Work Description:

Interns assist Growing Power in all aspects of community food system development, urban agriculture, small farmer outreach, and youth development through innovative sustainable approaches.  Interns work 6-days per week, averaging 60 hours of work per week.  It is intensive job training experience and requires at least an 8-week commitment for our Chicago site and 3 month commitment for Milwaukee site.  

Farming is hard work, especially in the city.  All interns must have a positive attitude, an ability to receive constructive criticism, and a strong work ethic. Interns will receive supervision, intensive hands-on training, and skill sets acquisition with the opportunity to conduct and implement independent projects.  The following are other skills needed for a positive internship:

▪         An emphasis on hands-on physical labor and practice is very important;

▪         Ability to work as a member of team with flexibility in work assignments as needed; and

▪         Ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences, staff and management.

Stipend:

Limited stipends are available.  Interns may also receive academic credit if desired.  In addition to a stipend, interns will receive a Farm-to-City Market Basket weekly to help cover meal costs.  Milwaukee interns will have the option of on-site housing if accepted.  Unfortunately, housing is not available in Chicago.  Please click here for housing options near Chicago.

Essential Duties:

1. Maintaining urban agriculture sites including:

1. Moving compost and other organic materials;

2. Building living biological worm systems;

3. Watering plants and maintaining systems on a daily basis;

4. Picking up waste streams from area partners, e.g. coffee grounds, boxes, and other food waste;

5. Harvesting and processing produce;

6. Building of new aquaponic systems and vermicompost bins; and

7. Erecting hoop greenhouses.

2. Marketing, packing and distribution of the Farm-to-City Market Basket Program.

3. Retail sales at seasonal farmers markets.

4. Teach and work with youth on site and at area farms and urban agriculture locations.

5. Record keeping and evaluation.

Physical Demands:

All of the following requirements must be met by an intern to successfully perform this position:

▪         Ability to handle and feel objects and tools;

▪         Ability to reach with hands and arms;

▪         Ability to lift heavy objects 75 lbs.+ from different locations; and

▪         Ability to use wheelbarrow, wagons, etc.

Requirements:

Valid drivers license; two-week intensive training commitment to Growing Power in Milwaukee prior to work on Chicago Projects.

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.

Growing Power is a local organization with a national presence.  Over 3,500 individuals receive tours of the Community Food Center annually.  We convene a minimum of five national workshops on-site at our Milwaukee facility each year and provide technical assistance – on-site – at numerous farms around the country from Boston to Montana.  Growing Power has sponsored three national conferences focusing on food security and Will Allen, our CEO, has been the keynote speaker at several national conferences.  Will has also been 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.   

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:

▪         The Grant Park Urban Agriculture Potager;

▪         The Fourth Presbyterian – Cabrini Green Community Partnership managing the Chicago Avenue Garden;

▪         The Jackson Park Urban Farm and Community Allotment Garden;

▪         After-school and summer job opportunities for over 30 area youth through our partnership with After School Matters;

▪         Farm-to-City Market Basket Program, which is distributed at 12 Chicago area sites;

▪         The Chicago Food Policy Advisory Council, which represents over 175 diverse stakeholders creating food policy advisements for city, state and federal policy makers; and

▪         Farmers’ markets in neighborhoods throughout Chicago including Green City Market, El Conuco, Bronzeville, and Englewood.