Company description

TFFJ fights food insecurity and diet-related disease through school-based, youth-led hydroponic farming, providing local, sustainably-grown produce to food desert communities and building health equity for all New Yorkers and beyond. TFFJ works within NYC Title I middle and high schools in food desert communities, training students to build/maintain indoor hydroponic farms, each capable of growing up to 10,000 pounds of produce annually, that is served daily at school lunch and distributed to the surrounding community’s food-insecure residents. Further, students learn/master nutrition/health skills to share with peers/neighbors, empowering them to lead themselves and others towards healthier futures.

Internship description

Position Type: Part-time, hourly

Reports To: Farm Operations Manager

Hours: Approximately 16 hours/week; schedule TBD

Pay Rate: $18/hour

Location: Each intern will report to one of three campus locations: DeWitt Clinton High School Educational Campus (Bronx - map); Martin Luther King, Jr. Educational Campus (Manhattan - map); or Brownsville Collaborative Middle School of Agriculture & Technology (Brooklyn - map)

Position Overview

Work with TFFJ to build an equitable, sustainable, healthy food system throughout New York City through school-based, youth-led hydroponic farming!

Reporting to our Farm Operations Manager, each Hydroponic Farm Intern will support farm maintenance and farm programming activities at one of the following three TFFJ partner sites:

1. DeWitt Clinton Educational Campus - the Bronx (map)
2. Martin Luther King, Jr. Educational Campus - Manhattan (map)
3. Brownsville Collaborative Middle School of Agriculture & Technology- Brooklyn (map)

As part of this work, this role will also collaborate with TFFJ’s Farmer-Educators, Senior Hydroponics Systems Manager, STEM Programming & School Partnerships Manager, Advocacy & Community Engagement Manager, school partners, and school-based staff. While undergoing training from TFFJ’s Farm and Program teams, the Farm Intern will operate and maintain the farms; support middle and high school students as they work and learn on the farm; and master high-tech urban agricultural, nutrition, and food justice advocacy skills.

Responsibilities and Essential Functions

Farm Maintenance

• Tend to crops from seeding to harvesting by:
  • Overseeing the seeding, transplanting, and harvesting schedule
  • Training and pruning vine crops
  • Pollinating crops as needed
  • Implementing pest controls
  • Keeping the farm clean and orderly

• Ensure the health of the farm’s crops by:
  • Maintaining the nutrient solution in each hydroponic system, utilizing advanced monitoring technology
  • Cleaning & sanitizing each hydroponic system
  • Cleaning the farm as a whole

• Collect and report the following necessary farm data using TFFJ’s Farm Dashboard system:
  • Harvest data from each batch of crops
  • Nutrient data from each reservoir
  • Environmental data from in-farm sensors
• Manage the produce supply chain to the cafeteria, events, and recurring community food distributions
• Perform troubleshooting as well as basic maintenance on TFFJ’s growing systems.

Program Support

• Support daily STEM classes that utilize the farm and engage students in weekly sessions of our afterschool food justice program
• Brainstorm ways for students to take ownership of, and connect with, the curricular day and afterschool content presented
• Serve as TFFJ’s representative within our partner school community

Required Qualifications

• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Able to multitask and manage multiple priorities and deadlines
• Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills
• Proficient in MS Excel and able to learn and manage data tracking software; comfortable using a Windows PC for email, data entry, and calendars
• Able to work independently but also collaborate productively with team members
• Able to lift up to 50 lbs
• Able to climb ladders/rolling staircases

Desired Qualifications

• Commitment to social justice
• Interest or experience in farming, urban agriculture, community health, or youth development
• The desire to work with youth (pre-teens)
• High energy and positive outlook

TFFJ embraces inclusivity and wants our employees to be as diverse and multifaceted as the communities in which we operate. The collective sum of the individual differences, life experiences, and talent that our employees invest in their work represents a significant part of not only our culture but also our reputation and the organization's achievements.

TFFJ’s commitment to equal employment opportunity and diversity applies to all aspects of employment: recruitment and selection; compensation and benefits; professional development and training; promotions; transfers; and terminations. TFFJ does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, creed, ancestry, national origin, ethnicity, age, religion, sex/gender (including pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, nationality, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military and veteran status, marital status, familial status, domestic violence victim status, unemployed status or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal law.

Compensation

this position is: salaried, $15-20/hr

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline