Summer Farm and Garden Internship North Country School/ Camp Treetops
- Date Posted May 21, 2019
- Location Lake Placid, NY
- Category Agriculture / Education
- Job type Internship/Apprentice
Our not-for-profit organization consists of a boarding school, North Country School, and a seven week summer camp, Camp Treetops. Farming and organic gardening play central roles in the lives of children and adults, both at the school and camp. Our animal program consists of the care and management of horses, sheep, goats, chickens, and pigs, including animals for meat production. Our gardens produce about five acres of vegetables and flowers for consumption and education. In addition, during the spring we run a maple syrup operation in which we tap approximately 500 maple trees. The work here is demanding but highly rewarding and filled with opportunities for learning. Interns have daily interactions with our students and campers, but are also expected to develop skills related to garden and farm production systems, which sometimes necessitates working independently.
Farm and Garden Interns are essential to the operation and success of our productive educational farm at North Country School and Camp Treetops. Our growing season is short and intense, and our interns gain hands-on experience, work hard, and provide opportunities for our students and campers to engage positively with the farm. Summer Farm and Garden Interns are supervised by the Garden Manager. Work during the summer months focuses on vegetable and flower production, as well as educational farm activities with kids, with cross training and assistance in animal care.
Here are a few things Summer Farm and Garden interns experience:
- witness the first push of the seedlings out of soil blocks in the greenhouse
- lead farm-based educational activities for students and campers
- grow and harvest produce for daily meals
- plan and partake in special farm activities like garden harvest meals and Farm Festival
Farm interns must:
- be a minimum of 18 years old
- have completed at least one year of college or a gap year
- be available June through August
- want to work at an educational institution with animal and plant production
- be able to work well with others and independently
- be able to provide instruction and supervise groups of children
- be able to operate a variety of hand tool, power tools, and farm machinery
- be able to work outside in a variety of weather conditions
- be able to communicate effectively with a diverse staff
Responsibilities
Throughout the summer, farm and garden interns will:
- assist with all aspects of greenhouse and field plant production systems
- seed, transplant, weed, and irrigate crops
- help with soil building (mulching and composting)
- lead morning and afternoon work crews
- assist with community work projects
- develop and coordinate farm and garden program activities
- prepare special meals from garden produce
- harvest produce and provide produce to kitchen and help produce storage prep
- help with plant/animal record keeping
- supervise daily barn chores and garden chores
Summer Farm and Garden interns work June through August and receive room, board, a stipend of $100 per week, and a great educational experience.
Compensation this position is : stipend / non-monetary compensationApplication instructions