2008 Internships

 Growing Power Program Assistants for

Chicago, IL and Milwaukee, WI

Limited Stipends Available

Work Description: To assist Growing Power in all aspects of community food systems, urban agriculture, small farmer outreach and youth development via innovative sustainable approaches. This is a 6-day per week, 8-12 hours per day experience. It is intensive and requires at least an 8-week commitment. Milwaukee interns will have the option of on-site housing if accepted.

All Interns will receive a Farm-City Market Basket weekly and can intern as an academic credited experience. A positive attitude, ability to receive constructive criticism and strong work ethic is mandatory. Interns will receive supervision, intensive hands-on training and skill sets acquisition with the opportunity to conduct and implement independent projects.

·        An emphasis on hands-on physical labor and practice, very important.

·        Ability to work as a member of team, flexibility in work assignments as needed

·        Ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences, staff and management

Essential Duties

1. Maintain urban agriculture sites, including building of new aquaponic systems, Vermicompost bins, move compost and other organic materials, erect hoop greenhouses and build living biological worm systems
   1. Water plants and maintain systems on a daily basis
   2. Pick up waste streams from area partners, e.g. coffee grounds
   3. Harvest and process produce
2. Marketing, packing and distribution of the Farm-City Market Basket Program
3. Ability to assist in grant research and basic reporting and writing
4. Retail sales at seasonal farmers markets
5. Teach and work with youth on site and at area farms and urban agriculture locations
6. Record Keeping and evaluation

Physical Demands: Must be met by an intern to successfully perform this position.

Ability to handle, feel objects, tools and to reach with hands and arms. Ability to lift heavy objects 75lbs. + from different location, use wheelbarrow, wagons, etc.

Requirements: Valid drivers license; 2 week intensive training commitment (Growing Power, Milwaukee, WI) prior to work on Chicago Projects.

Chicago Internship Job Descriptions

About the Organization: Growing Power is a national nonprofit organization and land trust supporting people from diverse backgrounds, and the environments in which they live, by helping to provide equal access to healthy, high-quality, safe and affordable food for people in all communities.  Growing Power implements this mission by providing hands-on training, on-the-ground demonstration, outreach and technical assistance through the development of Community Food Systems that help people grow, process, market and distribute food in a sustainable manner.

Chicago Projects Office: Growing Power’s Chicago office officially opened in February of 2002 to manage resource development and the technical assistance needed to assist emerging Community Food Centers and urban and small farm projects in the metropolitan Chicago area.  Notable projects include the following: Grant Park Urban Agriculture Potager; Homegrown Chicago, wherein small- scale community growers sell their products in community-operated farmers’ market; Fourth Presbyterian – Cabrini Green Community Partnership; Farm-City Market Basket Program, which is distributed at 12 Chicago area sites; Chicago Food Policy Advisory Council, which represents over 175 diverse stakeholders who are creating food policy advisements for city, state and federal policy makers.

Growing Power is a local organization with a national presence.  It convenes a minimum of five national workshops on-site at its Milwaukee facility each year; it has sponsored two national conferences focusing on food security and will be sponsoring two others in the next two years; it provides technical assistance – on-site – at numerous sites around the country from Boston to Montana; 3,500+ individuals receive tours of the Community Food Center each year; and the Director has been the keynote speaker at several national conferences and the recipient of numerous local, state, and national awards and recognitions, including most recently a 2005 Leadership for a Changing World Award from the Ford Foundation.   

Growing Power currently employs 11 full-time and 9 part-time workers.  Its work is augmented by the work of over 100 volunteers each year.