Farm Intern Position at Farm and Wilderness in Vermont
Farm and Wilderness Foundation Position Description: Farm Intern - For 2014 in Vermont
Organization Summary: Farm & Wilderness Foundation (F&W) is a 501(c)3 non-profit, educational organization operating six summer camps for children and young adults, a family camp, and year-round educational programming. Set on a beautiful 500-acre campus in the Green Mountains of Vermont, F&W programs are rich in adventure, community, history, and spirit and foster an individual relationship with the natural world. While each camp and initiative provides unique programs based on age and interests, all F&W activities are shaped by Quaker principles and the common belief that individuals and communities are strengthened by justice, honesty, self-reliance, diversity and respect for all persons. People of any race, background, religion, sexual orientation or economic status are encouraged to apply to our camps as campers or staff. To learn more about F&W please visit: https://www.farmandwilderness.org.
Position Summary: Farm Interns assist the farm managers in the care of the livestock, barns, and gardens and help administer program activities such as homesteading, crafting, and food preservation within the summer camps. Throughout the internship, the farm interns will learn hands on farm based skills including but not limited to animal identification, animal husbandry, pasture management, crop rotation, weed identification, various types of garden skills, and develop an understanding of community living. Using a beautiful wilderness and farm setting and innovative approaches toward teaching, organic farming, and environmental education, interns will become strong leaders by developing connections to each other and the land through work, service, and community. This position starts in April and runs through October with the potential for extending employment into December and possibly the winter season.
Responsibilities:
Farm interns assist the farm managers in the care of the barns, gardens, animals and all other farm concerns such as craft areas, food processing, greenhouse, haying, pastures, equipment, and structure maintenance.
Assist farm education interns with technical support for lessons in Farm and Environmental education.
Undergo training throughout the season.
Keep current on relevant farm issues.
Lead programs individually as well as co-instruct.
During the summer camp season farm crew will ensure the health of the animals, gardens, and pastures and assist the farm programs as needed at either the Indian Brook, Barn Day Camp/Salt Ash Mountain, Timberlake and Tamarack Farm facilities.
Assist with work related to opening and closing of camps.
Share cooperative living chores with physical plant crew including cleaning, cooking, barn chores and some group maintenance projects.
Assist with seasonal and other necessary group maintenance projects as needed: firewood, lawn mowing, kybo digging (digging out the night soil from the outhouses), water bar upkeep, recycling, trash runs, town runs, building repairs.
General F&W Responsibilities:
Participate in opening buildings for season (spring) or final clean up (fall)
Actively participate in the annual weekend events, such as Harvest Weekend, Ice Cutting and Spring Planting Weekend.
Participate in crew life
Assist the Farm Manager, Resource Director, Program Director, Assistant Program Director, and Executive Director with tasks as assigned.
Qualifications:
Required
21+ years of age
Strong desire to build skills and knowledge related to teaching and farming.
Experience working with school aged children in an outdoor education setting.
Flexible, able and willing to perform a variety of tasks in changing situations.
Positive attitude
Solid problem solving skills
Desired
Undergraduate degree or working toward one ideally in education and/or farming.
Experience working on a farm or farm based setting
Current First Aid and CPR
Conflict resolution skills
Computer skills helpful
Cooking skills helpful.
Essential Functions
Must be able to maintain visual supervision of campers while on duty
Must be able to hear campers and differentiate casual conversation from calls for assistance
Must be able to negotiate the terrain at camp, including climbing the steep hills and staircases
Must be able to perform acts of physical exertion (lifting and carrying 15 pounds, shoveling for 10 minutes without rest, walking up hill at a slow pace for 25 minutes)
Must be able to focus on a single task or camper for at least 20 minutes
Must be able to communicate (both written and verbal) clearly and effectively with staff and campers
Salary and Benefits
$200.00 per week, paid bi weekly
room and board
workers compensation
laundry and internet access
professional development
A note about Living Accommodations:
Farm staff share living quarters and kitchen facilities. All crew are expected to be committed to this
cooperative living situation and to help with food ordering, paperwork, daily cooking, cleaning, and household chores outside of the work day. There will be a mandatory weekly meeting for onsite staff to communicate the logistics of cooperative living and delegate responsibilities.
Equal Opportunity Employer:
Farm & Wilderness is an equal opportunity employer. No employee or applicant for employment shall be unlawfully denied an employment opportunity for which the employee or applicant is qualified because of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or other protected category. F&W is committed to non-discrimination in its employment.
Visit our website to learn more about Farm and Wilderness, www.farmandwilderness.org
To Apply:
Contact Chantal Deojay -Farm Manager at Chantal@farmandwilderness.org or 802-422-3761 ext. 245
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