FOUR SHORT-TERM FARM INTERNSHIPS FOR THE 2009 SEASON
May Term (May 10-May 31- two interns)
Early Summer (June 1-July 15 -two interns)
Late Summer (July 15-August 31 -two interns)
Autumn (September 15-October 31-two interns)
For more information contact Professor Zita (zitax001@umn.edu). Farm Internship Initial Application Forms. WEI will start reviewing internship applications on February 15, 2009. Internships will be open until filled.
This year WEI will provide a formal internship program for students interested in learning how to do organic farming. We especially want students interested in becoming or considering sustainable organic farming as a career possibility. WEI prefers students who have a 2-3 credit academic directed studies (service learning studies) that can be incorporated into WEI’s internship program. Colleges currently being considered are the University of Minnesota, Macalester College, River Falls College, and several local community colleges. These directed studies and service learning contracts will be tailored to meet the needs of both institutions (WEI and the post-secondary affiliate) as long as the internship meets the requirements of the WEI student farm internship program. WEI will provide these students with on-site supervision, curriculum and educational opportunities. Students at the University of Minnesota should contact Professor Zita (zitax001@umn.edu) for academic farm internship possibilities. Interested students should contact their school and have appropriate an faculty member contact WEI for more details on how to set up a farm internship agreement. Students can also apply for the internship through WEI's Organic Farm School in the WEI Education Program.
The Institute will admit two interns per term. A stipend of $100 per week will be paid to interns. WEI will provide modest living accommodations for the interns in the Eco-retreat Center, including access to its kitchen and laundry room facilities. WEI also provides wireless e-mail for all residents who must provide their own computers for personal use. WEI does not have a TV but does offer other media and/or book discussion nights for interns, WEI staff, residents, and local community members of WEI.
WEI farm student interns (unlike farm workers) will have a curriculum, formal academic assignments, special projects (stewardship of some aspect of the WEI farm of interest to the student) and hands-on experience approximately 5-6 hours per day in sustainable organic farming practices. Interns who fail to meet the requirements of the WEI Internship will be dismissed. Students will be able to use the WEI library for their research and readings.
Enrollment in WEI Farm Internships is limited to one term. Upon completion of that term, an intern can continue to work on the farm as a volunteer or apply (when available) for a farmer employee position. The education program is still open for steady farm volunteers and for farmer employees but is not covered by farm employee hours or wages.
Early Summer Internship: June 1-July 15 Internship: focus on early summer crop production greenhouse management, transplanting, seeding, weed and pest control, soil enhancement strategies, orchard management/care of new seedlings, harvesting, packing, preserving and storaging, succession and companion planting, crop rotation, cover cropping, composting, principles of farm management, record-keeping, safety training and food handling, CSA newsletter production, experience working at farmer’s markets/harvest festivals; every effort will be made to introduce farm interns to all aspects of sustainable organic farm production during their internships
Late Summer Intership: July 15-August 31 Internship: focus late summer crop production and season extension strategies, final season seeding, succession planting and transplanting, weed and pest control, soil enhancement strategies, orchard management/care of new seedlings, harvesting, packing, preserving and storaging, cover cropping, seed collection, tool and machine maintenance, principles of farm management, record-keeping, safety training and food handling, CSA newsletter production, early winterization of fields and orchard care, preparation for fall apple harvest, experience working at farmer’s markets/harvest festivals; every effort will be made to introduce farm interns to all aspects of farm production during their internship.
Autumn Internship: September 15-October 31: focus on fall crop and apple harvesting and season extension strategies; assistance of harvest festivals, weed and pest control, soil enhancement strategies, fall orchard management/ winterization of new seedlings, garlic planting, harvesting and packing skills, cover cropping, winterization of fields and orchard, seed collecting, inventory and preservation of seeds, principles of farm management, record-keeping, safety training, and food handling, CSA newsletter production, experience working at farmer’s markets/harvest festivals; every effort will be made to introduce farm interns to all aspects of farm production during their internship.
In general the daily intern schedule when the farm is in full production would be something like this:
DAILY: Tues, Wed, Thurs, Friday (required)
Morning: 7:00-12:00 dedicated to field work and
on-site learning field learning (no doubt hard physical work)
Afternoon: study and reading (except on harvest and packing days)
Early evening:end-of-day meeing for the next day’s
field work plan and discussion of observations made during the day; review of record-keeping
Saturday and Monday (time off generally away from the WEI farm campus or volunteer work time on the farm)
WEEKLY:
Monday evening: attendance at WEI’s Organic Farm School when in session (located in the Twin Cities)
Tuesday evening: formal class on organic farming, review and discussion of assignments, and project presentations
Wednesday evening: pre-harvest for CSA boxes when in season
Thursday evening: screening of farm-related educational materials/farm movies or discussion of the work of Wendell Berry (this season’s land-minded theorist)
OCCASIONAL
- Site visits to other farms in our area (required)
- Attendance at all WEI hands-on workshops on the WEI farm campus highly recommended and sometimes required
- Experience working at Farmer’s Market/Harvest Festivals/Spring CSA Events (required)
- Assist with small group and school group visits to the farm (optional – likely to be talking with kids)
- Attendance at other WEI events -- FREE OF CHARGE (optional)
- Attendance at local area events and park programs in our area (optional)
Thursday night reading group discussions will include one text by Wendell Berry each term and possibly another book of the students' choosing.
These books will be available in the WEI library:
May term: Life Is a Miracle: An Essay Against Modern Superstition by Wendell Berry (2001)
Early summer term: The Unsettling of America: Culture & Agriculture by Wendell Berry (2004)
Late summer term: The Art of the Commonplace: The Agrarian Essays of Wendell Berry by Wendell Berry and Norman Wirzba (2003)
Autumn term: The Way of Ignorance: And Other Essays by Wendell Berry (2006)