currently we are not accepting internships

After many years of vibrancy and impactful work, Emerald Earth is at a crossroads. We have entered a hibernation period where we are dreaming and planning the next iteration of Emerald Earth. Please check back periodically to see what births from this exploration. Thank you for your interest in sharing the love of earth based living. Below is a description of what has been offered in the past and may be available in the future…more to be revealed.

Internships

Thanks for your interest in the Emerald Earth Internship program.  We get a lot of joy from the interns that come through our community.  Our internship season runs from April through October, though we occasionally accept interns off-season in special circumstances.

As an intern, you will become a part of our community, involved in land based activities such as: gardening, livestock care, building, food processing, general maintenance, chores, meal preparation and clean up. We are interested in folks who are able to be here for a month or more, and we request a minimum of a 10-day commitment. For a shorter visit, please read “Farmstay” link on our website.

Wholesome, delicious, organic meals will be prepared once or twice a day and shared by the entire community. Accommodations will be tent camping, with indoor accommodations in winter if possible.

We welcome a diverse group of people to live and work together in a mutually respectful and affirmative environment, using consensus process and open, direct communication.  Each intern will be assigned a mentor, who will be the intern’s main instructor & guide. After 10 days, interns will meet with their mentor to decide if a longer stay is beneficial for both residents and the intern.

The nature of the activities we do here requires participants to be fully present and able to put this experience at the top of their priority list. There are several traits we look for in potential interns.

-Curious

-Self directed when necessary

-open to learning

-flexible: plans change when we are working with the cycles of nature

-Willing and able to joyfully do physical labor 

-able to work with others and follow instructions

-dedicated to resource conservation 

-comfortable in extended periods outdoors

-commitment to being emotionally and mentally present

-commitment to engaging in open communication

-able to supply personal references

You will share meals, work, and common spaces with the other interns and our resident community.  Although our residents have many commitments on and off the land,  there are often opportunities to share a walk, a game, or a talk with other residents, especially around meal times and on days off. 

Typical Week

The average week will include about 20 hours of hands-on activities in the focus project, and 10 hours of participation in community projects, for example, shifts in the kitchen, helping with other projects on the land, and some meeting time devoted to the focus project.   Residents of the community are excited to offer instruction on various skills as interest is shown. Instruction may include: local botany; permaculture design; natural building; general carpentry; native plant ID; sustainable timber harvesting; watershed restoration; oak woodland management; bread baking; ferments; massage; yoga; and meditation.

Financial Exchange

All cost related to food and lodging will be covered by Emerald Earth. There is no financial charge to interns.

Application Process

Please continue reading for descriptions of internships that we offer seasonally.

If you are interested in moving forward please fill out the visitor intake form below. This is a brief “get to know you” correspondence.

After we review your answers we will get in touch.

Click here for Visitor Intake Form

Fall Internship

This fall we are seeking 2-3 interns to participate in all farm activities with a heavy emphasis on Forestry and preparation for a prescribed burn.

The 3 lucky individuals we seek are young, creative, flexible, eager to learn and participate in all aspects of the farm.

You must be

able to lift 40 lbs,

be self-motivated,  

be adaptable to limited internet service,

able to work alone or in groups,

comfortable with camping and composting toilets,

comfortable with outdoor work rain or shine,

a good communicator ,and most of all

ok with living in a rural setting with a small group of like minded people.

Some activities that you may be learning and engaging in are:

prepping garden beds

building gates

forestry work in preparation for a prescribed burn
food preservation

Animal Husbandry

Experiences  Interns will Gain at  EES:

Skills in their focus area

Experience in living more lightly on the Earth; using less resources

Opportunity to be more connected with non-humans and the environment

Building resilient community on land in the face of climate change

Profound understanding of land stewardship

Participation in a social environment that’s not dependant on social media

Maybe a few good jokes

Learning Consensus process

The joy of living in an intentional community

Nature connection

Living without traffic and ambient light

You can see the stars