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

Position description: 

• Work 1:1 with the farm manager to complete all aspects of production, including seed sowing, irrigation, planting, trellising, weeding, harvesting, and sales
• Option to attend weekly farmers markets
• Support the development of a new flower CSA program and farm dinner series 
• Opportunity to engage with multiple farms and interns located at the Chester Agricultural Center

Basic qualifications and preferred experience:

• Farming experience is not necessary, but you must be willing and excited to learn
• Ready to work outside, in all types of weather
• Ability to work collaboratively and independently
• Able to lift 50 lbs comfortably

Internship schedule

• Flexible start and end dates
• Opportunity to determine schedule with farm manager (4 or 5 day work week)

About the farm

Little Gem Farm is a small-scale diversified vegetable, herb, and flower farm on the fertile black dirt in Chester, NY. Founded in 2023 by Zoe Friedberg, this farm dream was born out of a desire to provide high quality, diverse, and sustainably grown produce to her community in the Lower Hudson Valley. The farm is located on 1 acre of rented land at the Chester Agriculture Center. The farm focuses on utilizing regenerative agriculture practices, promoting soil health, building ecosystem biodiversity, and supporting community. Next year, we are excited to develop a flower CSA program and farm dinner series.