erica lynn frank

FARM AND CONSTRUCTION WORK

Summer 2014, Summer 2015

Working as a farm hand on a small vegetable CSA farm in Wisconsin, I was part of a small team during planting and harvesting season. As a non-mechanized farm, most of the labor was done by hand in the plant rows. I also returned as a construction-focused hand, to help renovate the farm house and maintain the equipment and property.

As a farm hand, I learned how to do the labor during planting season for a small vegetable CSA operation. Hoeing, hand-weeding, planting, seeding, and maintenance are included in the tasks. In order to make a profit, the farmers have multitudinous calculations to make regarding amounts, varieties, timing, and casualties. We also had to work fast: planting days were high-endurance days of rapid planting.

As a construction hand, first on small tasks, then on larger projects, it was refreshing and educational to work on building projects in a low-budget, practical-minded, busy environment. The experience contrasted to design school in abundant ways. I saw that success in design depends on the values of the user, which might not be what you expect.