Internship student interviews:
Urban Agriculture

Linn Jorstad - U.Reist

Where did you do your internship?

U.Reist

What study program were you in?

Master's in Urban Agriculture

How long did the internship last?

April to October

How did you get in contact with the company?

They are located in my neighborhood.

What did you learn in the internship?

I learnt a lot about growing plants and the practical side of the theory we had learnt during the studies. For example, we had learnt a lot about green roofs, and it was a good expericence to work with maintenance and growing on a roof. It gave me new perspectives.

Do you have any advice for students that are considering doing an internship?

Do it! It expands your professional network and you can try out a workplace where you want to work after your studies.

Madeleine Yvon Ask - JM Norge

Where did you do your internship?

JM Norge

What study program were you in?

Master's in Urban Agriculture

How long did the internship last?

One semester

How did you get in contact with the company?

JM Norge were one of the companies that presented master project opportunities during one of the mandatory master's courses. I sent them an email afterwards asking if they had any available internship positions.

What did you learn in the internship?

I learnt a lot, especially about challenges connected to urban agriculture and sustainability. These were challenges that were in particular tied to the construction industry, but that also gave me different perspectives in regards to urban agriculture. This was useful, as I have a bachelor's degree in plant sciences and did not know a lot about the construction industry beforehand. I also learnt a lot about laws and regulations in Norway.

Do you have any advice for students that are considering doing an internship?

You are there to learn, so don't be afraid of asking "dumb" questions!

Rebekka Sundøy Haldorsen - SquareRoot AS

Where did you do your internship?

SquareRoot AS

What study program were you in?

Master's in Urban Agriculture

How long did the internship last?

One semester

How did you get in contact with the company?

I contacted relevant companies listed on a webpage called urbantlandbruk.no. I contacted the ones that seemed most interesting, and the ones that were interested invited me for a talk. I had good chemistry with SquareRoot, and the tasks seemed exciting and relevant!

What did you learn in the internship?

I learnt a lot about building a business from the bottom-up, and the work that goes behind it. The majority of my work consisted of expanding lists of plants with information about where they can grow and which traits they have, as well as assembling packages of plants that can grow in the same environment - for example in rain gardens and dry meadows.

Another important task was to promote the company on social media platforms and spread information about what the company does, as well as information about interactions in nature and plant traits.

Do you have any advice for students that are considering doing an internship?

Do not be afraid to contact a company! You are a resource for the company that hosts your internship, and all involved will gain from the process. My internship was also an advantage when I was applying for jobs - employers obviously thought it was positive that I had done a relevant internship!