Calling all gardening enthusiasts!
It may be cold and snowy outside, but the Young Urban Farmers CSA team is already thinking about crisp lettuce, plump tomatoes, and fragrant herbs. This year, we’d like to offer 9 individuals a chance to intern with us in our urban farms, growing fresh and tasty produce in the middle of the city.
What you bring: A passion for food, eagerness to face a challenging experience, and the desire to make a real difference in the community. You love working outdoors and getting your hands dirty. You’re reliable and a team player. You have some gardening experience, or are eager to learn about how to grow vegetables. You are 16 years or older.
What you will be doing: Garden and bed preparation in the spring, as well as planting, seeding, building garden structures, watering, pruning, weeding, and harvesting produce throughout the summer. You will also liaise and maintain positive relationships with land-sharers, CSA participants/shareholders, and other garden volunteers.
When and where: We have three farm hubs with gardens in the Wychwood, Lawrence Park North, and East Riverdale neighbourhoods. Choose one location to commit to for the growing season, and contribute 5 – 6 hours per week there.
How we’ll support you: There will be an orientation and training session in April. Garden training will happen on the job throughout the growing season. You’ll receive ongoing support from the volunteer coordinators and garden coordinators on site.
Perks: You’ll get to work outside all summer and learn more about food gardening while building your skills. You’ll be part of a great team of interns, volunteers, and staff. By the end of the growing season, you will be able to run a harvest by yourself and present an in-garden tutorial as a group. We can provide proof of service hours.
Good to know: The internship is 5 – 6 months in length, starting in mid to late April. You will be working 5 – 6 hours per week; over the first few months while we prepare the gardens, you will be helping one weekend day per week; over the regular growing season, you will contribute 3 hours on Sunday evenings and 2 hours one weekday night. These are unpaid positions.
If this sounds like you: Send an e-mail with your name, contact information, and why you want to become a garden intern to andrea (at) yufcsa (dot) com to register for an information session. At the information session, you’ll find out more details about the garden internship, and we’ll see if this is a good fit for you.
