Organic Farm Management Internship in Colorado

Posted on November 25, 2020 by Taylor in Education, Farming, Internships, Urban Farming and Gardening // 0 Comments

Organic Farm Management Internship in Boulder, Colorado – Full Season 2021 (March 2 – October 29)

Growing Gardens’ mission is to enrich the lives of our community through sustainable urban agriculture. We envision people experiencing a direct and deep connection with plants, the land and each other. Growing Gardens unites the Boulder County community through urban agriculture projects, such as: The Cultiva Youth Project (Ages 12 – 18), The Children’s Peace Garden (CPG, Ages 3 – 11), Horticultural Therapy, Community Classes, The Goat Dairy, Growing Gardens Food Project, and the Community Gardens (General Public), and our Community Orchard.

The Farm Management Intern will report to the Boulder Farm Manager and Goat Dairy Herd Manager and work extensively with the Cultiva farm crew members and must have both the ability and desire to mentor and engage with young people. The Farm Management Internship is fast paced and requires a great deal of hard work, focus, and care. It is also deeply rewarding.

Farm Intern Duties

Assist the Farm Manager and growing staff in all aspects of farm operation:
Weekly chore shifts at the goat dairy, including all aspects of milk production, animal care, grazing and rotation management and educational events for the public
Planning, installation, and operation of irrigation systems
Bed preparation
Seeding, transplanting, thinning, and fertilizing both seedlings in the greenhouse and field crops
Early season greenhouse growing for the plant sale and field crops
Cultivation and weeding
Pest and disease management
Harvesting, washing, and packing of crops for CSA, farm stand, wholesale accounts, and donations
Help to manage and run CSA pickups and the farm stand
Cover cropping, soil sampling, and understanding of soil health on the farm
Operation of tractors, mowers, and other farm equipment
Maintenance of grounds and site infrastructure
Record-keeping
Prepare and weigh produce for donation program
Assist, teach, and work with diverse populations in greenhouse, wash station, and field-related tasks
Mentor and teach teens in the Cultiva Youth Project
Lead tours of the Growing Gardens site to volunteers
Assist with other operations of the non-profit, plus help prep for and work other farm-based events

Structure of the Organic Farm Management Internship

Internship duration is March 2 – October 29, 2021
Intern position is 30-50 hours per week. Hours will vary depending on the week and the season. A portion of those hours will take place on evenings and weekends. We generally work more hours per week in the height of the growing season and less in the early spring and late fall. Please see below for a sample of a week’s schedule during different seasons.
Mentor oversees daily activities and supports each Intern’s growth during weekly meetings throughout the duration of the contract

Schedules for the Organic Farm Management Internship can vary from week to week, but below is a sample of what a week could look like on the farm during each season.

Spring Sample Weekly Schedule (March-May)

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Alternating Saturdays and Sundays
Watering and inventory of seedlings, weekly team meeting, seeding in the greenhouse	Seeding with volunteers in the greenhouse, afternoon goat dairy shift	Set up goat fencing and bring animals to pasture, field work	A.M. goat dairy shift, seeding with volunteers and interns in the greenhouse	A.M. goat dairy shift, work with corporate volunteer group, field work	Watering and greenhouse check-in, Plant Sale shifts, goat dairy shifts and bottle feeding events

Summer Sample Weekly Schedule (June-mid-September)

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Alternating Saturdays and Sundays
Field walkthrough and CSA list, weekly team meeting, harvesting, field work	Harvesting, wash station with Cultiva	Harvesting, wash station with Cultiva, mid-day break, prep for and CSA pickup, gleaning at the Farmer’s Market	Field work, seminars with Cultiva youth, P.M goat dairy shift	Harvesting, goat dairy shift	Watering and greenhouse check-in, goat dairy shifts and bottle feeding events, fruit share pick-ups at market

Fall Sample Weekly Schedule (mid-September-October)

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Alternating Saturdays and Sundays
Field walkthrough and CSA list, weekly team meeting, harvesting, field work	Harvest, wash and process for CSA	Harvest, wash, and process with volunteers, mid-day break, prep for CSA, CSA pickup, gleaning	Gleaning with volunteers in the field, weeding and field work	Harvesting, field work, workshops or seminars, goat dairy shift	Goat dairy shifts, fruit share pick-ups at market

Benefits of Interning with Growing Gardens

Knowledge gained through experience working on and managing a diversified vegetable operation.
Hands-on experience making a positive impact in the lives of children, teens, and adults.
Additional training offered through Growing Gardens classes, workshops, and staff shadowing
Access to a wide variety of discounted organic seeds and plant starts.
Opportunity to garden in the intern community garden plot at the Hawthorn Garden site.
Fresh vegetables from the garden as the season permits June-October. This benefit has the value of $20-$35 per week depending on the time of year.
Site is centrally located and easily accessed via public transportation.
Living stipend of $1200 paid at the end of each month Note: we do not have housing provided as part of this internship. This stipend is meant to offset the cost of housing and basic needs in the city of Boulder.
One week paid vacation

A note about working here in the time of Covid-19:

Like everyone around the globe our operations have been challenged by this pandemic. We are asking for a few commitments and understandings from our interns and staff during this time that are not typically a part of this experience. They are:

We ask that interns maintain what we are calling a “Covid-Safe” lifestyle while they work on our team. During the growing season we have to operate in relatively close-quarters and our work is farm-based (not a lot of working remotely). We consider this a blessing generally, but it means we must be exemplars of the standards set by our Public Health Department. These change frequently, however at the time of this posting they include: Wearing a face mask at all times, limiting gatherings to no more than 10 people from no more than 2 households, limiting travel to only “essential” travel, and following all County guidelines regarding testing in the event of illness or contact with anyone experiencing Covid-19 symptoms.
We understand that our interns often live in shared living spaces with other young professionals, extended family, and all sorts of other situations. We only ask that you behave as cautiously as possible and ask the same of those you live with.
We will have daily screenings upon arriving at work including a questionnaire and a temperature check.
Our work has had to shift at a moments’ notice based on Public Health guidelines and changing priorities for the organization. We ask that interns are understanding of changing schedules and planned work as is necessary.
We have worked very hard to ensure that this is still a fantastic place to be, work, and learn. We are asking that you work hard at keeping our community safe.

Organic Farm Management Internship Qualifications

Responsible, dedicated, and organized individual
Strong work ethic and a passion for learning how to grow food and develop community
Ability to work early morning, evening, and weekend hours
Ability to hustle and thrive under pressure
Physically capable of manual tasks, including lifting 40 pounds
Some growing experience is desired, but it is not required for this position
Applicants must be CPR and First Aid certified by March 2, 2021.

Bonus Points

Fluency in other languages
Experience working in adverse conditions
Experience in community building, education, and volunteer leadership

Anti-Discrimination Statement

Growing Gardens prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination or harassment and will take affirmative measures to ensure against them, especially if they are carried out on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, marital status, national origin, disability, status as a veteran or disabled veteran, neurodiversity, personal appearance, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, family responsibilities, genetic information, matriculation or political affiliation. This policy applies to all employees or potential employees, volunteers, participants, members of the Growing Gardens Board of Directors, people who serve on Growing Gardens’ committees, and anyone attending Growing Gardens’ events. This policy extends to all aspects of employment at Growing Gardens, including hiring, transfer, promotion, training, working conditions, policies, compensation, evaluation, discipline and termination.