Western Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education
(SARE) Farm Internship Curriculum and Handbook

The Western Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) Farm Internship Curriculum was designed to be used by individual farmers during the course of the workweek. Ideally, a farmer will use the In-Field curriculum when he or she is demonstrating a new task to interns.

Its companion Handbook, was authored by Maud Powell and developed and tested by Oregon farmers and interns It details successful methods of recruitment, hiring, negotiating with, training, and managing interns.

This project was funded by a grant from Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), Western Region.

Farm Internship Handbook
Farm internships provide quality on-farm opportunities for hopeful future organic farmers. Well-trained interns are in a better position to become successful producers, which helps increase the pool of farmers, especially younger ones. Read More »

Farm Internship Curriculum
Nineteen modules represent outlines and notes for farmers to discuss various sustainable agriculture topics with their interns. See Using the Farm Intern Curriculum.

Notes for the nine field study modules include:

Using the Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Farm Intern Curriculum

The Western SARE curriculum is comprised of nine "In-Field" topics and nineteen "Classroom" topics.

The In-Field cards are designed to be used by individual farmers during the course of the workweek. Ideally, a farmer will use the In-Field curriculum cards when he or she is demonstrating a new task to interns. Before beginning the work, the farmer will spend ten to twenty minutes explaining the main bulleted points on the card. The cards are meant to act as a guide, and the farmer should feel free to add his or her own observations and experiences to the points listed. There may also be regional or site-specific information that would add to the interns' learning experience and understanding of the farm. Barring inclement weather, the farmer should use the In-Field curriculum card on site, so that he or she can demonstrate various techniques listed. The farmer may opt to review cards during the middle of the season. After an intern has been performing a task for weeks or months, this review of the basics may be very useful.

The Classroom topics can be used either by individual farmers or a group of farmers. If an individual farmer is using the curriculum, he or she can decide whether to set up a schedule at the beginning of the season, or remain more flexible and use the Classroom lessons as needed. We recommend developing a written schedule at the beginning of the season and providing a copy to interns, so that they can see what subjects will be covered over the course of the season. As the season gets busier, intern classes may become a low priority, but having a written schedule at the outset of the season will improve the chances of them taking place. There may be times during the season when the farmer and/or interns need a break at the time of a scheduled class. The farmer and interns should decide together whether they want to reschedule or cancel the class. Although it is best not to set an early precedent of changing or canceling classes, if the interns and/or farmers lack energy and enthusiasm, classes may not be worthwhile.

Most farmers have found that they have more time and energy to teach the lessons during April, May, June, September, and October, so plan accordingly. It may be best to schedule weekly classes for the first few months while interns are learning the ropes, and then scale back to one or two classes a month during the height of the growing season. The order of the lessons is up to the farmer, but will make the most sense if taught during the most appropriate season, e.g., Greenhouse 101 in April, Cover Crops in October.

--Maud Powell

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