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Dani Elenga Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Paid Internship
The University of Washington Farm is offering the Dani Elenga Organic Farming paid internship for the 2024 growing season. This position is an important part of a team that will manage the farm for the UW Seattle campus and nearby community.
Location: UW Farm growing sites at the Center for Urban Horticulture, Mercer Court and McMahon Hall Culinary Garden
Deadline to apply: February 26, 2024
Position Start Date: March 25, 2024
Position End Date: December 1, 2024
This internship is ideal for UW undergraduate and graduate students interested in exploring careers in the environmental field, particularly organic and urban farming and food systems. It is designed to serve current students with identities that have been historically and traditionally excluded from the mainstream environmental movement.
Overview
This position offers opportunities to work at three unique farm sites on campus as well as opportunities to develop real-life work skills in project management, team work, leadership, communication, volunteer management, food production, food safety, organic practices, small farm business management and environmental science.
In addition, the UW Farm Manager will support interns by incorporating education and mentorship throughout the workday, as well as offer opportunities for field trips and workshops, based on student interest.
All interns have the opportunity to participate in field trips to area urban farms, gardens and locations to add to knowledge of urban farming methods. Past visits have included 21 Acres, Viva Farms, Danny Woo P-Patch, Picardo P-Patch, Beacon Hill Food Forest, McMenamins edible landscaping, Belltown P-Patch, WoodLand Park Zoo Compost facility, Skyroot Farm, The Organic Farm School, The Garden Institute, UDistrict Farmers Market.
COVID-19 ProtocolsPlease refer to the following link for COVID-19 related protocols (https://botanicgardens.uw.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2021/05/Summer-2021-Internship-COVID-prevention.pdf) If you have any questions about these protocols and how they apply to the internship program, please email rdein@uw.edu.
Farm background
The University of Washington Farm (UW Farm) is a student-powered farm on the UW-Seattle campus. The mission of the UW Farm is to be the campus center for the practice and study of urban agriculture and sustainability, and an educational, community-oriented resource for people who want to learn about building productive and sustainable urban landscapes.
With three farming locations on campus, the UW Farm offers year-round vegetable production for UW Housing and Food Services, a 50-member Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, and the University of Washington Food Pantry. The UW Farm strives to build and strengthen connections between our growing spaces and academics on campus by leading tours, hosting academic internship opportunities, and providing service-learning opportunities for students from several disciplines.
Goals of the UW Farm
- Provide students with practical urban farming experience, from plan to production to kitchen
- Support academic programs and faculty offering coursework, independent research, and capstone and culminating experiences related to food, nutrition and other topics as needed.
- Create a model of sustainable, organic urban food production at the UW
- Provide reliable, predictable, and quality produce for UW Housing & Food Services, CSA members, UW Food Pantry, and other customers
Internship learning objectives
During this internship, interns will prepare for careers as environmental professionals in science and urban farming and food systems fields, develop leadership skills, work with a diverse population, and lead the farm’s organic produce distribution through CSA produce pick-up and relationships with our shareholder community. this training, interns learn to work together to identify personal skills and build a sense of teamwork and community, Specific skills learned will include:
- National Organic Production, as administered by WSDA crop cultivation and practices, including regenerative soil practices, propagation, transplanting, pest management, harvesting, washing, packing and delivery.
- Infrastructure installation and maintenance: such as row cover application, occultation, trellis installation, and irrigation
- Principles of maintenance of tools and machinery
- Harvest and Food Safety Record-keeping
- Active Leadership development in teaching, coordinating, and developing community with volunteers
Required qualifications
- Current UW undergraduate or graduate student enrolled
- Commitment to three academic quarters in a calendar year: Spring, Summer, Fall
- Driver’s license and good driving record
- Flexibility in work schedule, ability to adjust to weather, and dynamic work environment
- Willing to learn leadership, communication and large group management skills
- Physical strength and stamina, ability to lift 50 lbs on a regular basis
- No severe reactions or allergies to insects or vegetable crops
- Introductory knowledge of plants, soil, farming/gardening
- Positive, “Can-do” attitude
- Ability to multitask
- Conduct oneself in a professional manner as a representative, ambassador of the UW Farm
Additional desired knowledge and experience
- Social media and information systems experience
- Critical thinking skills
- Creative problem-solving skills
- Excel program experience
- Knowledge of organic practices
- Previous farming or gardening experience
- Farm tool experience
- Harvest technique experience
- Plant and pest ID skills
Physical demands and Work Environment
- Working in all kinds of weather including wildfire smoke, cold, heat over 90 degrees
- Working in an environment that may have allergens—dust, mold, grasses, etc.
- Working with hazardous materials such as bleach, gasoline, motor oil, etc.
- Wearing and working in personal protection when appropriate or necessary
- Working Wednesday evenings, Saturdays as-needed
Compensation
- $2,500 Stipend paid upon successful completion of the Spring quarter
- $5,000 Stipend paid upon successful completion of the Summer quarter
- $2,500 Stipend paid upon successful completion of the Fall quarter
- References upon request upon successful completion of the internship
Application requirements
- Deadline to submit materials via email is midnight, February 26, 2024
- Send a cover letter describing why you desire an internship position and your qualifications
- Send a resume listing your relevant work, volunteer, and/or course experiences that relate to the internship and any additional skills that may contribute towards the internship experience
- Include at least two reference contacts