Seasonal Internship

We are NOW accepting 2024 applications.  2 positions available for immediate start.  All applicants must be fully vaccinated.

Seasonal Internships of 3-6 months are offered for people who want a deep experience of farm life but who may not know if farming will be their career; who want to enhance their understanding and appreciation of food and nature and who love hard, very physical work, outdoors, doing something worthwhile for the planet.  Seasonal Internship at Moon In The Pond also helps build an aspiring farmer’s skill and experience in a variety of areas.  Like “New Farmer Full-Year” apprentices, Seasonal Interns participate in most of the same tasks and operations of the farm (please read “New Farmer Full-Year Apprentice” listing), but for a much shorter term: a growing season.  As with all farm positions it is a full-immersion-whatever-it-takes, farm life.

Our Seasonal Interns are a vital force on the farm. We look for passionate, intelligent people who can learn quickly and work hard.

We strongly encourage BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ and members of any communities underrepresented in organic farming to apply.

Expect to muck, mulch, milk, mow, herd, hay, harvest, hoe, water, weed, weed, seed, feed, fence, fix, forage, clean, weed, plant, transplant, tidy, weed, clean, scrub, pick, stake, rake, wash, weed, build, record, sweep, swear, study, organize, observe, report, clean, cry, compost, cook, swear, laugh, laugh and laugh. There are always special projects underway and all projects are special. Work is life and includes at least 55+ hours/week, with hours and days varying necessarily. We work hard at a steady pace, outdoors, in the sun/rain, cold/heat, beautiful Berkshire weather.

4 positions start on a rolling basis according to applicants’ availability.  Applications are accepted year-round within 2 months of proposed start.  For Internship, a 3-6 month commitment is required.  Skills/experience desired:  Outdoor work experience.  Ability and willingness to perform demanding physical labor.  Driver’s license and clean record required.  Ability and willingness to work alone and/or others.  Facility with hand tools, basic carpentry, and gardening skills a plus.

Full board is provided.  All meals are organic and from the farm when available: veggies, meat, eggs, milk, yogurt, honey, fruit, etc. Cooking and amazing meals are a big part of the experience.  Accommodation (room) on-farm for Seasonal Interns is provided as space is available.  (Interns may live off-farm.)

Seasonal Interns staying more than 3 months receive a stipend of $400/month in addition to room, board and instruction.  It is necessary that applicants assess their financial status and determine if they are able to support themselves for the duration of their commitment.  (50% of stipend is paid bi-monthly, 50% is held in escrow and paid in a lump sum after 3 months. Interns who depart before completing 3 months forfeit.)

Application Requirements:

Outdoor work experience is required to apply. Varied work experience is valuable. Applicants must be willing to work long, hard hours and meet a broad range of physical, mental and emotional challenges inherent in farm life.

A working farm visit of 3 days for Seasonal Interns is required as early in the application process as possible. Please make the necessary arrangements and provide dates with your application.

Sequence and Timeline

Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to visit the farm (by arrangement) any time before beginning the application process.

Applications are accepted year-round within 2 months of proposed start.

1.) Email your application as detailed (5 items below).  2.) We’ll schedule a phone or personal interview (preferred).  3.)  We’ll then schedule a work-trial-visit.  4.) If all goes well, candidate is accepted for Seasonal Internship and start date and term are confirmed.

Positions start on rolling basis according to housing availability.

(Please note: In keeping with the experience of real farm life, holidays and weekends (Fri., Sat., Sun.) are farm work days.  While there’s time off, there’s no “weekend”.)

To Apply

Submit the following 5 items by email (to dom “at” mooninthepond.org) with subject line “Internship Application”, no earlier than 2 months before proposed start date.

  1. Letter of intent—Give me your story and why you think this would be a good situation for you.  Be specific.
  2. Resume—be sure to include: a) all basic personal information (include date of birth, address, phone and your cell phone); b) education; c) work history—include dates (month and year), position, and responsibilities held, supervisors’ names, email and phone numbers.
  3. References–2 work, 2 personal.  Include relationships and current emails and phone numbers.
  4. Proposed dates for a) phone/personal interview b) work-trial-visit c) internship start and end dates.
  5. Recent photo.
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