Website Heartbeat Learning Garden
Herbalist Trainee
Tasks & Responsibilities:
Interns will regularly be involved in planting, upkeep, and harvesting. Garden beds are prepared manually with trowels, shovels, broad forks, and rakes to minimize soil disruption. Some plants are sewn from seed while others are transplanted. Compost and mulch are often applied. Beds are weeded, watered, and mulched as needed. Twice a week, vegetables are harvested, cleaned, and bundled for member pickup. There are suggested readings on the topics of sustainable farming and these books are often discussed during work, breaks, and meals. Second-year interns may participate in construction projects, composting, baling hay, coordinating events, or marketing.
Qualifications:
Applicants must be at least 18 years old and available for 3-6 months between April and September. Help is needed most from April to June. No experience is necessary for first-year interns and we recommend that they work about 3 days per week (24 hours). Second-year interns should have some farming experience (doesn’t have to be at Heartbeat) and academic or personal study of farming, and we recommend that they work 4-5 days per week (32-40 hours). Applicants must request and submit an application. Candidates will be contacted for an interview. We work with selected interns to draft a written agreement of the responsibilities, expectations, compensation, and conflict resolution process.
Learning Opportunities:
During the internship, participants will see and learn about the life cycles of various plants, the microbial life in the soil and its contribution to high-yielding healthy food, the differences between industrial farming and small-scale natural farming, the physical work necessary to meet one’s basic needs, and the importance of collaborating in that work with other people. First-year interns leave with a better understanding of food ecology and the ability to grow food of their own. Second-year interns will have the knowledge and confidence to be as ready as they’ll ever be to begin farming on their own!
Additional Comments:
Applicants should be intrinsically motivated, wanting to work and learn. They should be physically prepared and willing to bicycle the 3 miles to the farm and perform manual labor for several hours in the sun (with regular breaks). They should be courteous and respectful to farmers, CSA members, neighbors, and other interns. They should be reliable,coming to work on time and following through with commitments.
