The Lund Fellows Program for Regenerative Agriculture provides Cornell undergraduate students across disciplines with the opportunity to broaden their perspectives and understanding of natural ecosystems and to learn about ecological and social approaches to agricultural systems. 

The Lund Fellows Program provides students opportunities to gain applied experience working on an agroecological farm and contribute to the farm in meaningful and helpful ways, while learning about the process and considerations involved in managing such an enterprise.

We work to spread awareness about the value and mission of agroecological biodynamic, organic, regenerative, and sustainable approaches to farming, strengthen relationships between the university and local farms and provide assistance to small farms that could not otherwise fund summer internships. 

Host farms participating in the Lund Fellows Program were prioritized based on the following values:  

• Explicitly uses agroecological, biodynamic and/or organic farming methods
• Diversified farm (not just certified organic with an industrial farming approach)
• Small-scale farm (less than 200 hectares)
• Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) farmers when possible

Internship description

This opportunity is for a student to spend the summer on a multi-generational, multi-cultural, multi-racial regenerative family farm in Ithaca, NY.

Basic qualifications and preferred experience

• able to perform physical labor (seeding, weeding, planting, harvesting, lifting 50lbs)
• learn quickly and show independence with tasks once learned
• must enjoy a community setting (working and eating lunch together)
• love the outdoors and be comfortable around dogs & kids
• ok getting dirty 
• must show punctuality, tenacity, and a respect for diversity & inclusion

Internship schedule

The intern is expected to arrive early in the morning (between 6:30 and & 7:00am) and work a full day with a lunch break.

About the farm

Fort Baptist Farm is a Black owned, multi-generational, multi-cultural, multi-racial sustainable family farm. Proudly providing their customers with culturally inspired foods that honor the diverse backgrounds and flavors of our vibrant community. The Farm is committed to providing locally grown food that everyone can access and enjoy. The produce includes culturally significant foods that are often hard to find locally, but close to home for many in our community. 

The farm grows everything with care, reflecting on their deep commitment to health, sustainability, and equitable access to quality food.  They utilize regenerative farming processes including no-till methods and crop rotation. At Fort Baptist Farm, the belief is that everyone should have access to healthy, sustainable food. 

Guided by a “people over profit” principle, they keep prices fair and quality high. Through our focus on food justice and accessibility, we’re working to build a more inclusive and sustainable food system for all.  The produce is sold through a CSA, farmers markets and much is donated to local food pantries including the YMCA, No Mas Lagrimas, Cayuga Medical Center, and Calvery Baptist Church.