New Roots Agriculture Intern

OVERVIEW:

The New Roots program at IRC is an initiative to support gardening, food security, nutrition, enterprise, and production within the US network of IRC offices. New Roots Tucson supports refugee food security and aids in their transition to the community through gardening, local food access initiatives and small business farming. We are looking for committed, inventive, hard-working, and enthusiastic individuals with interests in organic farming and community empowerment. The position works alongside a New Roots staff member on site in the gardens as well as planning virtually and in the office. This fall, in addition to supporting general garden maintenance and providing agricultural assistance to participants, the New Roots intern will work with the team and participants to plan for and build a greenhouse. The New Roots Agriculture Intern would provide support to increase the capacity of New Roots programming at IRC in Tucson.

Please note that this is an unpaid position.

This is an in-person position with the possibility of occasional remote work.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Help staff with ongoing garden projects at 3+ garden sites (e.g. planting, cleaning, weeding, general site maintenance). 

• Develop new infrastructure projects to benefit the refugee garden sites (compost systems, greenhouse, permaculture infrastructures, murals, accessible infrastructure, post-harvest wash station improvements, etc.) 

• Assist with preparation and presentation of farm and garden workshops. 

• Communicate with farm and garden participants about upcoming events and to share relevant gardening and farming information. 

• Assist in securing donations of materials and technical advice to support community gardeners. 

• Track inventory of seeds, tools, and materials for the program. 

REQUIREMENTS:

• Experience or demonstrated interest in food issues, gardening, garden design, or food security issues, preferably in a multicultural context. 

• Ability to communicate and work effectively as a team member in a multicultural environment. 

• Willingness to work outside in variable weather conditions.  

• Ability to meet at garden sites, primarily in central Tucson. 

• Ability to self-direct and communicate effectively  
• Ability to maintain confidentiality regarding client information 
• Strong verbal and written skills in English
• Punctual and reliable

• Technology requirements:  

oInterns will be required to use their own technology tools to work on virtual opportunities.  

oIRC is not responsible for any personal device expenses such as personal smartphones, tablets, hotspots, data charges, etc.  

oAll personal devices must:  

§Be kept current with all operating system updates and security patches,  

§Use a password or PIN with a minimum of 4 characters to log onto smartphones and tablets and 8 alpha and numeric characters for a laptop.  

§Have lock screen set to 10 minutes or less with a password required to unlock the device  

§Configurations must be set to delete all data or lock after 10 unsuccessful attempts to enter a password or PIN. Lockout period must be no less than 30 minutes.  

• Additional policy details will be discussed during orientation and training.  

CLEARANCES:

All offers are contingent on successfully passing background and criminal history checks as required by federal and state law or by IRC policy.

COMMITMENT:

• SUMMER: Minimum 15 hours per week for 3 months
• FALL/SPRING: Minimum 15 hours per week for 14 weeks
• Primary availability during IRC business hours (M-F; 9:00am-5:00pm)
• Preference given to applicants able to make multi-term commitment

Reports To: Eli Young, New Roots Farm & Garden Specialist