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Internships

• Ideas
• Current work-study student positions available for 2007-2008
• How to Apply
• More Information

Ideas

The following are possibilities for directed studies, internships, and research:

• Identify and assess suitable farmland for Farmland Program.
• Coordinate with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service staff to assess suitability for vegetable production and landowner requirements.
• Assist with post-harvest handling and distribution of CSA shares. Research content and prepare weekly CSA newsletter
• Production assistance at training farm sites, maintain communications with Farm Site Manager and TA Coordinator regarding any production issues (pest management, irrigation, weed control, equipment supply and condition, farmer concerns), and assist farmers to develop field maps and harvest records.
• Training and technical assistance programming. Schedule training sessions, speakers, venues, field trips to area farms and markets, coordinate training materials, and develop low-literacy pictorial resource guides on agricultural production and marketing topics.
• Assist immigrant farmers to develop crop information sheets and recipes for specialty ethnic produce to distribute at Farmers' Markets and other marketing outlets.
• Database management. Develop and maintain a database of crop information (photos, nutritional information, recipes, production and harvest data) and New Entry media coverage.

Current Work-Study Positions Open for 2009

The following is a partial list of positions open to any students who are work-study eligible and who can commit a minimum of 5 hours per week during the academic year. Travel to NESFP's Lowell office, area farms, and markets may be required.

Agricultural Resources Development — assist with development of a Massachusetts "Guide to Farming" by research existing farm resources, regulations and programs into fact sheets and a comprehensive guide. Develop training curricula for classroom and field-based trainings and prepare materials/teaching tools to implement those trainings; develop plain language training resources; research criteria for curriculum accreditation; create a NESFP training manual; investigate/research development of an on-line farmer training course.

Media and Photo Resource Coordinator — Review vast photo file collection from Lowell office and Tufts office. Combine, organize and label photos and to post to on-line photo service for use by media outlets and staff. Develop outreach materials and press releases; track media coverage; develop bulletin board displays at farm sites.

Outreach Assistant — Develop New Entry outreach materials directed towards beginning farmers. Visit local and regional community organizations and speak to staff and constituents regarding New Entry training programs. Post outreach materials at community bulletin boards, restaurants, libraries and other community locations.

Farm Employment Directory Coordinator — assist with surveys, phone calls and emails to regional farms to update our 2009 Farm Employment Directory; format for web and print version.

Farmer Marketing Assistant — Assist immigrant farmers to develop crop information sheets and recipes for specialty ethnic produce to distribute at Farmers' Markets and other marketing outlets. Work with farmers to develop promotional materials (such as business cards and banners) to promote sales at Farmers Markets. Assist farmers with paperwork necessary to apply for acceptance of WIC coupons. Create promotional materials for the World Peas Coop and assist with recruitment for the 2009 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program; expand content of our "Specialty Crops" reference page and update our CSA harvest calendar with photos for the NESFP website. (Note, this position is based mainly out of the Lowell office)

Farmland Identification and Assessment Coordinator — follow up on farming sites previously identified to evaluate use by the project; initiate contact with landowners, assessors, USDA/FSA officials, conservation groups, and others to identify farmland; evaluate prospective farming sites, such as access, size, crop suitability, water/irrigation resources, costs and lease potential.

Farmer Training Course Assistant — prepare course materials for training sessions; schedule guest speakers and arrange field trips to farms and markets; assist in developing low-literacy pictorial resource guides and presentations; coordinate logistics for training courses; attend training sessions and provide technical assistance to participants; document and evaluate training sessions; revise the NESFP curriculum training manual.

For complete position descriptions, employment requirements, or to apply please contact
Jennifer Hashley at 617-636-3793 or email jennifer.hashley@tufts.edu.

How to Apply

To apply for a work-study job, internship, research project, or to discuss your directed-study requirements, please email a resume, cover letter, and your interest in the program to Jennifer Hashley, New Entry Director at: jennifer.hashley@tufts.edu. You may also phone 617-636-3793 and leave a detailed message. For Tufts University's academic requirements for the Agriculture, Food, and Environment Program (AFE), please contact Timothy Griffin, AFE Director at: timothy.griffin@tufts.edu

More Information

To receive detailed work-study job descriptions or to get more information on our programs, current research, or other opportunities with the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project, call our Boston office at: 617-636-3788, ext. 2,  our Lowell office at: 978-654-6745, or email: nesfp@tufts.edu.