Urban Farm Intern Spring '21

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A note about COVID-19:

The Novick Urban Farm staff are taking the dangers of COVID-19 very seriously, and will expect interns to do the same. We successfully hosted a spring intern during the beginning of the pandemic last year, and are well prepared to make this experience as safe as possible for everyone involved. We can provide disposable masks and hand sanitizer, and we regularly sanitize all farm tools. Being an outdoor location allows us to easily maintain safe physical distance, and we will continue to limit our volunteer/visitor group sizes per CDC recommendations until it is safe to return to normal operations. For the moment, our educational visits are on pause, and we are spending the majority of our focus on farming. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any further questions or concerns about our current COVID-19 safety protocol.

Position Description:

The Spring Urban Farm Intern’s responsibility will focus mainly on physical farming tasks, and helping to prepare for the beginning of our farmer’s market (end of May). The Farm Intern will have the opportunity to learn about organic vegetable production while they work in the farm fields, hoop house, and pollinator gardens. Work will include preparing beds, weeding, mulching, planting crops, harvesting, construction projects, etc. The second primary responsibility is to help prepare for our low-income farm stand, which starts on May 26th and continues every Wednesday in Mifflin Square Park. Our farm stand is our primary means of providing access to fresh, affordable, and culturally appropriate produce to the community in need.

Urban Farm Intern Duties:

Farm Management and Production

• Assist lead farmer in all components of crop production (harvesting, planting, weeding, mulching, etc)
• Learn about and help with crop planning and sustainable growing
• Possible art and construction projects (compost, painting, hoop house, outdoor kitchen)
• Manage one-time volunteers at the farm, oversee certain tasks

Community Outreach

• Assist with marketing tasks like handing out flyers or taking photos during programming
• Opportunity to assist with farm social media, if desired

Market Sales

• Assist with sale of vegetables at our low-income farm stand, Wednesday afternoons (starting May 26th)
• Restocking market tables to keep baskets of produce full to meet customer demands

Knowledge and Skills the Intern May Acquire:

• Gain skills and understanding of organic food starts, heirloom tomatoes, and veggies
• Small scale organic vegetable production techniques
• The ability to work in a dynamic environment: this includes being comfortable changing tasks, working/leading diverse groups and feeling confident with a diverse population
• Creating a positive atmosphere for the interaction of diverse populations
• Sales and customer service experience

Structure of Internship:

• Internship duration is dependent on the applicant's schedule. We are looking for interns who can commit for 3 months, from March through May. Can begin as early as March 1st (weather dependent).
• Intern position is 7 - 10 hours per week. Note: hours can vary somewhat, based on the intern’s schedule and needs. Note: Required availability will be on Tuesday mornings (harvest) starting May 11th.
• Intern will be working closely with the Farm Manager who will oversee all daily activities.

Benefits of Interning with the Novick Urban Farm:

• Hands-on experience making a positive impact in the lives of children, teens and adults
• Friendly, relaxed environment
• Develops marketable skills
• Learn about sustainable, organic food production in a city
• Fresh vegetables from the garden as the season permits
• This is an unpaid "For Credit" internship and qualifies for credit at the University level, however it is not required that you obtain credit to participate.

Qualifications:

We are looking for someone who has an interest in urban farming and sustainability in Philadelphia. We are also looking for someone who enjoys working as part of a diverse team. Basic experience in gardening is preferred, but not required. This internship is expected to run from March through May. Beginning on May 11th, interns will be expected to assist primarily with our harvest (Tuesday mornings, around 8:00-12:00).

Interns must be able to get down to our farm in deep South Philly. The intern should enjoy working outside in a range of weather conditions and be able to serve as a mature, healthy role model for children and teens. Our staff and youth enjoy their time together in the garden and we’d love for someone with a sense of humor to join us while we have fun and do good work. The Urban Farm Intern must be responsible, dedicated and organized. This experience is a great opportunity for someone interested in a job in urban agriculture, environmental science, or community organizing.