Grow it Green looking for interns willing to get their hands dirty

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Grow it Green Morristown is seeking two reliable, hands-on, urban farm interns to assist with the cultivation and teaching opportunities at the Urban Farm at Lafayette. They will be responsible for helping to manage the farm for food production and education and helping to coordinate the distribution of farm products to Grow it Green Morristown’s various constituencies.

The cultivated area of the farm is approximately one-half acre. All farm practices follow organic recommendations and emphasize overall sustainability, although the farm is not certified organic.

Beyond being a farm, The Urban Farm at Lafayette is an educational center for the community and the 4,700 children of the Morris School District, making this internship job opportunity distinct from many typical farm jobs. The interns will play an important role assisting with educational projects involving the farm. This will require self-confidence and a professional attitude, as well as being able to deal with diverse groups. The interns must be able to work with groups of youth and adults. They will report to the farm manager and the urban farm organizer.

Interns should desire to learn more about gardening and production of food, as well as have a desire to work with children and the public. Grow it Green is a community-oriented nonprofit, and interns will be expected to help with programs and classes at the garden. Occasionally, the interns will work at the Community Garden on Early Street.

The garden is located on school district property, and interns will be working with district schoolchildren, so applicants must be able to pass a criminal background check and submit to fingerprinting.

Duties will include:

Hands-on physical labor

  1. Basic care, feeding and tending of a large-scale vegetable garden, including shoveling, weeding and watering. Ability to use the tools to complete these tasks, such as pruners, wheelbarrows, hoses, etc., required.
  2. Must be able to lift heavy loads (such as soil, compost, rocks, etc.)
  3. Must be ready to paint, help build raised beds, trellis and do general garden tidying up.
  4. You will get dirty.
  5. Must be comfortable using a gas-operated mower and weed whacker.

A mature, positive attitude

  1. Dependable, organized, flexible and have a sense of humor.
  2. Must be a self-starter and work with little supervision – many times the intern may be the only person working at the garden.
  3. Can be flexible due to weather constraints (i.e., heavy rain one day may change the work schedule).
  4. Must be personable, like working with all kinds of people including children and our diverse community members.
  5. Able to work as a member of a team.
  6. Have a strong work ethic and the ability to work independently, with minimal oversight.
  7. Have excellent communication skills.

Other items that are important to both the intern and the farm

  1. Some office work will be required.
  2. Work can sometimes be off-site, such as at community garden locations or school classrooms.
  3. Spanish speaking is a plus.
  4. Flexibility with work assignments due to weather or other variables.
  5. Must have own transportation. (NJ Transit train station is located within one mile of the Urban Farm.)

Job Schedule

This is a seasonal position. Work is available from mid-April through late October. The work is part-time at 25 hours a week. During June-August, the intern must be willing to work one Saturday each weekend.

This position is an outdoor job and requires the ability to work in a variety of weather conditions, including very hot and humid weather. On days where outdoor work is impossible, interns may be asked to participate in office-related work or reschedule a workday. The workday begins at 8:30 am and ends at 4:30 p.m., with an hour break for lunch. The position pays $12/hr. The lunch hour is unpaid. No housing is provided.

 

As Grow it Green will consider multiple applicants to cover our needs, applicants are asked to clearly state the dates they are available to start and end the internship.

Applicants should e-mail a resume, the names and contact information of three references and a cover letter describing their relevant experience to Samantha Rothmansam at growitgreenmorristown.org my March 1.

 

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