Organic Farm and Alpaca Internship

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Organic Farm and Alpaca Internship – Indiana, 2019

Do you like to dig in the dirt? Do you dream of befriending an alpaca? If so a farm internship at White Violet Center for Eco-Justice (WVC) is the place for you. Located at beautiful Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, WVC is 80 miles west of Indianapolis just a few miles from Illinois off of I-70. AS an intern you’ll get to work with and learn from the amazing people on our team. You’ll also work and live with other interns from all over the country, in this hands-on learning environment on our certified organic farm.

While you’re at WVC you’ll learn about the food supply chain, sustainability and eco-justice. Under the direction of our garden manager, you’ll see what it takes to run a small USDA certified organic farm – planning, planting, nurturing, harvesting, and selling. You’ll learn how we make value-added products in our commercial kitchen, where we use methods such as dehydrating, fermenting and pickling. You’ll also work with our alpacas and chickens. This includes feeding; gathering and processing eggs; cleaning the chicken coop and shoveling manure. In the Organic Farm and Alpaca Internship you’ll train how to handle and interact with our alpacas. Starting in the late fall and through the winter, when life on the farm naturally shifts away from the garden, you’ll get to work on the different aspects of fiber arts – skirting, weaving, spinning, dyeing and more.

Here’s what some of our past interns have said about their experience at White Violet Center for Eco-Justice:

“The five acres of organic garden is what I originally came here to focus on and it has exceeded my expectations. My passion for sustainable agriculture has grown and I know I want to do something in this field for my future career. Being here for a year I will get to see all four seasons on a farm and what each brings. I’ve learned so much about what goes in to making a successful garden and I have access to seemingly unending amounts of knowledge from people and resources around me.” ~ Liv C.

 “The atmosphere and the people I work around every day are so positive and uplifting. We’re constantly learning about the current trends in eco-justice and sustainability. While out here I’ve just kind of realized the importance of those things for the future. The people out here are who really make this place something special. The relationships I’ve built with countless interns, volunteers and staff I know will last a lifetime. This will always be my home.” ~Brandon Q.

“As I told some people that I was quitting my job so I could go work on an alpaca farm for three months I got a lot of confused looks and many, many questions. It’s hard not to doubt your own decisions in those moments, but since coming here to White Violet, my three-month internship has turned into five months, and I know now that coming here was absolutely the right decision for me.” ~Hannah G.

Organic Farm and Alpaca Internship Duration: A minimum commitment of 3 months with a maximum of one year. We will work with you to customize your internship. We accept applications year round.

Organic Farm and Alpaca Internship Duties: Specific duties vary depending on the time of the year, but will largely revolve around regular small farm operations. Think feeding and caring for animals, cleaning out barns and pastures, cleaning alpaca fiber, gathering and cleaning eggs, harvesting, cleaning and packing veggies for farmers market and our Farm Share Program, laying mulch, planting, weeding, seeding, and other garden tasks. You’ll also work in The Farm Store. You’ll be included in monthly staff meetings as well as participate in field trips, educational seminars, and extracurricular enrichment activities (e.g., regional farming conferences) that may arise. At the end of your internship you’ll present a project of your choice.

Organic Farm and Alpaca Internship Benefits: WVC interns are provided with a furnished, private room in a fully furnished house located steps away from White Violet Center, Farm Store, the barns and gardens. The house is shared with up to seven other interns. There is a fully outfitted kitchen, three bathrooms, living room, dining room, free Wi-Fi, washer, dryer, parking, heat and air conditioning. Household items such as laundry soap and cleaning supplies are included. Interns also receive one daily meal of their choice in Providence Hall Dining Room, seven days a week. Vegan and vegetarian options are available. Seasonal produce from the garden and eggs are provided. Interns will receive a monthly stipend of $150.

Qualifications: You must be 18 years old to apply. You should be physically fit, capable of lifting heavy items, and able to use basic tools such as a shovel and wheelbarrow. You should be prepared to work in a variety of weather conditions. You’ll also be working with animals so previous experience is helpful but not necessary to apply. Most importantly you must have a willingness to learn and the ability to self-direct. We welcome people of all faith traditions (or none!), ethnicities, backgrounds, socio-economic demographics, sexual and gender orientations.

How to apply for the Organic Farm and Alpaca Internship: Submit your application online at https://spsmw.org/get-involved/internships/application/. After completing the online application you’ll need to provide a cover letter and resume to Sr. Mary Montgomery, intern coordinator at internswvc@spsmw.org. If you have any questions please feel free to email her or call her at or 812-535-2932.

About White Violet Center for Eco-Justice

White Violet Center for Eco-Justice, a ministry of the Sisters of Providence since 1996, is teaching, caring, inspiring for all creation. The center provides opportunities for participating in creating systems that support justice and sustainability, locally and globally. Through organic agriculture, eco-justice education and social advocacy, White Violet Center strives to promote an awareness and way of living which support all life. At White Violet Center, you’ll find a farm store, alpacas, chickens, bees, USDA certified organic gardens with two high tunnels and two greenhouses, an orchard, a berry patch, and a classified forest.

 

• 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/