Joseph Commale

I have always been interested in managing a farm. I vividly remember my first day at the farm where I began my journey in agriculture: the rugged smell of the fertilizer, the rowdy goats, and the noisy eighteen-wheelers rolling in with livestock. I was very excited to have my first job, but as I clocked in that day, that experience would forever inspire me to pursue a career in the agricultural industry.

My employment training began inside our three-thousand-square-foot market where the smell of apple cider permeated every corner of the building. Customers especially enjoy the farm’s famous cider donuts and other baked goods as well as all our fresh local produce. I was taught to greet our customers with politeness and gratitude, welcoming them to a little, quaint, and family-friendly rural market. I worked in many places within the market: at the cash register, bakery, produce, front desk… I did everything. In the months to follow, as I gained more experience, my aspirations grew – I wanted to work in the fields as a field supervisor.

I made it my mission to obtain one of these coveted positions on the farm. I worked tirelessly every shift. Quickly, I began to gain the respect and trust of my co-workers and caught the eye of the farm owner who recognized my leadership potential. During the middle of my second season, the owner promoted me from market to farm. I was 16 when I began the entry-level farm job; I picked cold wet blueberries, bright red strawberries, and peaches as yellow as the shining sun. During the following season, I was promoted once again and given the opportunity to work with the true farm veterans, many of whom had been employed by the farm for decades. They taught me how to fertilize the land, harvest crops, survey crop readiness, and maintain equipment.

Now 19 years old, a sophomore at Delaware Valley University, I have worked on dozens of farms, primarily livestock, since my first farm job experience. Over years of hard farm labor, I have challenged myself to learn something new each day. I am dedicated and have matured greatly by adapting strict discipline and a strong work ethic into everything I do. I have been deeply inspired by all my farm work, especially with livestock, and am eager to take my experience on the farm to the next level. I have excitedly accepted an internship at a local cattle farm for this upcoming summer and cannot wait to deepen my expertise with livestock.

I chose DelVal – an institution where agriculture is the center of the student’s studies. I have joined the Dairy Society and the Collegiate Farm Bureau. I am a committee chair for A-Day 2023 and balance a job on DelVal’s ROTH Farm while maintaining a strong 3.6 GPA. I aspire to use every experience at DelVal to fulfill my dream and use my degree and learning of Agribusiness: Livestock Specialty to one day, own and run a