Student Farmers
NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE FALL 2024!
Click here to submit an application. The deadline for applying is April 22, 2024
Student Farmers are the backbone of the Dickinson College Farm, working in groups and independently on farm-based projects. Student Farmers can expect to work with the seasons and demands of the farm, from planting and harvesting and construction projects to livestock work and field work. Students interested in gaining a full spectrum of farm experience are encouraged to apply.
More About Working at the Farm during the Academic Year
Students interested in working at the College Farm during the academic year
have the opportunity to earn up to 15 hours of work per week at a competitive pay rate. The College Farm is a diversified program offering opportunities for hands-on experience in sustainable food production, renewable energy, animal husbandry, and lots more! Our program manages the campus composting project, dedicates 85% of its land space to raise food for the dining hall and is involved with many community-based projects; from class visits, to educational field days, workshops and public tours. Student farmers can be sure to be involved with all aspects of the farm’s projects!
Student farmers employed at the College Farm are required to work a minimum of 6 hours per week from Monday through Saturday (depending on the time of year). The work is fun, outdoors, and physically engaging. The College Farm seeks good-natured students, ready for hard work, interested in gaining hands-on experience and willing to try to new things!
Position Overview: College Farm Student Workers will work alongside apprentices, under the direction of the Crew Leader and Farm Managers, to execute the day-to-day tasks of Organic vegetable production, grass-based livestock husbandry, renewable energy projects, and general farm maintenance. In this role, with enthusiastic participation, student workers will gain valuable agricultural and workplace skills that should be transferable and useful to a wide variety of career ambitions.
Compensation Package: Student workers will receive $9.90/hour.
Program Culture: Success in any business, but especially agriculture, is dependent on hustle, efficient workflow, and diligence from all participants. The farm management team loves the work they do and find beauty and joy on the farm nearly every day, yet they have learned through experience that achieving good harvests and a healthy agroecosystem requires constantly pushing themselves to be faster, smarter, and more organized. Farmers do not sleep well at night if the crops and livestock are not properly cared for. Managers set ambitious goals for vegetable and livestock production and health, as well as for a diversity of education and outreach programming.
Student workers should be prepared to be pushed to develop their hustle as a core skill set that will benefit them in any future employment. Everyone can learn to work like a successful professional farmer if they approach the role with an open mind and a positive attitude. Since student workers play a key role in sharing the culture of hustle and efficiency with students and volunteers on the farm, this will be a recurring theme in the apprentice training program throughout the season. We hope student workers will embrace this mentality as part of the fun of “winning” at the game of farming.