As anyone who has worked on either a farm or in the non-profit sector is well aware, there is ALWAYS more work to be done… For the last two years, CAE & the Hardwick Farmers Market have shared an intern from UVM who has helped to increase our capacity, learn about our org & our work, and support our programming. In exchange, the students gain skills & real life work experience that will help them in the future.

This year, we worked with Maya Bakowski, who showed us what true resilience looks like: She was consistently positive, flexible, and hard working. She helped with everything from community meals, special events, place-based education & youth programming, farmers markets, and more. We were so fortunate to have her join our team for the last 10 weeks and we’ll miss her terribly. We want to thank the Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships for the opportunity to bring UVM to the Northeast Kingdom and to Sterling College for hosting the 2025 cohort. Below we’ve included a reflection that Maya shared with us about her experience. Thank you Maya! 

" I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to the Center for an Agricultural Economy (CAE) for providing me with the opportunity to be involved in and contribute to such a vibrant and inspiring community. This internship allowed me to begin making a meaningful impact, to witness the power of food as a tool for connection, and to learn what it truly means to cultivate community through shared values and collective effort.

What I hadn’t anticipated when I first stepped into this experience was how profoundly it would impact me in return. Being part of the Hardwick community this past summer has influenced my life and being in the most positive ways. It has been a truly invaluable experience.

Throughout the summer, I had the privilege of witnessing the resilience, generosity, and grit that define Hardwick. One bumper sticker I saw perfectly captures this spirit: 'Keep the HARD in Hardwick.' Yet beneath this town’s tough exterior lies the steady, generous rhythm of a big, beautiful heart.

CAE supported me with patience, passion, and an unwavering commitment to community engagement. I’m incredibly grateful for the many opportunities I had to connect with people, learn from them, and contribute to meaningful work. I hope to return to Hardwick soon to continue supporting the incredible efforts of the CAE and to nurture the relationships I formed during my time there.

Thank you to the CAE; to my supervisors, Hayley Williams and Bethany Dunbar—two of the strongest and most inspiring women I’ve had the privilege of working under; to the entire Hardwick community; and to everyone who joined us at the Monday community dinners at Atkins Field and the Hardwick Farmers Market. You reminded me that every individual truly can make a difference—and that change begins with community."

-Maya Bakowski