Wild Willow Farm is open for Internships! This internship program, although in its infancy, can offer a tremendous amount to anyone interested in learning to farm. As we just started the farm in June 2010, a great opportunity is presented to those wanting to learn not only how to farm sustainably, but also how to bring a brand new farm up to production, and all that it entails.

Dedicated interns will be exposed to every aspect of the farm and farming. Whether its tending to animals, plants, or volunteers, or learning about composting, seed saving, or pest control, we strive to bring you the most well-rounded experience possible. You'll find a unique blend of farming methods and experimentation happening at the farm, with the principles and practices of permaculture playing a large roll its the design and implementation.

The internship is just one of many ways to get involved at Wild Willow Farm. From open volunteer days, to VGSD classes, and on-farm workshops and classes, we seek to offer a variety of opportunities for San Diegans to learn about sustainable agriculture for the farm and garden. Read about other opportunities for learning here.

Interns are required to either be registered as an intern through San Diego City College or another local university or school's service learning program for credit, or to pay a $25/month tuition fee to WWF to help cover the costs of offering this program.

If you have any questions, please contact us.

2011 Wild Willow Farm Internship Information (updated 12/27/11)

Length: You commit to 3-4 months at a time (we have 3 periods within a year). This includes the first few weeks which is a trial and introduction period for you to get acquainted with the farm and us and vice versa. Some may decide not to continue after this period.

Hours/Week: Applicants should be able to commit to 2-3 days/wk equalling about 10-15 hours total. Interns are required to attend 1 volunteer day per month. The schedule of internship days is currently M/W/Th/Fr 9a-2p and Saturdays for the volunteer day from noon-5p.

Stipend: We are working on this and there may be specific opportunities to each pay for activities such as leading field trips. Besdies pay, there are other benfits to commiting to the farm as an intern, such as: fresh produce & eggs, free workshop attendance, access to the WWF Library, and discounts.

Housing: None at this time.

Expectations & Details:

• We are looking for responsible, respectful, enthusiastic, and dedicated people who are looking to get experience on a working farm.
• Willingness to do strenuous labor and lift heavy objects. Farm work is hard, a lot more so than gardening at home. It involves a lot of heavy labor, sometimes over several hours and in the hot sun. Additionally, the pace of farming is often much faster than gardening. At the same time it is tremendously rewarding and fulfilling, and of course it’s great exercise. (If you have any injuries, be sure to let us know.)
• Check in regularly with Misha: to start off interns will be on the farm only when Misha (Farm Manager) is on the farm. But as you become more comfortable with the and take on projects, you may have the opportunity to schedule yourself.
• Strong interest in learning about sustainable agriculture on a farm-scale.
• Interns committing to a minimum number of hours on the farm will have the opportunity to work on an independent project: this might be taking on the task of managing a specific area or project, or perhaps doing research (these may all be done in pairs or teams). If you have any specific ideas please speak to Misha about them. We are very open to new ideas and really want to encourage you to follow the subjects that interest you, while at the same time making a strong contribution to the farm. There are many projects currently underway that you can become involved with or you may propose something new.
• Interns will be required to fill out an evaluation form about their experience at the farm upon completion of their internship.
• There will be other small assignments or readings that you will be given during the internship to complement on-farm learning. We are working on building up a library of books and other information to aid with this.
• We strongly encourage you to attend farm events such as potlucks and seasonal festivals. We would also love to have your presence at the many other events that San Diego Roots puts on.
• Enjoy yourself. Allow time to just BE on the farm and observe; it is one of the best ways to learn.

Goals for 2011-12:

This is a great opportunity not only for people looking to learn about sustainable farming and homesteading, but also those looking to learn about establishing a farm and bringing it up to production. This is an opportunity for you to learn & grow the farm with us.

The goal of San Diego Roots with this farm is to educate the next generation of sustainable farmers and gardeners in San Diego. This means not only providing you with the skills needed to grow food sustainably, but also how to run a farm sustainably.

**In addition to meeting and discussing topics with you regularly, Misha can and will often provide you with further reading or resources.**

• Establish main roads and main irrigation channels.
• Build beds and establish growing areas and spaces for animals.
• Cover the farm with crops: initially this will be mostly cover crops, but it will also include vegetables, herbs, flowers, fruits, berries, and other useful plants.
• Composting: we have lots of local resources (manure, peat moss, wood chips, sprout compost) and will be making all types of compost on every scale. This includes using worms (vermicomposting), chicken (tractors) and fungi along the way.
• Special projects (most are already well underway): honey bees, mushrooms, seed saving, natural building, food preparation, native plants, animals (chickens, ducks & goats), bat & owl boxes, etc.
• Further flesh out the internship program: What do you want? What do we want? What works best? This is where we absolutely want your help and input so that we can make this the best possible learning opportunity for current and future interns, while at the same time running a productive farm. We encourage you to always speak your mind and give input about how the farm and its education programs are doing. You can be a part of the vision.

Qualifications:

• Ability to be on the farm on a regular schedule for the duration of the internship. You will arrange this with Misha.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs and participate in other heavy farm chores.
• Able to arrange transportation to and from the farm (there is public transportation [trolley/bus] that can take you within about a mile of the farm).
• Some previous experience farming or gardening and/or a strong interest in the discipline.
• Good team working skills.

Potential Activities:

• Helping guide tour groups and other visitors around the farm and facilitate activities
• General Farming Activities: tending to animals, compost, planting, general upkeep, harvest, propagation, etc.
• Run or help manage a volunteer workday
• Research/reading
• Aiding in the further development of the internship program
• Field Trips to other farms
• Managing a small site or particular aspect of the farm
• Community Outreach
• Attending talks

Other Educational opportunities:
We want to let you all know about the multitude of educational opportunities available for those looking to learn about sustainable farming/gardening here in San Diego. Whether you end up participating in the internship or not, these are some great resources. You may find that these offerings better meet your needs. If you are unsure of which is right for you, or have questions about these offerings, don’t hesitate to ask.

• Open Volunteering at Wild Willow: come and volunteer and do whatever we’re doing. No experience necessary. Wednesday and Saturday afternoons.
• Workshops at Wild Willow: sustainable farming & gardening, urban homesteading (water harvesting, construction, food preparation, etc). These workshops will be provided free of charge to interns, with the understanding that they will be available to help with any set-up/take-down or preparation work needed.
• Victory Gardens San Diego: garden education series (learn all the basics of starting a garden at home in a 3 or 4 week series), home garden builds and more. See website for details.
• Seeds at City College Urban Farm: open volunteering on Tuesdays and Saturdays 9am-noon, and the internship program (smaller in scale than WWF); classes and the Certificate in Urban Agriculture (work in progress) at CC. See website for details.
• City Farmer’s Nursery: classes, knowledgeable staff, cool nursery. See store for details.