Seasonal Farm Intern
Farm Hand Internship Job Description
Ever been interested in learning how to grow your own food, or more about regenerative farming? Ever considered raising chickens and hogs? No previous farm experience is necessary for our seasonal internship. We are looking for four individuals who have a positive attitude, can work well on a team, and willing to learn how to farm!
General Description
Procter Farm is a production and educational, 6-acre, diversified vegetable and livestock farm in Central Ohio. We supply Procter Camp & Conference Center with a substantial amount of fresh produce, operate a farmers market stand in Columbus and Procter Store in London, OH, offer up to 30 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares, and donate to local community organizations. We extend our season with a greenhouse, hoop house, raised beds and row covers. Though not certified, we only use organic practices to grow our food.
At Procter, we recognize the connection between the land, our labor, our food, our bodies, and our spirit. We engage each element with due conscience as we are cultivating healthier persons and a more just society.
Procter’s Mission Statement
Procter Center provides a safe, inviting, and spacious rural setting that cultivates spiritual formation, models sustainable living, and celebrates God’s love and reconciliation through hospitality, prayer, study, work and play.
Skills Required
· Team-focused
· Self-starter
· Crew-work experience
· Comfortable using power tools and motorized equipment, or willing to learn
· Comfortable driving a truck and tractor, or willing to learn
· Lift and walk with 50 pounds
· Work with families and kids
· Basic money addition
· Basic record keeping
· Experience using Google Calendar
Skills Desired
Interns should possess a philosophical enthusiasm for sustainable agriculture, conservation, and hard work. Practical knowledge and experience in organic gardening and/or marketing is an advantage, but not required. It is also helpful if interns can cook, as we do test recipes for our CSAs, and often have cooking demonstrations at farmers markets. We are looking for people who demonstrate responsibility, integrity, reliability, initiative, creativity, and a strong work ethic.
Internship Description
We are looking for three interns to work 40-hours per week from April through October (full-season), or May to August (short-season). Interns will participate in every job a small organic farm requires. This includes, but is not limited to, greenhouse work, high-tunnel work, soil prep, mowing, raking, digging, seeding, transplanting, watering, weeding, harvesting, regularly lifting 20 to 50 pound loads, maintaining equipment, hog and chicken care, working farmers markets and Procter Store, and providing farm tours for our summer campers and visitors. The intern must be able to work well independently, or as part of a team, depending on the staffing needed for the task.
Interns must successfully pass a state and federal background check. A valid driver’s license is required.
Educational Opportunities
Interns will learn the fundamentals of operating a small organic farm from seed to sales. They will have the opportunity to learn the agricultural/botanical elements, as well as the business end of the operation. Not only will interns learn on the job about soil, irrigation, pest management, tool use, planting schedules, and more, but also will learn about marketing and sales at our farmers market stands and the Procter Store.
Schedule
All-staff days are every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, so that we will have appropriate coverage for harvesting and events. Sundays through Wednesdays, there is a rotating schedule to ensure that everyone gets two days off per week, but that there is also always at least one person tending to the farm animals and completing the daily chores.
Meals
Interns will have access to excess farm produce and meals provided by Procter Center’s kitchen. Meal schedule may change throughout the season.
Housing
Interns are expected to live in the onsite housing or be able to commute reliably to and from Procter. This could be in the form of a house, eco-pod, or a cabin. Accommodations are modest and comfortable. Interns will have access to hot showers and a shared kitchen. Wi-Fi is not always available in the cabins, but access to Wi-Fi is always available in the center’s main building, Thompson Lodge.
Stipend
$1000 per month. Subject to change, depending on experience.
Job Type: Internship
To apply, send a letter of interest, resume, and three references to procterfarm@proctercenter.org. Please title the email, Farm Hand 2024. If you have worked on a farm before, please provide the farm name and contact information as one of your three references.