Farm and Compost Internship

2019 QBG Farm and Compost Internship, NYC Compost Project hosted by Queens
Botanical Garden

Queens Botanical Garden (QBG), in partnership with the Department of
Sanitation of New York’s (DSNY) NYC Compost Project, is seeking seasonal
interns for the QBG Farm & Compost site.

QBG Farm & Compost site is a place where New Yorkers can participate in and
learn about urban farming and composting through tours, workshops,
internships, and volunteer opportunities. Fruit and vegetables are grown
without the use of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, and compost is made
and applied to promote soil and plant health. Crops harvested are shared with
seasonal interns and volunteers and donated to emergency food relief programs.
Compost is used across the botanical garden and the Farm as well as
distributed to those who participate in Food Scrap Drop-Offs.

Interns will support NYC Compost Project staff in running and maintaining one
acre of intensively planted, mixed vegetable, fruit, and flower production and
educational areas. Interns will also help support on-site composting
operations; including processing organics collected at food scrap drop-offs.
We are looking for dedicated, hard-working individuals with a keen interest in
urban farming and composting.

Timeframe:
Interns must be able to work Mondays and Thursdays over a three- to six-month
period of time between mid-April and late October.

Learning Objectives:
•       Learn fundamentals of sustainable agriculture including crop choice,
rotational growing, drip irrigation, and pest/disease management
•       Acquire hands-on skills in urban farming through planting, tending and
harvesting crops
•       Understand and maintain healthy soils, learn to use compost, cover
crops, and mulch
•       Gain proficiency in composting by processing food waste and helping to
manage onsite compost piles
•       Cultivate an in-depth awareness about food scrap recycling and waste
reduction in NYC

Qualifications:
•       Self-motivated, excellent communicator, with the ability to work alone
as well as with others
•       Commitment to being present and punctual on workdays
•       Willingness to work outdoors in all weather; able to lift up to 40
pounds
•       Interest in food waste reduction and urban agriculture
•       Ability to perform diverse, sometimes repetitive, tasks that can be
physically demanding

The internship is unpaid, but qualifying applicants are encouraged to earn
school or program credit for their work with us and to research funding
opportunities through their learning institutions.

To apply, qualified candidates should send a resume and cover letter to
compost@queensbotanical.org. Your cover letter should include any previous
experience (not required) with agriculture or compost, your motivation for
completing the internship, your availability, and how you heard about the
internship. Please put “Farm and Compost Internship 2019” in the subject line
of the email. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. The deadline to
apply is Monday, February 4, 2019. Queens Botanical Garden is an equal
opportunity employer.

The NYC Compost Project hosted by Queens Botanical Garden works to rebuild
NYC’s soils by providing New Yorkers with the knowledge, skills, and
opportunities they need to produce and use compost locally. The NYC Compost
Project is funded and managed by the NYC Department of Sanitation’s Bureau of
Recycling and Sustainability. Learn more at nyc.gov/compostproject and
queensbotanical.org/farmandcompost/