FARM INTERN

Urban Farm Internship Part-time/seasonal 

About Common Ground: Common Ground is a center for environmental learning in New Haven, Connecticut. Farm meets forest meets city on Common Ground’s 20 acre campus at the base of West Rock Ridge. The site abuts the 1800 acre West Rock State Park, sharing hiking trails, wildlife, and diverse natural habitats with the surrounding forests. Common Ground’s urban farm produces sustainably grown food for programs and our community and is home to our friendly farm animals. Common Ground’s Charter High School uses the site as an organizing principle of its curriculum which is guided by an ecological framework highlighting the connection and interdependence of all living and non-living things. Each year, more than 10,000 community members participate in festivals, field trips, after-school programs, and other educational opportunities on site. For more information visit www.commongroundct.org.

Job Description: Common Ground (CG) grows 10,000 lbs of fresh produce annually, including vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers. We also raise laying hens, ducks, turkeys, goats sheep. Farm products go to our Cafeteria, Farm Share, Mobile Market, more! Farm work will be done with the Farm Director, Farm Manager, Food Justice Education Coordinator, Compost Program Coordinator and high school youth. 

• Interns will gain in person experience and lesson based learning in all aspects of planting, growing, maintaining a diversified sustainable vegetable operation, and small scale livestock management. 

• Specific farm tasks may include composting, planting, weeding, watering, harvesting, preparing for farmshare, keeping crop records, caring for farm animals and a variety of other tasks. 

• Depending on the interest skills of the intern, there may be opportunities to help with off-site mobile farm stands, focus on improving our compost area, Sunday animal chores, and/or help host weekend volunteers on the farm. 

• Covid-19 pending-we will also take a few field trips to learn from other farms and food justice work going on in the New Haven Community. 

*Several summer programs for children ages 4 – 18 take place on the farm. Interns do not have daily responsibilities working with these programs, but must be mature and good role models for all children on the farm. Interns will be working as a team with a group of teenagers who are employed by CG. 

Qualifications:

• Previous garden experience is not necessary

• A strong interest in deepening farming food systems knowledge skills with a focus on food justice 

• Willingness ability to work hard, physically in all weather: be able to lift 25 lbs and kneel/crouch for extended periods of time.  Comes prepared and is adaptable to the ever changing priorities of the farm

• Good communication interpersonal skills with people of all ages and a good sense of humor.

• Ability to learn, to ask questions, also take initiative, to work both with without direct supervision

• Demonstrated commitment, reliability, punctuality, responsible behavior

• The willingness to be a positive role-model to young people working on the farm

• Uphold the farm’s COVID safety procedures and precautions to keep ourselves and community safe

• 18 years or older

Work Schedule & Compensation 

• There are 3 apprenticeship spots available from May 23 - August 10 (12 Weeks).

• There is 1 apprenticeship spot available from the end of May through Early December (23 weeks). 

• Hours will be around 20 per week, 3 days based on preferences, but traditionally Tue-Thur 8:30-3.

Compensation: $15/hour plus weekly farm produce 

Housing: Housing is not provided.

Transportation: Parking is available on-site, as are bicycle racks. We have a bus-stop on site (take the 243-B bus from the New Haven Green), we are walking distance from New Haven’s Westville, Westrock neighborhoods.

To Apply

Send a cover letter about why you are interested in working on the CG Farm your resume by March 19, 2023. Send to the Farm Manager at diane.litwin(at)commongroundct.org or mail to Attn: Farm Manager, 358 Springside Ave. New Haven CT 06515. 

Equal Opportunity Employer

Common Ground is particularly eager for candidates who can help us to fulfill our commitment to building a racially and culturally diverse faculty and staff. Common Ground has a commitment to examining the intersection of social, environmental, and food justice issues; how systems of oppression, including white privilege, impact the organization’s work; and how resistance to those systems can offer windows into a more sustainable society.

Common Ground is committed to the recruitment and retention of staff that is reflective of the communities we work with. We strongly encourage applicants from people of color, immigrants, women, people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQ community, people whose native language is something other than English, and other underrepresented and historically marginalized groups.

It has been the policy and will continue to be the strong commitment of the Common Ground and all contractors and subcontractors who do business with Common Ground to provide equal opportunities in employment to all qualified persons solely on the basis of job-related skills, ability and merit. Common Ground will continue to take Affirmative Action to ensure that applicants are employed and that employees are treated during employment without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, mental disorder (present or past history thereof) age, physical disability (but not limited to blindness), marital status, intellectual disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and criminal record. Such action includes, but is not limited to, employment, promotion, demotion or transfer; recruitment or recruitment advertising; layoff or termination; rates of pay or other forms of compensation, and selection for training, professional development, attendance at conferences or other opportunities for advancement. Common Ground, its contractors and subcontractors will continue to make good faith efforts to comply with all federal and state laws and policies which speak to equal employment opportunity. The principles of Affirmative Action are addressed in the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments of the United States Constitution, Civil Rights Act of 1866, 1870, 1871, Equal Pay Act of 1963, Title VI and VII of the 1964 United States Civil Rights Act, Presidential Executive Order 11246, amended by 11375, (Non-discrimination under federal contracts)

Discrimination against Criminal Offenders (46a-80), definition of Blind (46a-51(1)), definition of Physically Disabled (46a-51(15)), definition of Intellectual Disability (46a51(13)), cooperation with the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (46a-77), Sexual Harassment (46a-60(a)-8), Connecticut Credit Discrimination Law (360436 through 439), Title I of the State and Local Fiscal Assistance Act of 1972. This Affirmative Action Policy Statement re-affirms Common Ground’s commitment to equity in the workplace and the principles of Equal Employment Opportunity