6.       JOIN THE SUMMER CREW AT THE STUDENT ORGANIC FARM! 

Position:  Summer Farm Crew Member 

Location:  MSU Student Organic Farm, located on College Road, ½ mile south of Jolly Road, about 3 ½ miles south of the main MSU campus 

Hours: Full time and Part time positions available 

Farm Description:  The MSU Student Organic Farm is a 10-acre educational organic farm.  We run a 60-share year-round CSA, a seasonal on-campus farm stand, and are researching four season organic growing.  We grow over 70 types of vegetables, 30 types of cut flowers and raise chickens and honeybees.  We run a yearlong intensive farmer training program as well as many community outreach and volunteer activities. 

 Position Description:  Job tasks include all necessary farm labor including seeding, transplanting, irrigation, weeding, harvest and more.  We are looking for hard working, dependable people to work through our summer season (May-August).  Summer farm work is hot, dirty, tiring and extremely rewarding.  We offer vegetables to bring home and many amazing learning opportunities.  We work in all weather conditions so applicants must be aware of the weather and must be able to supply proper clothing (boots, rain gear, hat, etc.). 

Qualifications:  Applicant should be a hard working, dependable team player.

Previous physical labor experience is preferred.  Flexibility and a willingness to learn is necessary.  Availability from the middle to end of May (or sooner) through August (or later).  We prefer to hire workers who are interested in continuing to work on the SOF crew part-time during the school year. 

Pay: starting at $7.15/hr with opportunity for raises based on performance and previous experience. 

To Apply:  Please answer the following questions and email them to Tomm Becker at [log in to unmask]  Upon reviewing applications we will set up interviews individually.  Application deadline is February 15. 

1.  What do you know about the Student Organic Farm

2.  Why are you interested in farm work?  Why at the SOF?

3.  What are your previous work experiences and/or relevant non-work experiences?

4.   What interests you about organic and sustainable food systems?

5.  Is there anything else you would like us to know about you?

6.  When are you available to work?  Please include start date and end date

(if applicable) as well as any prior weekly or daily obligations.

7.  What is the maximum number of hours you can work per week this summer?  

The minimum?  What is the ideal number of hours you can work per week?

8.      Please list the names and phone numbers for two references. 

7.  Program Organizer- Land Stewardship Project’s (LSP) Farm Beginnings® (FB)

Full Time- 100% (Exempt)

Lewiston, MN, Land Stewardship Project Office

Start Date:  March 17, 2008

Farm Beginnings® is committed to more successful, sustainable farmers raising livestock and crops on the land, through farmer- led seminars and mentoring, in Minnesota and beyond.   Farm Beginnings is equally committed to leadership development toward positive social change.   Farm Beginnings provides farmer to farmer training, education, mentoring, zero interest livestock loans to help beginning farmers start or transition into sustainable farming practices.   This Farm Beginnings Organizer position will work directly with beginning and established farmers as well as helping to build larger community support and understanding around beginning farmer issues.  As a result of this important work, by 2017, Farm Beginnings® will have a substantial impact on the larger society and future rural landscape. 

This full time position will be based in the Lewiston LSP office and reports directly to the Farm Beginnings program director.

Key Areas of Responsibility:

Mentoring Program:

·                          Develop a formalized one-to-one mentoring/ contracting program as a part of the overall Farm Beginnings program in the two LSP FB regions

·                          Conduct mentor training in two regions

·                          Identify, support, monitor and evaluate the mentor/ mentee relationships in the Lewiston office

·                          Guide a similar program in the Montevideo office

·                          Design and implement the overall evaluation of this new work

Continuing Education/ Resource Building for Beginning Farmers:

·                          Assess FB graduate needs

·                          Coordinate appropriate continuing education offerings in the Lewiston office region

·                          Contribute to Asset Mapping particularly in the Lewiston office region

Livestock Loan Program:

·        Participate in Livestock Loan recipient interviews, site visits in the Lewiston office region

·        Participate in Livestock Loan Committee conference calls and face to face meetings

New Faces in Agriculture:

·        Coordinate and conduct one-to-one relationship building meetings and small group meetings with farmers/ potential farmers who are socially and/ or economically disadvantaged

·        Work with FB staff to design and implement a course of action appropriate for the Lewiston office region

·        Coordinate outreach activities such as bilingual tours, community awareness events etc.

·        Serve as a connection to other LSP staff, events and resources

Farm Beginnings® Course:

·        Support the Farm Beginnings® course seminars (targeted interaction);

·        Facilitate several farm tours and/ or skills sessions.

Engage in emerging issues as needed:  ie:

·        Access to Land

·        Leadership Development

·        Building National Partnerships

The person in this position will join each FB team member with the following responsibilities:

·        Fundraising, including grant writing

·        Membership recruitment and retention

·        Interaction with program advisory committees as appropriate

·        One- to-one meetings with targeted members and resource people

Key Skills:

·        Ability to work independently as well as part of a team

·        Good written and oral communication skills

·        Ability to work in rural areas with farmers, previous rural organizing experience a plus

·        Experience with farmer training programs (ie. Farm Beginnings) and mentoring programs

·        Experience in farming preferable

·        Ability to be creative, vision and then make it happen

·        Ability to travel, sometimes overnight

·        Familiarity with and supportive of social justice concerns and organizing for positive change.

8.       Production Agriculture Summer Intern in Suttons Bay, MI.

General Information:

Black Star Farms is a unique agritourism destination in the heart of both cherry and wine country in Northern Michigan.  Our operations include a winery and distillery; tasting room; B&B/Inn; boarding stables; creamery; CSA and farmers’ market. 

General Internship Information:

Job Title:  Production Agriculture Summer Intern

Salary: $320-$400/wk commensurate with experience

Housing Provided: NO

Qualifications:  Currently pursuing a degree in crop science/horticulture or related field and have a passion for great food, where it comes from and how it is grown, be able to lift 40lbs, and have an outstanding work ethic.

Internship Length: 12 week minimum (may be able to stay longer)

Start Date: Anytime late spring to early summer

Deadline for application:  March 1, 2008

Internships Available: 4

Details about Internship:

During the 12 week internship students will explore the production and marketing sides of small-scale sustainable agriculture as it pertains to operating a CSA, selling produce at farmers’ markets, and the fundamentals of agritourism.   Students will learn everything from seeding to post harvest handling with strong emphasis on plasticulture, drip irrigation systems, passive solar greenhouse production for 4-season agriculture and composting.  Students will have the opportunity to sell at our onsite retail shop and at local farmers’ markets.

9. VISTA Job Description

Full Circle Farm is an organic, educational farm in Silicon Valley.  Our mission is to inspire environmental & civic leadership while celebrating healthy communities, healthy food and a healthy planet.

About the Project:

Fifty percent of the food grown at Full Circle Farm will go directly into Santa Clara Unified School District cafeterias (where 45% qualify for free or reduced school lunch) while helping local youth experience success while they develop job and life skills through the growing, harvesting and marketing of fruit & vegetable crops. Programs being developed include a science and nutrition elective for 6-8th graders, a farm-based apprenticeship program for teenagers, a mentoring program where at-risk teens lead elementary youth in garden and nutrition workshops, and a variety of school field trip programs.

As a team, young people will grow their own food, sell produce at farmers' markets, develop healthy food marketing campaigns for their peers, and provide excess produce for donation to local food pantries and homeless shelters. Our students will develop critical life skills of communication, teamwork, leadership, decision-making, and problem-solving through practical, hands-on agricultural and entrepreneurial experiences. Full Circle Farm is a project of the nonprofit Sustainable Community Gardens.

Duties, Requirements and Benefits:

Member Duties: This position will include, but not be limited to, developing a Volunteer Coordination Program from the ground up which aids the development of a strong, community-centered volunteer base. The focus will be on attracting volunteers from the diverse communities we serve, developing ways to make participation both rewarding and feasible for people with limited time and resources, creating a database system to track volunteer coordination and outreach, conducting outreach and volunteer appreciation events, and assisting with fundraising events and farm festivals. The position involves working with both youth and adults with diverse backgrounds and being an integral public face for the farm during our critical start up phase, as well as frequent contact with media representatives, regular blog posts on the Full Circle Farm website, and attendance of relevant networking events. 

Program Benefits:
Childcare assistance if eligible,  Choice of Education Award or End of Service Stipend,  Health Coverage,  Living Allowance,  Relocation Allowance,  Stipend,  Training. 
 
Term: Commitment of one year
Work Schedule: Full time (with regular Saturday commitments)
Age Requirement: Minimum: 21 years of age, Maximum: None
Language Requirement: Bi-lingual English-Spanish or English-Hindi a plus, but not required
Education Requirement: Bachelor Degree

Service Areas: Community Outreach,  Children/Youth,  Education,  Health,  Hunger. 
 
Skills: Communications,  Community Organization,  Computers/Technology,  Public Speaking,  Recruitment,  Writing/Editing. 

Application Information:
Program Start Date:  April 14th, 2008
Accepting Applications:  From Now until 2/29/2008


To Apply:

Send letter and resume to Katie Plante at The Health Trust:
KatieP*healthtrust.org (replace * with @)