Olney Friends School Farm Intern

Intern on Olney Friends School's certified organic farm. Work with a variety of crops and livestock in the summer of 2022 with the goal of growing nutritious food for the Olney community. Work with the farm managers on Olney's small boarding school campus in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.

Dates of Positions:

June 1st - August 10th, 2022 

Dates coincide with Olney’s summer break. Altered start/end dates can be discussed.

Founded in 1837 by Quakers, Olney Friends School is a day and boarding college-preparatory high school located in Barnesville, Ohio. The Olney community has been sustainably managing our now 350 acres of woods, fenced pasture, and about 100 acres of tillage land since moving to the area. Today we certify all 350 acres of land as USDA organic and use organic methods to grow much of the food for the school. 

This summer we will continue improving our farm to table program. Interns can expect to gain skills in animal husbandry in their work with the following groups of animals raised for slaughter: 40 head beef herd, a small goat herd, broiler chickens, turkeys and pigs. We are especially working on improving our grass-fed beef genetics, rotation, and fencing. Additionally, we have a flock of about 50 free range layer hens. We grow many of our own fresh vegetables for consumption during the school year. 

Given that much of the growing season lands when school is not in session, we have been working to store and preserve more food. One goal is to work directly with our school kitchen to process, store, can, and freeze summer produce. Interns should expect to work with all aspects of the farm to table process from seed starting to preserving food or plating meals. Based on individual initiative, it can be arranged to focus on one area of the farm to table program E.g., vegetable growing, pasture raised meat production, cooking and preserving. 

Committing to this internship indicates that interns are ready to trade their work for a stipend and room and board, but also the knowledge, skills, and experience that Olney’s farm and community can offer. 

Required Skills 

• A strong, self-motivated work ethic with the ability to work independently as well as with farm managers and other interns 
• Effective communication with management and other team members
• Ability to maintain a positive attitude through adversity. We are looking for interns who can try new things, fail, and continue striving to improve themselves and Olney’s farm
• Ability to lift 50+ lbs and work under changing conditions
• Think communaly. Interns will enter into Olney’s small, close knit community and should expect to engage positively with faculty, students, and alumni in addition to farm work

Other Requirements

• 18+ years of age
• Interns must supply their own appropriate boots, shoes, gloves, hats, etc for farm work
• Demonstrate professionalism in work and time off on Olney’s campus

Responsibilities and Skill Development:

• Hours: 40 hours/week, rain or shine, Monday - Friday with rotating weekend chore responsibilities
• Daily farm chores related to caring for beef cattle, goats, chickens, pigs, gardens, vegetable fields, washing and preparing produce
• Learn animal skills, including herding, administering medication, loading animals
• Fence building and maintenance
• Pasture management including implementing rotation and multi-species grazing
• Vegetable bed preparation, equipment care, direct seeding and transplanting, mechanical and hand weeding, watering and harvest
• Hoop house management
• Greenhouse seed starting and transplant management
• Sustainable soil management including contour tillage, crop rotation, compost making, and nutrient management
• Processing, freezing, and canning as well as preparing farm to table vegetables and meals
• Develop an understanding of government promoted environmental incentive grants
• Crop and livestock organic certification requirements and recordkeeping

Compensation

Interns will receive $200 per week as well as housing and 2 meals/day Monday-Friday. Olney is willing to apply this internship experience towards college credit. Additionally, interns should expect to visit local farms and sustainable food organizations working towards improving sustainable agriculture in the Ohio Valley as part of intern education. 

Olney Friends School is an equal opportunity employer. Olney Friends School does not discriminate in employment on account of race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship status, ancestry, age, sex, (including sexual harassment), sexual orientation, marital status, physical or mental disability, military status or unfavorable discharge from military service.

How to apply:

Please send a resume with a letter of interest to

Cayce Morrison, Assistant Farm Manager: Email: cayce@olneyfriends.org

Phone: (206) 914-6867