Here's how an EPA grant will fund paid internships with Springfield Community Gardens
A $500,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency will allow 108 people in Springfield to learn about regenerative agriculture, a practice with the goal of lowering carbon emissions and reducing poverty.
"Both of those are environmental issues. Our food and what we eat is very much an environmental issue, and when you have 67% of Southwest Missourians who are trying to choose between their utility bill and eating, it’s a big problem for our town especially,” said Maile Auterson, executive founding director of the Springfield Community Gardens, which is using the grant to fund internships.
The grant is part of the EPA's Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Program, which provides financial assistance to organizations working to address local environmental or public health issues in their communities. Springfield Community Garden is one of five organizations in Missouri that received funds through the program.
People can enroll in either a four-week-long or 16-week-long internship, both of which are paid. Thanks to the grant, interns will be making a living wage at $15.50 an hour. In addition to being paid, students from area universities can get college credits for enrolling.
Auterson added that the program is more than just a paid internship — interns can be part of an advisory council that works with community decision-makers.
"Farmers who are learning to farm get to sit in the same room as the city officials, with the (Springfield) Land Trust people, with CoxHealth, and get to talk about healthy local food and how to have access, permitting and coding around urban ag, and to really get the farmers involved, help them become part of the decision-making," Auterson said.
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The grant pays for 30 four-week internships and six 16-week internships per year, for three years. And even if someone decides to leave Springfield, the knowledge of regenerative agriculture and climate change will travel with them.
"Every town you go to, there are people like us in a group. We’re really fun to be around and we’re very active when it comes to climate change — active in doing and not just talking about it," Auterson said.
Additionally, people interested in the internship don't have to be pursuing a career in farming — they just have to want to take positive action to benefit their community.
"We’re all learning together. We’ve all learned how to grow better together, we’ve all learned about food systems together, we’ve learned about building a development code together, how to be food-safety certified in our kitchen and in our pack shed. We’re learning ways to just take care of one another," Auterson said.
Susan Szuch is the health and public policy reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @szuchsm. Story idea? Email her at sszuch@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: EPA grant opens more Springfield Community Gardens intern spots
