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 industrial farming approach)
• Small-scale farm (less than 200 hectares)
• Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) farmers when possible

Internship description

Intern will work with a variety of vendors (a different one each week), from Thursday to Sunday. Intern will work on the farm, vineyard, etc. on Thursday and Friday in preparation for the market, learning processes and issues, and will attend the market with the vendor on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Some of the time during the market will be spent with management to obtain an understanding of operations and issues. Intern will be able to experience a large variety of experiences.

Basic Qualifications and Preferred Experience

• Intern must be able to communicate and work with a variety of people, including owners, managers, hired hands, and family members (children). 
• Must be able to lift 50#s, endure a variety of weather conditions, an early riser, work full-time with varying hours. 
• Intern needs to be comfortable working and communicating with customers, as well as other vendors, and management. 
• Must have transportation to and from the vendor's farm or vineyard, as well as the weekly market on Saturday and Sunday. Must be prompt and on time. 
• Interest in marketing, sustainable agriculture, and community involvement is a plus.

Internship schedule 

Thursday-Sunday early a.m. - 3PM, and possible Wednesday afternoon market. Flexibility is important. Schedules will change according to specific vendor needs.

About the farm

The Ithaca Farmers Market has over 200 members and runs year round. Everything brought to market must be produced within 30 miles of the market. There are three categories of vendors: Agricultural/Art/Food. Markets run Saturday and Sunday from April - November, and Saturdays in December and April, and the Winter Indoor Market runs from January through March on Saturdays.

Other information

This position will require a vehicle or transportation to farms and markets. Sexual Harassment Training, as well as other security forms and trainings as pertinent to individual farms, vineyards, wineries, and orchards, etc.