Farm to Market Summer Internship

This summer, accounting sophomore Hayden Chilcote traded his college textbooks for trowels at Ralph’s Ranch, an Oklahoma City farm and venue that uplifts small-scale farmers and local agriculture.

“During spring, I volunteered for the Big Event, and my group was assigned to work on a local farm, Ralph’s Ranch,” Hayden said. “Throughout the day, we built, renovated, and cleaned. I found the work fulfilling and connected with the owner, Ben Birdwell. When he offered me a job for the summer, I didn’t hesitate to say yes.”

Throughout the summer months, Hayden worked on Ralph’s Ranch. Each day brought a new task or challenge. From weeding gardens and pruning tomato plants to harvesting and packaging crops, Hayden gained hands-on experience from seed to sprout to selling.

“This job was a great complement to my studies at OU, allowing me to see how business principles apply in real-world settings,” Hayden said. “Often, when people think about business, they envision a corporate job or a restaurant, but my time at Ralph’s Ranch showed me that business takes many forms. The farm, with its dual mission of profitability and creating a beautiful event space, was a perfect example of how multifaceted running a business can be.”

In addition to learning about what it takes to have a successful business, Hayden discovered a sense of community at the farm.

“Working in a place with so many differences between people, I was able to observe and appreciate what a healthy community looks like,” Hayden said. “I loved that every day on the farm, we sat down for lunch. Not because I was getting to eat, but because I got to spend time with the people I worked with. My boss made sure we felt like family first and foremost while we ate in the shade. The heat won’t be something I remember from this summer, but the community I made here.”

After spending an entire summer growing vegetables like kale, carrots, turnips, and more, it was time for the farm to host a day-long market on location.

“The day was not just about selling produce, we also promoted the farm’s brand by selling merchandise like shirts, hats, and glass cups. With the hot weather, we also offered beverages, snacks, and snow cones,” Hayden said. “The event was a fantastic blend of hard work, community engagement, and marketing. It gave me a deeper appreciation for the work we were doing and the impact it had on the local community.”