Garden Internship at the Greater Lansing Food Bank
Garden Internship at the Greater Lansing Food Bank Garden Project in Michigan
Position Description: Produce vegetable seedlings in a greenhouse for the Greater Lansing Food Bank’s Garden Project and Lansing Roots Farm programs. Includes a stipend of up to $500.
Organization Information: The Greater Lansing Food Bank is a non-profit organization that provides emergency food to individuals and families in need in Ingham, Eaton, Clinton, Shiawassee, Clare, Isabella and Gratiot counties. Plants starts will be used for the Greater Lansing Food Bank’s Lansing Roots and Garden Project. Lansing Roots Farm is an incubator farm designed to help limited resource and/or historically under-served individuals from the greater Lansing area begin successful market gardening and farming enterprises through an incubator farm setting. Seedlings grown by the intern will contribute to the 60+ CSA shares offered by Lansing Roots Farmers and to other programs. The Garden Project was started in 1982 by early organizers of the Greater Lansing Food Bank who wanted to create a longer term solution to the problem of hunger and to promote gardening as a vehicle for community development. The goal is to cultivate connections so that all community members can have access to fresh healthy foods through gardening opportunities. Since its initiation, the Garden Project has grown to support a network of nearly 500 home gardeners and 120 community gardens helping more than 7,000 people by providing access to land, how-to education, free seeds and plants, tool lending, a networking hub and more. Seedlings grown by intern will contribute to the more than 23,000 plant starts typically given to community gardeners, home gardeners, school and church gardens and other garden entities each year at the Garden Project.
Responsibilities:
- Seed selection and starting, watering, nutrient management, and ongoing plant maintenance
- Management of greenhouse space (learn climate control mechanisms, organize and clean greenhouse materials)
- Self-motivation will increase possibilities of service scope and may include conducting seed starting workshops, and creating educational materials
Qualifications:
- Academic background in Horticulture, Botany, or Related Field
- Junior Standing preferred
- Ability to travel to Southside Community Center Greenhouse, and occasionally to Mason and to the administrative office near the airport
- Flexibility to work on some weekends
- Ability to lift up to 45 lb
- Ability to occasionally work outdoors in all conditions while maintaining a positive attitude
Skills:
- Experience growing plants from seed, familiarity with common greenhouse insects and diseases is a bonus
- Attention to detail, and good observational skills to detect and address problems while they are small
- Ability to serve independently after receiving adequate guidance
- Excellent communication and organizational skills
- Ability to coordinate work schedule and duties with another intern and program staff
Number of applicants that are currently being accepted: 2
Hour many hours per week a person can intern: 8-15
Deadline to apply: 12/18/15
Internship Dates: January 2016 – May 2016, exact dates negotiable
Transportation/Location information: The greenhouse is at the Southside Community Center, off 5825 Wise Rd. Intern may occasionally need to travel to the Lansing Roots Farm at 1084 Hagadorn Rd in Mason as well as the administrative office at 919 Filley St. Lansing.
To apply for the garden internship please send resume and cover letter to:
Hilary Parkinson – Greater Lansing Food Bank, Garden Resource Coordinator
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