Sustainable Ag Internships

We Are Growing a More Sustainable Future

Through the FARRMS sustainable ag internship program, we are planting seeds to grow a new generation of sustainable farmers and local food leaders.

Applications for the 2023 Growing Season are not open yet.
Fill out the interest form to be notified when we open applications!
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Spend a season gaining an on-farm, hands-on learning experience
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Grow confidence and leadership skills
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Discover innovative new types of farming
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Work with an experienced farmer
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Learn new skills and try new things
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Attend Field Day Events for additional learning
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Make new friends + connections for the future
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All while getting paid!


Why an Internship Program?

The FARRMS Sustainable Ag Internship program exists to strengthen sustainable agriculture and put more farmers on the land. We look for people who want to learn how our food is grown and create a more sustainable world. We place them on local farms for a boots-on-the-ground, hands-in-the-soil learning experience.
Interns learn what it takes to run a farm and meet farmers practicing diverse and innovative types of agriculture. Through on-farm activities and weekly Zoom classes interns gain ag production skills and build soft skills such as problem solving and adaptability.
Interns gain confidence and leadership skills and go on to launch their own farms. Some become ag educators or lead local food initiatives. Most importantly interns grow new friendships and gain a lifelong love of local food and farms.

Details about the Internship

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FARRMS pays the interns at a rate of $15/hr.
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Hours include time on the farm, in class, doing classwork, at field days, and farm visits.
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We reimburse mileage for travel for field days and farm visits at $.585/mile.
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Interns submit monthly timecards and experience reports. Stipends are paid bi-weekly.
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Internships are up to 20 hrs per week, not to exceed 350 total hours during the season.
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Interns can start as early as May 8, 2022 and end as late as October 31, 2022.
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Interns must be at least 15 years of age. There is no maximum age.

What Will You Do as an Intern?

On Farm Learning
You will start the season by identifying your learning goals with your host farmer.
You’ll participate in the daily activities on the farm.
You’ll get to try seeding, weeding, watering and caring for plants and livestock.
You’ll join in on harvesting, washing, packing and selling at farmers market.
You'll get a peek at business planning, and marketing.


Weekly Classes

You’ll join your intern cohort for weekly Zoom classes.
You’ll engage with readings, class discussions, and guest speakers.
Class topics include:
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Local food systems
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Plant breeding and seed saving
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Season extension, high tunnels, and aquaponics
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Marketing
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Mushroom production
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Food sovereignty
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Weeds and pest management
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Indigenous agriculture
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Small livestock
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Beekeeping
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Soil health
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Grape and wine production

Independent Project
You’ll complete an independent project throughout the summer.
This is an opportunity to dive deeper into a topic that interests you.
Examples of previous intern projects include mushroom cultivation, worm composting systems, and mulch systems.
Pictured at right:
Gretchen Ivers designed and built a chicken tractor at Stable Days Youth Ranch in summer 2021.


Farm Field Days
FARRMS will organize monthly field days to farms around the state.
This is an opportunity to meet new farmers and discover unique and innovative forms of agriculture.
View the video at left with highlights from our 2021 farm field days.

Read what our intern alumni say about their experience...

Find a Host Farm Near You!






Beagle Hill Organic Farm
Minot, ND
Beagle Hill Organic Farm is a small organic farm specializing in leafy greens, salad mixes, microgreens, and herbs. They strive to provide healthy produce and chickens of the highest quality for the local community. They utilize no-till practices and free-range husbandry. This season, they are working to increase the number of free-range meat chickens, and are expanding beyond the local farmer's market to provide seasonal greens and vegetables to local restaurants and a small CSA.
Hugh's Gardens LLC
Halstad, MN
Hugh’s Gardens LLC is a certified organic produce marketing business with a storage, washing, and packing facility. A majority of the intern's time will be spent working with a 3/4 acre garden plot. Produce will include beets, kohlrabi, squash, tomatoes, beans, and cucumbers. The intern will also learn aspects of the wholesale organic potato storage and supply business and through involvement in the local food community such as involvement with Red River Harvest Coop.
North Star Farms
Carpio, ND
North Star Farms supplies the community with fresh, naturally grown garden produce. They have three acres of certified organic vegetable production, a commercial-size greenhouse, and high tunnel. They produce a range of fruits and vegetables with the most popular being garlic, onions, peas, tomatoes, potatoes, and cucumbers. They sell through North Prairie Farmers' Market and a CSA that usually sees about 30 shareholders between Minot and the Minot Air Force Base.
Family Roots Farm
Christine, ND
Family Roots Farm is a diversified farm that strongly believes good food starts with how it’s grown! By using heirloom plant varieties, processing food with farm-grown ingredients, and raising animals with respect, Family Roots Farm strives to provide healthy, local food for their community. Situated along the Red River, they have three acres of produce for fresh market sales and preserves, beehives for raw honey, free ranging chickens and ducks for eggs, and pasture-raised chickens, lambs, and pigs for meat.
Stable Days
East Grand Forks, MN
Stable Days Youth Ranch provides youth mentoring, volunteer opportunities and agri-tourism. The ranch programs consist of animal care for the horses, sheep, donkeys, and chickens, land and water stewardship, and market gardening. The Share Garden and lower garden provide educational opportunities for the volunteers and youth and market gardening production is sold at Town Square Farmer's Market.
Uncle Jesse's Produce
Lidgerwood, ND
Uncle Jesse's Produce is a vegetable farm spanning close to 3 acres including many high-tunnels, heated greenhouses, and a unique climate battery-controlled hydroponic greenhouse. Uncle Jesse’s produces over 40 different types of vegetables and concentrates on gourmet varieties. He focuses on season extension and getting products out to customers early in the growing season. He sells at farmers markets, eateries, & through a CSA.
gardendwellers FARM & RANCH
Bottineau, ND
Gardendwellers Farm & Ranch has a diverse operation where they raise grass fed Katahdin sheep for lamb, broiler chickens on pasture, herbs, and cut flowers. They add value to their herbs by freeze-drying and selling for culinary use, as well as using their herbs, along with milk from their livestock, in soaps and other personal care products. They sell their products direct-to-consumer. They also raise dairy goats, a dairy cow, laying hens, ducks, pigs, and vegetables.
Growing Together
Fargo, ND
Growing Together Community Gardens is a community garden organization. They actively manage six gardens which meet 2-3 hours weekly. They also have a family garden for the education of young children and their parents. In 2020 they started the World Orchard which consists of 20 fruit trees and a berry patch. They sell their produce at a market on Tuesdays in Aug- Sept. They also do outreach in the community helping others start gardens.
Bear Creek Winery
South Fargo, ND
Founded as a family business in 2003, Bear Creek is one of the original wineries in the Red River Valley. In the beginning, they produced mainly fruit wines, but since 2010 have been solely devoted to exploring cold climate grapes and their capacity to produce fine wine. The property is 42 acres and has 2000 grapevines, two ponds, an organic garden, a tasting room/event center, an apple orchard, and a 9 hole golf course.
Exit 44 Flowers and More
Walcott, ND
Exit 44 Flowers & More aims to show that beautiful flowers and blooms can be locally grown in a responsible manner. This minimizes the carbon footprint of importing flowers from other countries. They have two acres of growing space with a mix of perennials and annuals and do not use any sprays that would harm pollinators. Exit 44 Flowers & More sells at local farmers markets and has a bouquet CSA where they deliver seasonal arrangements.
Forager Farm
Mandan, ND
Forager Farm is a diversified vegetable farm and microbakery. They have a forty-acre farm outside of Mandan where they grow certified organic vegetables, have rotationally grazed dairy goats, and raise pastured laying hens. They supply organic produce to the community by marketing to local restaurants, food co-ops, selling at farmers market, and operating a CSA. In addition to the veggies, they bake and sell artisan sourdough bread and pre-baked pizza crusts at BisMarket.
Doubting Thomas Farms
Moorhead, MN
Doubting Thomas Farm is a certified organic grain farm near Moorhead, MN. They farm 1200 acres and have a garden area and fruit trees. They grow hay, corn, wheat, barley, buckwheat, barley. The farm also produces added-value products for market. Doubting Thomas Farm also produces and malts oats and barley, and they have an ongoing USDA research project. They often hold on-farm classes and are engaged in community education and outreach.

NDSU HVC
Absaraka, ND
NDSU has a 40-acre research farm with an arboretum surrounded by annual, perennial, and woody plant research plots. The High Value Crops project has vegetable and CBD hemp trials on the farm, small fruit research (blackberries, grapes, haskaps, juneberries, and black currants) and a large high tunnel. The HVC project also has land/greenhouse space on the main experimental station in Fargo for grape breeding activities and hydroponic research.