When veggies inspire

Thabisa Mazur (horticulture) loves vegetables, especially onions. Her passion to grow the best vegetables possible led her to Iowa State. As the first to fill a one-year internship at the Iowa State Horticulture Research Station, Thabisa put that love to work plotting, planning and planting about an acre of organically grown vegetables.

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences offers a variety of internship, work and research experiences to students at the many teaching and research farms. Through these opportunities, students can practice their skills, learn from experts, and network with respected faculty.

“What really is impressive is that her crop is organically grown,” her supervisor says. “She’s done incredibly well in keeping weeds, pests and disease under control. That’s a difficult challenge.” Not only did she grow the produce, Thabisa had the chance to work with chefs on campus who used the vegetables in dishes at places like The Knoll, home of the Iowa State President. An internship that began as a passion project for growing things, led to lessons in teamwork and the awareness that she could work with vegetables in a meaningful way for the rest of her life.

Read more about Thabisa’s internship in STORIES.