Now Hiring: Compost Intern

Three-month internship, starting Winter 2020 

8 hours a week / days and times flexible

Starting this fall, we are looking for a Compost Intern to join the Community Soil Foundation team. This is a great opportunity for someone who has working knowledge of compost systems and would like to expand their knowledge and set up multiple systems for our education garden and farm. 

Community Soil Foundation is a place where all can participate in and learn about urban farming and composting through tours, workshops, internships, and volunteer opportunities. Fruit and vegetables are grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, and compost is made and applied to promote soil and plant health. Crops harvested are shared with our Larkfield community and donated to emergency food relief programs. Compost is used throughout the garden and farm as well as distributed to those who participate in food scrap drop-offs.
 

The Composting Intern will establish and lead on-site composting operations; including processing organics collected at food scrap drop-offs. We are looking for dedicated, hard-working individuals with a keen interest in urban farming and permaculture. The position will also support Community Soil Foundation staff in running and maintaining one acre of intensively planted, mixed vegetable, fruit, and flower production and educational areas and five acres of woodland area.
 

The Compost Intern will facilitate the decomposition of waste materials, including the operation of a vermicompost system, and the construction of a three-bin compost system to assist CSF in its goal of overall sustainability. The successful applicant will research and practice varying methods of compost management, fostering an understanding of sustainable agriculture and the natural world. The intern position is also responsible for teaching the CSF community how they can compost on-site as well as at home. 

Qualifications

Self-motivated, excellent communicator, with the ability to work alone as well as with others

Commitment to being present and punctual on workdays

Willingness to work outdoors in all weather; able to lift up to 40 pounds

Experience in compost system set up 

Teaching experience or interest preferred

Previous agricultural experience is useful, but not required

Interest in food systems and sustainable practices

Commitment to fully utilize the internship as a learning experience

Interns will have the opportunity to pursue independent research projects to enrich their experience, such as:

·       Analysis of compost marketing and distribution 

·       Benefit-cost analysis of composting

·       Food waste management

·       Farm and garden soil quality analyses
 

Internship Takeaways

·       Understand and maintain healthy soils, learn to use compost, cover crops, and mulch

·       Demonstrate an understanding of composting as part of sustainable food systems

·       Describe the importance of agriculture in the economy

·       Recognize systems thinking and/or design thinking in processes

·       Analyze the strengths and limitations of small-scale farming 
 

The Composting Internship is unpaid, but qualifying applicants are encouraged to earn school or program credit for their work with us and to research funding opportunities through their learning institutions. Interns will receive a monthly stipend of $150 and a share of vegetables. 
 

To apply, qualified candidates should send a resume and cover letter to cerise@communitysoil.org. Your cover letter should include any previous experience (not required) with agriculture or compost, your motivation for completing the internship, your availability, and how you heard about the internship. Please put “Compost Internship” in the subject line of the email. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Community Soil Foundation is an equal opportunity employer.