 again!!

We wish Jessica all the best back at school and will see her September 28 when she returns to milk the night of the Field to Fork dinner.