Springfield Community Gardens launches agriculture internship for prospective farmers
Springfield Community Gardens announced last week the establishment of a new regenerative agriculture internship program, available through September 2023.
The Farming Internship's purpose is to educate and empower local, underserved urban and rural communities through "sustainable, organic food production, as well as emergency preparedness and disaster resiliency," according to a news release.
The program will support seven cohorts of 28 individuals, with groups of four completing the program over the course of seven months. The first cohort was held in October, which was successful, according to Anna Withers, SCG farmer and resource development manager.
The cohort met for four hours each week throughout October; two hours on Tuesdays and two hours on Thursdays.
Hands-on experience in community farms
On Tuesdays, interns got hands-on experience with farmers in the field at two of SCG's three farm incubator sites.
At the Market Garden, located at 1126 N. Broadway Ave., interns harvested produce, tended to beds, and learned about food safety and presentation in the farm's packing shed.
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Along with the packing shed, interns had access to several high tunnels, a greenhouse and a three-bin composting system. A packing shed, or pack house, is a facility where produce is cleaned and stored to maintain freshness and flavor.
"It's all encompassing from field to the produce being distributed," Withers said about the training interns received at the Market Garden.
The second farm incubator site that interns spend time at is Amanda Belle's Farm at 1126 N. Broadway Ave. Here, interns have access to more high tunnels and a complex irrigation system.
At Amanda Belle's Farm there was also an emphasis on four-season farming in the Ozarks, Withers said.
Expert-led workshops
On Thursdays, interns attended workshops led by local industry experts. Withers said workshop topics covered soil quality, native plants and rainwater collection, biodiversity and ecological design strategies, and diversity and equity outreach to BIPOC communities in farming.
Industry experts came from organizations like United Community Change, University of Missouri Extension, Ozarks Mountain Permaculture, Springfield Environmental Services, Smiling Suns Gardens and CoxHealth.
The Farming Internship will start back up in the spring, with cohorts in March, April, May, June, July and September. These cohorts will follow the same format as the one held in October.
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Withers said SCG is excited to offer the program to introduce folks to farming in the Ozarks, growing the next generation.
"(The Farming Internship) is a great first step into agriculture," Wither said. "Hopefully, by the end of it, these people see if this is the career for (them) or, 'Oh my gosh, I'm glad I did it, now I know, but it made me realize I don't want to be a farmer.' And that's okay."
At the end of the program, interns receive a competition certificate and $136 stipend. Withers said this stipend is designed to help folks pay for travel and personal gardening supplies, like work gloves.
To learn more about the internship program or to apply, contact Anneliese Kerr at anneliese.kerr@springfieldcommunitygardens.org.
Financial support for the Farming Internship comes from the Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Justice Small Grants Program. SCG received $75,000 for a one-year period to fund the internship stipend, workshop experts, supplies and a new greenhouse at the Market Garden.
The Environmental Justice Small Grants Program was established in 1994 and has awarded over $37 million to community-based organizations, tribal governments and Native American organizations facing environmental justice issues, according to the EPA.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Springfield Community Gardens launches new Farming Internship
