Organization and Program Context

Urban Growers Collective (UGC) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that was founded in the fall of 2017. Working closely with community partners, UGC’s approach is to demonstrate the development of community-based food systems and to support communities in developing systems of their own where food is grown, prepared, and distributed within the community itself.

We operate 8 urban farms on 11 acres of land, predominantly located on Chicago’s South Side. These farms are production-oriented but also offer opportunities for staff-led education, training, leadership development, and food distribution. Each farm utilizes organic growing methods, intensive growing practices, and year-round production strategies to best maximize growing space.

While farming is the foundation upon which we grow, helping people thrive is our emphasis and the motivation for our work. We work towards building stronger, healthier communities through a variety of programming centered around Food Access, Job Training & Education, and Community Engagement.

Through our programs, we provide training and education on urban agriculture and food systems; offer skill building experiences, jobs, and economic opportunities to youth; identify and lift up community priorities and needs; and use evidence-based practices to create safe and beautiful places for communities to convene, create, heal, and transform.

UGC’s internship program is an important component of our overall mission, and is rooted in 20+ years of developing career readiness programming in urban agriculture, specifically cultivated in Chicago, and heavily influenced by our predecessor, Growing Power.

The internship is a tool in which community members from across the spectrum of experience, certification, and identity are able to build a practical, hands-on education in the basic principles of urban agriculture, to then inform their pursuits within and beyond the field.

After participating in this internship program, it is UGC’s goal that participants will achieve or gain competency around the following topics:

Farm Skills: Understanding the basic concepts and skill sets that undergird a successful farming operation. Gain experience in observing and responding to one’s environment to successfully implement one’s farm skill set.

Food System Analysis: Gain familiarity of how the food system operates, using Chicago as a case study. Gain an understanding of how the mission and practices of UGC works to address food system insecurity at the community level.

Communication: Get support in navigating verbal and written communication, and communicating ideas to a diverse group of people. Learn how to observe operations and replicate in your own work. Develop question-making skills to understand how to complete tasks and reflect on them.

Career Readiness: Connect to opportunities to engage with a network of food system advocates in Chicago. Participate in community outreach initiatives to engage community members in conversation about healthy foods, our growing practices, and more. Get support with resume and interview skills.

Internship Role Summary

Urban Growers Collective seeks a passionate and hard working individual for an introductory, experiential “Farm Production Internship” to learn aspects of planting, harvesting, composting, market sales, and general site maintenance for an urban farm in Chicago. This internship is composed of experiences almost entirely outdoors, in all types of weather (extreme heat or cold, rain, etc).

Interns work collaboratively with UGC staff members and within a cohort to practice and gain farm production skills. Interns participate in weekly check-ins, and are required to attend UGC sponsored workshops throughout the internship. At the close of the internship, Individual interns are expected to complete a reflection project to summarize their experience.

This internship is designed to reflect the realities of farming in urban spaces, at an intensive level of production. While there is beauty in this type of work, it is also difficult.. Please take this into account when assessing your desire to apply to this role.

Additionally, this is an experiential internship that emphasizes repetitive physical tasks and independent work– these qualities require applicants who can demonstrate their capacity for taking initiative and patience in the learning process. Applicants who are over the age of 18, interested in pursuing a career in agriculture, have a demonstrable interest in building local food systems, and/or learning farm work are encouraged to apply.

A Production Intern at Urban Growers Collective will have the opportunity to gain competence in the following tasks/areas.

*Please note that this is a seasonal internship, and that an individual intern may not be able to gain competency in all skills included here due to seasonal needs.

Farm Activities

Build-out and maintenance of farm sites including bed building, seeding, planting, and tending and irrigating crops;

Daily use and safe-handling of farm equipment including wheelbarrows, tools and hand-tools;

Harvesting and post-harvest handling and record keeping of crops for sale and distribution;

Introduction to pest management including hand-picking, maintaining row cover

Introduction to compost management;

Introduction to the maintenance of hoop-houses and additional infrastructure on farm sites;

Assisting with sales, load-in and out of produce at farmers’ markets, CSA Program and the Fresh Moves Mobile Market

Support daily reporting with UGC staff members;

Work collaboratively with UGC Staff;

Learn and practice customer engagement and maintain a positive connection with community partners and neighbors to facilitate good working relationships.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an intern to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform functions of the position.

Heavy lifting; must be able to lift at least 50 lbs

Frequent bending, crouching, squatting

Be able to stand for long parts of the day

Ready to work in all weather conditions (rain, extreme heat, cold)

Internship Program Details

All internships take place over a 10-week period, and are required to work 40 hours per week. Program extension is performance based, and by invitation only.

Applicants seeking an internship role for school credit are not eligible for the stipend. However, UGC will support the applicant’s application for additional funding through other sources, and with completing the requirements to achieve school credit. Please inquire with UGC for additional information regarding this policy.

Schedule

Tues - Saturday, 8:30AM - 5:00PM

Some evening for events or market shifts

Must be able to commit to 40 hrs per week

Interns are primarily assigned to UGC’s South Chicago Farm (9001 S Mackinaw ave. Chicago, IL 60617)

How to Apply

In order to apply, please submit your resume and a cover letter highlighting your experiences most relevant to the position and your personal stake in ‘the work’.

*Applicants that have visited or volunteered at the farm receive priority in the application process.