Open Farm - Climate & Sustainability Internship - Natalie Biringer

Working at Open Farm was a fantastic experience. In particular, I loved the collaborative culture and sincere commitment to its values. I had the advantage of working with various departments and being closely involved in a number of climate- and sustainability-related projects. I saw the ways in which values around sustainability come to life. Even as an intern, I was given significant responsibility – to help lead projects, take initiative, and present ideas internally. I always felt challenged and supported.

Two projects I enjoyed working on are a benchmarking project and the company’s first in-house sustainability plan and goals. In the benchmarking project I evaluated what other pet food companies and other leading companies in sustainability are focusing on across several different areas including carbon emissions reduction, environmentally friendly product packaging, and employee engagement on sustainability. I enjoyed diving into researching trends in the industry and was given the opportunity to present my findings to various stakeholders at the company. In the in-house sustainability design project, I helped design enterprise-wide goals on different topics related to the office’s environmental footprint and employee engagement. It was interesting to apply sustainability to Open Farm’s own operations and identify the opportunities for the largest impact.

I am thankful for how welcoming everyone was during the internship. Open Farm employees made me feel a part of the company immediately and were willing to answer my many

questions. 

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