Sharing Our Roots Farm Internship (CCCE)

**NOTE: This is a low or unfunded opportunity. You will be eligible to apply for summer internship funding from Carleton if you will be returning to campus in the fall.

Join the team at Sharing Our Roots farm, a regenerative farm powered by emerging farmers and farmers of color. The focus for this internship position will be to support our perennial crops and organic vegetable demonstration plots. The farm intern will also be supporting the community building efforts of our non-profit such as helping with volunteer projects, community tours, farmers’ market and other events. There will also be opportunities to do work with ecological restoration as needed. The Farm Intern will be supported and supervised by the Farm Manager. We are flexible on your start date so you can combine this internship with working Carleton’s Reunion weekend or Lighten Up resue sale.

Job Description:

Perennial Crop Maintenance (15 hours weekly)- At Sharing Our Roots farm, we have many perennial food crops, including apple, pear, and plum trees, seaberry, elderberries, hazelnuts, and asparagus. As Farm Site Intern, 20 hours/week will be spent on perennial crop maintenance, which includes general field work such as weeding, mulching, pruning, mowing, and harvesting these crops. The Farm Intern will also help support volunteers during perennial crop maintenance work days.

Organic Vegetable Demonstration Plots (20 hours weekly)- Sharing Our Roots is developing plots that will demonstrate various ways of producing vegetables in a sustainable manner such as no-till, mulching, intercropping and cover cropping. This work will include planting, weeding, harvesting and irrigating the crops. Work will also include processing the vegetables, helping keep documentation for our food safety plan and helping maintain food safety standards in the field and pack shed. Miscellaneous projects to help support the cohort farmers and Sharing Our Roots staff can also be expected such as irrigation installation, small building projects or greenhouse work.

Farm Events and Natural Lands Support (5 hours a week or as needed)- Throughout the 2024 summer season, Sharing Our Roots will host a variety of on-farm tours, community events and farmers’ markets. The Farm Intern will assist the Farm Manager with on-the-ground setup and break down of these events. They will also have the opportunity to do ecological restoration with our natural lands manager and interns to do invasive species removal and ecological management throughout the summer as needed. Some weekend hours may be required.

SKILLS and QUALIFICATIONS

• A current college student with an emphasis in environmental studies, biology, social justice or related area of study
• Experience with sustainable agriculture, landscaping, food systems or food justice preferred
• Experience with hand tools, lawn mowers and/or weed wackers preferred
• Demonstrated work ethic with ability to multitask, do manual labor in varied weather conditions, and be goal oriented in completing tasks
• Team player who is also able to work independently and manage their own schedule
• Must have reliable transportation to and from the farm
• Bilingual (English and Spanish, preferred, but not required)
• Ability to comply with our food and physical safety standards
   

BENEFITS

• Be an important team member in an agricultural non-profit and learn about food justice and production
• Build your professional network and add skills to your resume, while supporting local immigrant farmers and food insecure families in your community
• Friendly working environment with flexible schedule and time off

Hours: Up to 40 hours per week, generally 8:30am-4:30 pm Monday-Friday, some weekends and evenings for 10-12 weeks June-September 2024

Location: Sharing Our Roots Farm, 4905 315th Street W., Northfield, MN 55057

Supervision: Alissa Jacobsen, Farm Manager (alissa@sharing-our-roots.org)

About Sharing Our Roots: Sharing Our Roots envisions a world where food and agriculture systems are profitable for farmers, fair to workers, beneficial to consumer health, restorative for rural communities and regenerative for the environment. Our Mission is to advance a resilient agriculture system that demonstrates the power to heal our lands, nourish our communities and prepare aspiring farmers.
 

TO APPLY: Please apply via Handshake. Sharing Our Roots will be interviewing on a rolling basis until the positions are filled.

Sharing Our Roots is a 501(c)3 food and agriculture non-profit organization and 100-acre regenerative farm based in southeast Minnesota. Together with farmers, partners, and supporters we are innovating a path towards a more just, resilient and healthy food system. Our farm serves many functions - aside from being a major land restoration project itself - it’s a place for research and demonstration, a sanctuary for wildlife and community and a homebase for emerging farmers and farmers of color.
 

“Sharing Our Roots is an equal opportunity employer. We enthusiastically encourage people from a wide variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences to apply. Sharing Our Roots does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, mental or physical disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation or any other basis prohibited by law.”