internships
– Learn organic food production hands-on.
– Become an integral part of our food community.
– Develop your farming skills and knowledge.
– Participate in the Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT
Ontario).
We are seeking individuals who have a keen desire to learn the practices and
principles of growing food organically, who are interested in building
friendships and community, who are enthusiastic, curious and open to new ideas.
We are committed to making this internship a learning experience, and we expect
hard work, commitment to the guiding principles of our farm, and the ability to
work as part of a larger team.
The farm team is made up of 8 interns, 4 farmers (Heather Lekx, Lorne Jamieson,
Donald Bowyer, and Mike Smith), and numerous volunteers. We will be working
closely together over the season and aim to make this a healthy and challenging
experience.
The Land:
The internship program is part of Ignatius Farm, and focuses on the 8.5-acre
CSA organic vegetable operation which supplies produce for our CSA members —
over 275 households and local businesses. The internship also includes our
6-acre organic orchard, community gardens and field crops. We use both manual
labour and machinery for our production.
Ignatius Farm is one part of the Ignatius Jesuit Centre of Guelph. Our land
encompasses over 600 acres of farmland, wetland and woodland, located less than
a kilometre from Guelph, Ontario. This diverse land includes a Jesuit
community, Loyola House retreat centre, offices, hiking trails & natural
areas.
How is the Ignatius Farm Internship structured?
We are committed to making this internship an educational experience as well as
a working one. Through monthly workshops and fieldtrips, the CRAFT program,
mentored field walks, intern field responsibilities and skill evaluation, we
aim to increase interns understanding of sustainable growing.
Novice Interns can expect to be involved in: greenhouse management, seedling
production, bed preparation, tractor work, weeding, transplanting, harvesting,
overseeing CSA distribution at pick-ups, attending periodic Core Group
gatherings, participating in educational activities structured around intern
learning objectives, and cooking lunches for the farm team.
All internship positions include a modest stipend, shared housing as desired,
and vegetables in season. Applicants need to be fit, have good stamina, be
flexible and be team players.
The team generally works Monday – Friday, 6am to 5pm, with a 1 hour lunch
break. The timelines of our internships are as follows:
Senior Interns ~ March 5 to November 30, 2012.
Full-Season Novice Interns ~ April 23 to November 9, 2012.
Short-Term Novice Interns ~ April 23 to August 24, 2012.
What is Community Shared Agriculture (CSA)?
CSA is an alternative food access and distribution method where the customer is
linked directly to the farm. Members purchases “shares” in the
harvest, paying at the beginning of the season and receiving a portion of the
harvest over the course of the season; thus sharing in the risk and bounty of
food production.
What is CRAFT Ontario?
CRAFT (Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training) is a collaboration
of local organic and biodynamic farms whose aim is to provide opportunities for
interns to learn more about sustainable small-scale agricultural production.
The CRAFT program offers on-farm training to the interns of all regional CRAFT
farms. Monthly CRAFT field days include a potluck lunch, a group activity, a
workshop, and a field tour.
For more information, visit:
http://www.craftontario.ca/regions/southern-ontario-node/
We believe our internship is amazing!
If an internship with us sounds enticing, please contact us to receive a
detailed information package.
csafarmer@ignatiusguelph.ca
http://www.ignatiusguelph.ca/csa
Application Deadline:
Round 1 – Jan 16, 2012
Round 2 – Feb 6, 2012