Organic Career Network Success Story: Alice Pekarsky

What started as a search for experience beyond the classroom became a pathway into the organic industry for Alice Pekarsky. Through an internship with Florida Organic Growers (FOG) supported by the Organic Career Network (OCN), Alice discovered a career in organic inspection and is now working as an Organic Contract Inspector based in Gainesville, Florida.

As a horticulture student at the University of Florida, Alice was interested in sustainable agriculture and knew they wanted to continue working in that space post graduation. With a general interest in research, organic inspection appealed to them to better understand organic production systems.

“I thought that becoming an organic inspector would help connect me with farmers, especially organic farmers, so I could learn more sustainable crop practices,” Alice said.

Alice first learned about FOG through a guest speaker who worked at FOG in an organic crop production class. After hearing about Alice’s interest in inspections, he encouraged them to keep an eye out for internship opportunities with FOG.

“I think that same day I looked on Instagram and saw that FOG had posted that they were hosting interns through OCN,” Alice said. “It kind of all fell into place.”

Alice applied for several internships through OCN and was selected to spend two semesters working with FOG. During that time, they worked on research projects, educational programming, and outreach efforts while gaining a deeper understanding of organic agriculture throughout the Southeast. They attended the Southern Cover Crops Conference, helped with outreach and tabling events, and met farmers and agricultural professionals from across the region.

Knowing Alice was interested in inspection work, FOG helped arrange an opportunity to shadow an inspection through Quality Certification Services (QCS). That experience was one of the most important moments of the internship.

“I wrote down everything that day,” Alice said. “I was just writing down what questions the inspector was asking, what questions the operator was asking, just everything I could.”

The inspection introduced Alice to the certification process and professionals at QCS. Through those connections, they learned about the organization’s apprenticeship program, which they completed after their FOG internship ended. Today, Alice is an Organic Contract Inspector for QCS, visiting farms, processors, and handling operations while continuing to learn from people along the way.

For students considering an OCN internship, Alice encourages them to be persistent. “Keep applying, keep cold emailing, keep being annoying,” they said with a laugh. “They really are great opportunities.”

Looking back, Alice sees the internship as the stepping stone in their career journey. Through OCN and FOG, they found opportunities to explore their interests, build professional connections, and discover a career path that allows them to continue learning from the organic community every day.

For students and early-career professionals interested in organic agriculture, OCN internships provide hands-on experience, mentorship, and opportunities to explore the many career paths within the organic sector. To learn more about the Organic Career Network, explore internship opportunities at organiccareernetwork.org or reach out to learn how to get involved!

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Organic Career Network Success Story: Alice Pekarsky