“We Thought Agriculture Was Just Planting Crops and Rearing Animals” — Interns Discover a World Beyond the Farm
George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands — 21 August 2026. Six young Caymanians are leaving the Cayman Islands Department of Agriculture’s (DoA) Summer Internship Programme with a broader understanding of agriculture, new skills and a renewed appreciation for the many career opportunities within the sector.
The Department recently brought its annual Summer Internship Programme to a close with a Summer Internship Programme Experience Seminar, giving the interns an opportunity to reflect on their experiences, share what they learned and make recommendations for strengthening the programme and encouraging greater interest in agriculture among young Caymanians.
Presenting to the Department’s Director, Deputy Director and senior staff, the interns shared their experiences across three key areas: Veterinary Services, Agronomy and Plant Protection.
While each intern experienced a different aspect of the Department’s work, one message emerged consistently: agriculture is far more diverse and dynamic than they had imagined.
“We never expected agriculture to be so diverse. We thought agriculture was just about planting crops and rearing animals. We wish this was taught to us earlier.”
Discovering the world beyond the farm
For the interns, the programme provided an opportunity to look beyond the traditional image of agriculture and experience the science, technology and expertise that support the sector.
Their placements exposed them to areas including animal health and welfare, plant science, pest management, food security, biosecurity, environmental stewardship, research and other scientific and professional disciplines.
The experience challenged their perceptions of what a career in agriculture can look like and highlighted the many pathways available to young Caymanians interested in science, the environment, animals, plants and food systems.
A call for earlier exposure
The interns also shared recommendations for encouraging more young people to explore agriculture.
Two interns suggested that agriculture be offered as an elective at the high school and college levels, noting that introducing students to the sector earlier could help them better understand the range of careers available.
Their enthusiasm went even further. The interns volunteered to share their own experiences with schools to help introduce other students to the opportunities they discovered through the programme.
For the Department, this was one of the most encouraging outcomes of the internship experience, seeing participants move from learning about agriculture to wanting to help others discover it as well.
More than a summer job
For the Department’s senior leadership and staff, the interns’ final presentations provided a rewarding opportunity to see how much they had grown throughout the programme.
The interns were commended for their dedication, enthusiasm and willingness to learn, while the Director and Deputy Director encouraged them to carry the lessons and principles gained through their agricultural experience into their current fields of study and future careers.
The Department’s Summer Internship Programme is designed to provide young Caymanians with meaningful, hands-on exposure to the agricultural sector. More than simply providing summer employment, the programme creates an opportunity to explore careers, develop professional skills and gain an understanding of the role agriculture plays in the Cayman Islands.
For these six interns, the experience also helped broaden their understanding of what agriculture can be, and what it could mean for their own futures.
Looking towards the future
As the six interns return to their studies, they take with them new knowledge, practical experience and a greater appreciation for the importance of agriculture to the Cayman Islands.
They also leave with a message for other young Caymanians: agriculture is much more than planting crops and rearing animals.
It is a sector that brings together science, innovation, environmental stewardship, animal health, food security, technology and people, with opportunities that extend far beyond the farm.
The Department of Agriculture is proud of the interns’ achievements and looks forward to seeing how they carry their newfound knowledge, experiences and enthusiasm into the next chapter of their academic and professional journeys.
