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: 

This position will assist the Director of Education and the Farm Manager with key program
duties and responsibilities related to the Teen Summer Program and farm maintenance.
The intern is responsible for providing support and care to ensure the growth and development of
edible tree, shrub and vine fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers and other farm maintenance
duties. They will also be developing and/or supporting programming, workshops and site
maintenance in collaboration with other staff.

Basic qualifications and preferred experience

The ideal person will possess the following:

○ Experience working with youth and ability to relate easily to high school aged youth and
   support their growth;
○ Experience working with natural, ecological, organic, and/or indigenous agriculture
   operations, gardening, or nutrition;
○ Interest and knowledge in the topics of land, food, and/or body sovereignty, social justice,
   anti-racism, feminism, LGBTQ+ rights, community organizing, nutrition, sustainability,
   community food systems and/or other land-based skills;
○ Capable of cultivating a safe space for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and
   LGBTQ+ youth;
○ Self-driven and able to work both independently and as part of a team;
○ Ability/willingness to participate in physical labor in all weather conditions;
○ Ability to initiate, establish, and foster communication and teamwork by maintaining a
   positive, cooperative work atmosphere;
○ Ability to exercise sound judgment and discretion, tact, and diplomacy;
○ Ability to work

Job Requirements

○ Ability to regularly lift a minimum of 50 pounds.
○ Ability to stand, lift, and bend for extended periods of time.
○ Ability and willingness to work outside in all weather.
○ Cell phone communication.
○ Reliable transportation is needed to ensure you arrive consistently on time due to
   programming and farm responsibilities. Willingness to navigate the TCAT bus system
   and schedule work hours around a limited bus route, or personal transportation.
○ Satisfactory background and reference checks. YFP requires background checks for
   educational reasons and safety of vulnerable populations. People with criminal records
   other than sexual assault of any kind will be considered equally.

○ Anti-racism training and/or lived experience, land-based work with young people, and
   experience in communities served are all valuable for a potential candidate.
○ Beekeeping, Forest farming/mushroom production, seedkeeping, and other land-based
   arts and skills are welcome!

This Job Is Ideal for Someone Who Is:

○ Dependable -- more reliable than spontaneous.
○ Adaptable/flexible -- enjoys doing work that requires frequent shifts in direction.
○ Teamplayer and Independent -- enjoys working alone and on a team
○ Highly organized with materials and time management and can see through tasks steadily.
○ Patient - able to communicate instructions and tasks clearly and to work with folks with
   various skill levels.

Black, Indigenous, People of Color and LGBTQ+ folx are encouraged to apply.

Internship schedule

Monday - Friday 8 am to 4 pm, occasional Saturdays.
During the months of July and August lunch and snacks are provided for the entire team.

About the farm

The Youth Farm Project farm is located at 24 Nelson Rd., Ithaca, NY, 14850. We are beginning
our 15th growing season in the Spring of 2024. We are a not-for-profit farm-based social justice
education program, serving Tompkins County youth and families.

Our mission is to empower youth from diverse social and economic backgrounds as integral
participants in building equitable local food communities.

YFP is dedicated to healing our food system through an anti-racist organizing lens by bringing
together youth from diverse backgrounds to explore environmental and social injustice within the
food system.

We believe that through critical thinking and openly learning about these issues, we can begin
the healing of our food system, the earth, and ourselves. By developing leadership and
communication skills with young people and having them participate in all aspects of food
production and farming – from planting to harvesting and distributing, we can increase our unity
and hope for positive change in our community and beyond.

Follow the farm on social media (facebook and instagram) @youthfarmproject"

More information

If you are genuinely interested in the work and do not meet those stipulations, please consider applying, as we are open to adapting and meeting folks' needs when we are able.