Paul Herger spent six months learning, growing and developing skills through a hands-on internship with Disney. Photo courtesy of Paul Herger.
When Paul Herger first showed chickens in 4-H as a fourth grader, he never imagined his passion for agriculture would take him to Walt Disney World. But that’s exactly where he landed — 1,000 miles from home, working behind the scenes at Epcot’s Living with the Land ride.
Raised in Mount Auburn, Iowa, Herger was surrounded by agriculture. “Being from a farming community, it just made sense,” he says. He got his start in a youth garden program and joined FFA at Vinton-Shellsburg High School, where he served as chapter sentinel and vice president.
Through his Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) project that partnered with AmeriCorps, 4-H and Iowa State University, Herger grew and donated 11,000 pounds of produce to local food pantries. This project earned him top honors in the Iowa FFA Vegetable Production Proficiency Award in 2023. Herger was also active in career development events, including floriculture and poultry judging.
Let’s Go to Disney
Now a student at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Herger was searching for internships when he stumbled upon an agriculture-focused role at Disney on Indeed.
“I called my mom and was like, ‘Should I do it?’” Herger says. “It seems kind of crazy, this small-town Iowa boy going down to Disney World. She convinced me to apply, so I did.”
Following interviews, Herger was accepted. From January to June 2025, Herger traded cornfields for theme parks, working in the greenhouses of Epcot. His duties included propagating plants, pest control, pruning and maintaining the sand culture greenhouse, where he prepped the space before guests arrived. Later in the day, he tackled larger projects, such as replanting a full crop system.
“My favorite thing about working there is everything is hydroponic,” Herger says. “We worked with more than 150 crops.”
Completing various tasks in the greenhouses gave Herger an up-close look at plant production. Photo courtesy of Paul Herger.
He’s especially intrigued by Disney’s innovative techniques, ranging from aeroponics to vertical farming, aquaponics and sand culture, a method using nutrient-rich irrigation in sand instead of soil. “The nutrient system we use, I’ve never seen before,” Herger says.
Some of the produce is served in Disney restaurants; other harvests go to Animal Kingdom’s animals. His favorite spot? The Garden Grill Restaurant in The Land pavilion at Epcot. “It’s all-you-can-eat with steak and potatoes, so it feels like home,” he says.
Finding a Career Focus
Set to graduate in spring 2026, Herger hopes to pursue a career in greenhouse management, working with seed companies or in plug production. Completing this internship helped sharpen his skills and clarify his career goals. “If I could find something more propagation-based, that would be pretty cool,” he says.
Herger smiles with his advisor, Gabby Power, after accepting his state proficiency award. Photo courtesy of Paul Herger.
He also credits FFA with preparing him for the experience. “It really helped me learn to think on my feet,” he says, adding that his school’s annual plant sale gave him hands-on practice with propagation and transplanting.
“It’s definitely been a life-changing experience,” Herger says. “I would have never had this opportunity without Disney, and I really appreciate all they’ve done for me and given toward my career. FFA definitely prepared me for that, too.”
Plant With Purpose
Sow seeds that could lead to success by participating in the National FFA Floriculture or Nursery/Landscape Career Development Events, which are part of the plant systems career pathway.
