2021 Summer Farm Internship in Ohio
Patchwork Gardens 2021 Summer Farm Internship Opportunity (2 positions available)
Patchwork Gardens is a chemical-free farm located in Dayton, Ohio. Every spring, we plant a 12-acre vegetable garden with the widest variety of produce we can manage. We cover all the garden favorites: spring salad greens, summertime tomatoes, autumn’s root crops, and everything in between. We grow our food without the use of any chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. Our approach to agriculture favors hard work through diligent cultivation and a culture of healthy soil biology. These make for healthy plants. We plant cover-crops in the off-season incorporating organic matter back into the soil. We are a hard-working group who enjoys the natural world, moving our bodies, good food, and being with others who want to live a good life farming on this beautiful planet.
Our goal is to spread good food and good farming practices within our community. The farm is in its twelfth year now, and growing more productive every year as we learn from our collective experiences.
If you’ve ever had a home garden and enjoyed its bounty, you may be familiar with the crops we cultivate. If you cherish a fondness for any vegetable at all, the chances are good that we’ve grown it before.
2021 Summer Farm Internship Description:
We are happy to offer internship opportunities for those interested in immersing themselves in the work and lifestyle of chemical-free farming. This is a great way for those with minimal or no gardening experience to get a taste of this kind of work. The intern will be exposed to the following farm departments: seed-starting house, packhouse, fieldwork (including hand-planting, harvesting, and weeding), and delivery. The intern will report to and work alongside the farm’s managers and / or crew leaders in order to complete a wide-array of weekly tasks that fall within the departments mentioned above.
Main Summer Farm Internship Responsibilities / Duties:
Weekly harvesting tasks to provide for our 500+ member CSA, Cleaning and packing produce for our CSA and wholesale customers, Water-wheel and mechanical transplanting, hand-planting and hand-weeding, Sorting potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, shallots, and winter squash, and Tomato-trellising and maintenance
Additional Duties Could Include:
Assisting in the seed-starting process (i.e. preparing trays, topping-off seeded trays), Helping to care for transplants (i.e. potting up), Helping to maintain farm grounds (weed-eating, mowing), Cleaning out greenhouses at seasonal transitions , Delivering produce to CSA and wholesale customers, and Cooking lunch / doing dishes for communal crew meals.
Skills and Qualifications:
Strong work ethic and desire to learn, Serious desire to do physical work outside, Willingness to work in inclement weather, High-attention to detail and efficiency, Ability to work well on a team with others, Willingness to learn and implement farm’s preferred methods, and Creativity and appreciation for a sustainable lifestyle
Hours and Compensation:
This is a full-time, seasonal internship. Hours are 8:30am – 5:30pm, Monday – Friday. Preference is given to individuals who can work for the full growing season: May through August/September. Part-time work may be available in October and November.
Interns receive hourly pay of $8.55 (with the opportunity for a raise with demonstrated ability), along with free membership in our CSA program ($1,200 value). On-farm housing could be available for the growing season (May through September) if needed. Lunch is provided during the work week and features fresh produce from the farm, grass-fed beef and pork, pastured chicken, and raw milk, all raised responsibly and locally by friends.
To apply, please fill out the Internship Application located on our website here: Work at Patchwork Gardens. To learn more about our farm in general, please visit our website: www.patchworkgardens.net.
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