FARRMS Food System Internship Ends for the Season!

Throughout the summer, FARRMS piloted a comprehensive Food System Internship aimed to cultivate the next generation of local food leaders, equipping them with valuable leadership skills and a profound appreciation for the people and processes that bring local food to our communities. This immersive program provided interns with hands-on experiences across the production, marketing, distribution, and access of local foods. By working at sustainable farms, food co-ops, and public health offices in Bismarck and Fargo, interns connected with key stakeholders and gained a deep understanding of the intricacies of local food systems. Weekly sessions on topics like soil health, composting, community nutrition, and food sovereignty further enriched their learning.

Family Roots Farm and Red River Harvest Cooperative, both in the Fargo area, jointly hosted two interns, Alex and Hope. The two shared a holistic farm to table experience by growing and harvesting produce on the farm and then packaging and marketing that same produce at the co-op. They were inspired by their work to collaborate on an independent project where they created an Instagram account dedicated to sharing new recipes and ways to utilize the produce from the food co-op. Check out their page on Instagram @self_assured_farming

Bismarck Burleigh Public Health hosted the third FARRMS intern, Michele, where she spent working at congregate meal sites such as the Dream Center Banquet and Heaven’s Helpers Soup Cafe in Bismarck, ND. She also spent a portion of her internship at local farmers markets, special local food events, and on an Organic Certified farm. Michele has focused her internship experience on exploring SNAP benefits and cultivating community connections as a newcomer to the area. 

FARRMS is committed to empowering local communities and fostering the next generation of sustainable food leaders. To achieve this, we sought mentorship from experts within our communities and offered weekly internship classes from May to August. These class sessions explored the multifaceted nature of sustainability and the local food system. Guest speakers from diverse organizations shared insights into their work within North Dakota's food system, sparking thoughtful discussions and reflections.

The FARRMS internship program has taken many forms over the years, with alumni going on to operate their own farms, teaching students as agriculture educators,  managing food hubs, and working as local food coordinators.  While we have enjoyed witnessing the growth of the Food System Interns, we are currently evaluating how the internship program will look in the future. Between conversations with farmers about their needs and how FARRMS can best serve them, we will be adjusting the program to better reflect our mission.

We can’t wait to see what Alex, Hope, and Michele go on to achieve!

Here's what they had to say about their experiences:

Alex: "I had a lot of fun in the food system internship. I learned a lot about the system as a whole. FARRMS provided a great opportunity for hands-on learning and it was really fun!"

"I learned a lot more about the questions I had going into this internship and FARRMS has really helped facilitate a lot of that. Going into the internship I was really interested in learning more about Indigenous Food Sovereignty and we actually had a meeting on that really in the summer which was really cool to learn about."

Hope: "I didn't have a whole concept going in [to the internship]. I knew a big thing I really wanted to do was look more into the local food aspect. Growing up I was always shown Farmers Markets and everything like that [and wondered] what's the process behind that? What's behind the scenes? ... It's kind of cool to see how all of that can be put together and how much people can rely on each other to create such an atmosphere."

Michele: "I am a MN native, but my roots are not. When I accepted the FARRMS’ internship opportunity, it was on the heels of a 2023-24 Illinois-based farm beginnings virtual learning cohort recommending I experience an internship…. Imagine my excitement when the door opened with FARRMS, and they did lay out the perfect hybrid opportunity involving an organic farm and public health. However, I both underestimated the very dynamic food & ag systems of North Dakota with all its labyrinth of partners involving all the dynamic work they’re doing together and overestimated my capacity for all its vast depth and breadth; I didn’t know what I didn’t know. Thankfully, this venture held a food systems public health systems emphasis, and this was a more manageable or realistic pivot for me at this time given my previous career in the non-profit sector for regional community health and human services. While keeping my feet on the earth and reaching for the stars, I’m still learning and look forward to finding my niche in North Dakota’s sustainable ag and food systems; it is a process. Learning how FARRMS is a great support for all things organic and sustainable agriculture and MORE, I now realize I have support for forward movement and growing capacity toward achieving agricultural and food-systems related dreams, as I return to my generational roots here in ND."