Botanical Garden Farm and Compost Internship

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2019 QBG Farm and Compost Internship, NYC Compost Project hosted by Queens Botanical Garden

Queens Botanical Garden (QBG), in partnership with the Department of Sanitation of New York’s (DSNY) NYC Compost Project, is seeking seasonal interns for the QBG Farm & Compost site.

QBG Farm & Compost site is a place where New Yorkers can participate in and learn about urban farming and composting through tours, workshops, internships, and volunteer opportunities. Fruit and vegetables are grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, and compost is made and applied to promote soil and plant health. Crops harvested are shared with seasonal interns and volunteers and donated to emergency food relief programs. Compost is used across the botanical garden and the Farm as well as distributed to those who participate in Food Scrap Drop-Offs.

Interns will support NYC Compost Project staff in running and maintaining one acre of intensively planted, mixed vegetable, fruit, and flower production and educational areas. Interns will also help support on-site composting operations; including processing organics collected at food scrap drop-offs. We are looking for dedicated, hard-working individuals with a keen interest in urban farming and composting.

Farm and Compost Internship Timeframe:

Interns must be able to work Mondays and Thursdays over a three- to six-month period of time between mid-April and late October.

Farm and Compost Internship Learning Objectives:

• Learn fundamentals of sustainable agriculture including crop choice, rotational growing, drip irrigation, and pest/disease management
• Acquire hands-on skills in urban farming through planting, tending and harvesting crops
• Understand and maintain healthy soils, learn to use compost, cover crops, and mulch
• Gain proficiency in composting by processing food waste and helping to manage onsite compost piles
• Cultivate an in-depth awareness about food scrap recycling and waste reduction in NYC

Farm and Compost Internship Qualifications:

• Self-motivated, excellent communicator, with the ability to work alone as well as with others
• Commitment to being present and punctual on workdays
• Willingness to work outdoors in all weather; able to lift up to 40 pounds
• Interest in food waste reduction and urban agriculture
• Ability to perform diverse, sometimes repetitive, tasks that can be physically demanding

The Farm and Compost Internship is unpaid, but qualifying applicants are encouraged to earn school or program credit for their work with us and to research funding opportunities through their learning institutions. Interns will receive a weekly stipend of $100, monthly MetroCard, and share of vegetables. 

To apply, qualified candidates should send a resume and cover letter to compost@queensbotanical.org. Your cover letter should include any previous experience (not required) with agriculture or compost, your motivation for completing the internship, your availability, and how you heard about the internship. Please put “Farm and Compost Internship 2019” in the subject line of the email. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. The deadline to apply is Monday, February 4, 2019. Queens Botanical Garden is an equal opportunity employer.

The NYC Compost Project hosted by Queens Botanical Garden works to rebuild NYC’s soils by providing New Yorkers with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities they need to produce and use compost locally. The NYC Compost Project is funded and managed by the NYC Department of Sanitation’s Bureau of Recycling and Sustainability. Learn more at nyc.gov/compostproject and queensbotanical.org/farmandcompost/

 

• Learn more about farming and food jobs and internships, or learn how to post a job, internship, or apprenticeship opportunity on beginningfarmers.org by going to https://www.beginningfarmers.org/internship-and-employment-opportunities/