Farm Management Internship – Growing Gardens
Last Updated On: December 5th, 2024 at 04:56PM MST
Contact information
Farm Address:1630 Hawthorn Ave
Boulder, Colorado, 80304
Primary Contact: Sarah Kell
Primary Phone:
Type: Office
Number: 3034439952
Email: sarah@growinggardens.org
Website: https://www.growinggardens.org
Internship information
General Farm Description: Growing Gardens’ mission is to cultivate community through regenerative urban agriculture. Our programs empower people of all ages, income levels, and abilities by connecting them with their local food system, each other, and the environment. Over the last 26 years, Growing Gardens has brought urban farming, gardening, nutrition education and produce donations to over 162,000 Boulder County residents. We farm a total of 3 acres of vegetables and 2 acres of orchard crops, run two large greenhouses with an impressive nursery operation, and rotationally graze a small herd of dairy goats all in the heart of Boulder and Longmont, Colorado. We are always striving toward regenerative and ecologically sound growing practices and are constantly learning and evolving as land stewards. To see more about how we farm you can see our website here. The Farm Management Intern works across all aspects of the Boulder and Longmont farms including participating in the Cultiva Youth Project and leading volunteer groups. We believe this internship provides a diverse experience in a supportive environment for someone who wants to grow in the field of agriculture and community based food systems.CRAFT Member Farm? No
Internship Starts: 3/3/25
Internship Ends: 10/31/25
Number of Internship Available: 1
Application Deadline: 1/3 but applications will be reviewed upon receiving
Minimum Length of Stay: 8 months
Internship Details:
Reports to: Boulder Farm Manager
Job Status: Full Season Intern, 30 hours per week
Compensation: $16/hour plus paid time off and weekly produce, seasonally
Location: Boulder, CO
Farm Intern Duties
- Assist the Farm Manager and growing staff in all aspects of farm operation at both of our farms (in Boulder and in Longmont):
- Planning, installation, and operation of irrigation systems
- Bed preparation and planting
- 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, and donations
- Help to oversee 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
- Assist with produce donation program
- Assist, teach, and work with diverse populations and ages in greenhouse, wash station, and field-related tasks
- Lead volunteer projects with people of differing abilities
- Assist with other operations of the non-profit, and help with set up and execution of other farm-based events
Structure of Internship
- Internship duration is March 3 – October 31, 2025
- This internship position is paid hourly at $16/hour. Note: we do not provide housing as part of this internship.
- Intern position is 30 hours per week. Some of those hours will take place on evenings and weekends.
- Weekend watering shifts are required March-September.
- Intern must attend orientation Monday, March 3rd from 8:30AM-1:00PM.
- Intern will be working closely with a mentor from GG staff who will oversee all daily activities; an intern supervisor is available upon request for meetings and provides general oversight of Growing Gardens’ internship program
- Learning Objectives Contract – Developed within the first month of internship. This includes: position description, educational objectives, learning activities, and skill development
- Evaluation – A midpoint evaluation and end of internship evaluation will include intern self-evaluation, supervisor, and mentor evaluation
Benefits of Interning with Growing Gardens
- Experience working on and managing a diversified vegetable operation.
- Hands-on experience making a positive impact in the lives of children, teens, and adults.
- Community connections and networking within the burgeoning local food movement.
- Friendly, relaxed environment.
- Develop marketable teaching, leadership, and management skills.
- Classroom training offered through Growing Gardens classes.
- Access to a wide variety of discounted organic seeds and plant starts including 50% off at our Plant Sale
- Fresh weekly vegetables from the farm as the season permits June-October (about $25 per week)
- 50% off additional produce grown on our farm from our Farm Stand June-October
- All Growing Gardens internships qualify for university credit if that is desired by the intern
- Site is centrally located and easily accessed via public transportation.
- 30 hours of PTO for the season, in addition to 3 federal holidays and 2 growing team shut down days. Total of 70 hours of paid PTO and Holiday leave.
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 3, 2025.
Bonus Points
- Fluency in other languages
- Experience working in adverse conditions
- Experience in community building, education, and volunteer leadership
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.
To apply:
Send resume and cover letter that includes information below to Sarah Kell: sarah@growinggardens.org with your name and “Full Season Farm Management Intern Application” in the subject line.
We will review application materials and interview on a rolling basis.
In your cover letter, please include:
- Any previous volunteer and/or work in an agricultural setting
- If you do not have previous agricultural work, have you done any work that required you to be on your feet and physically active for the majority of the day?
- What skills or experiences you will bring to this internship
- What you hope to gain from this internship
- What are your personal goals related to farming
- This internship is 8 months long, March through October. Please share how this internship will fit into your life.
Educational Opportunities: There are many with in the job. We provide both learning workshops and seminars plus a huge amount of experiential learning.
Skills Desired: ● 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 3, 2025.
Meals: No.
Stipend: This internship is paid $16/hr
Housing: No.
Preferred method of Contact: Email