Junior Tori Emerson proved that she is a great problem-solver when she managed to open a bottle without a bottle opener while at work one day; however, it did not end quite the way she expected it to.  

“I’m really close with my co-workers [at Bos Greenhouse],” Tori said. “One time, my friend brought in a soda, but it needed a bottle opener and none of us had one. I found a wrench on a bench, and I tried to hit the cap off. I broke the entire top of the bottle off perfectly and it went flying, and we never found it. It was funny.”

Tori has been working at Bos Greenhouse for two years now. She has since found her calling in farming, and she would like to continue working at a farm once graduating high school. 

Farming work is largely independent, which suits Tori’s personality impeccably—this plays a large factor in her fondness for the work. 

“I’m hoping to get full-time employment on farms [after high school], and maybe even own one of my own, but that costs a lot so it’d be a little ways off,” Tori said. “When I was fifteen, I started working at Bos Greenhouse, and I’ve always really, really enjoyed the work, so I think that continuing to do that would be a great fit for my personality. I really like being outside all the time and the flexibility of the scheduling. I like how stuff changes from season to season, so it’s not just the same thing over and over again. It’s kind of independent, which I think fits my personality, and I really like being out in nature and working in it.”

Having a job that is genuinely enjoyable is extremely important, and Tori has found this in farming. The nature and the independent aspect make it easy for Tori to adore it. 

Tori not only appreciates the people who work with her but also the customers that they help.

“[The environment of the greenhouse] is really nice,” Tori said. “The customers—mostly elderly people who know the owner—are all really pleasant and fun. I also work with a few other students, but other than that it’s just older people and they’re really, really nice to us. Sometimes, they bring us baked goods and stuff. It’s really enjoyable for me.”

The people and environment that Tori works around make it a simple task to cherish her job, which in turn makes her appreciate the farming work itself even more. 

Luckily, Tori is not alone in her journey to working in her dream field. She has family friends who have been helping her out and making the process a little easier.

“[My family and I] have friends who are in the industry, and they’re been trying to help me,” Tori said. “I’m trying to figure out if I want to go to college because personally, it sounds really unpleasant for me. But, a college degree would be good to have, so I’m thinking about trying to go to Michigan State [University] or something because they have an agriculture program. This week or next week I’m going to do some work shadowing at dairy farms so I can get experience in other fields and figure out where I want to work [in the future]. I think I’ll be happy at any farm, but I’m also worried about the sustainability.”

Tori has put an abundance of work into making her dream a reality. She is confident that whatever farm she ends up working at, she will enjoy it immensely.

“I really like working with plants,” Tori said, “so I’m hoping that I can continue doing that. I really like physical labor because it helps me clear my head and feel active. I always feel good when I come home, even if I’m really, really tired. I just feel refreshed. So, I’m hoping that when I graduate [high school], I can continue doing this work because it’s so enjoyable, and I want to enjoy work for the rest of my life.”