We are currently hiring students for the upcoming 2026 summer!

The Dickinson College Farm employs students as student farmers. Learn more about these positions below. Applications will be reviewed as they are received. The final deadline for applying is March 27th, 2026. Please contact Alex Smith at smithro@dickinson.edu with any questions.

To apply for the summer student farmer position, please click here.

Summer Employment Details

The College Farm Summer 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, waste-to-energy work with the farm’s biogas project, and general farm maintenance. In this role, with enthusiastic participation, Summer Student Workers will gain valuable agricultural and workplace skills that should be transferable and useful to a wide variety of career ambitions.  The Summer Student Worker position begins in mid to late May and ends Friday, August 28th. Our workdays are 7:30 AM to 4:30PM Monday through Friday, with an unpaid, one-hour lunch break. 

Compensation Package: Summer student workers will receive $9.60/hr; free on-campus housing; daily transportation to and from the farm; discounted access to farm products; and free access to our “up-for-grabs” produce bin.  

Our Commitment to Employee Development: We endeavor to provide varied opportunities both on and off the farm for personal and career development for all employees. This includes: 

  1. Weekly paid farm meetings and educational programs during the summer  
  1. Occasional field trips to respected, local food system enterprises during the paid work week. 
  1. Optional social visits or educational visits to other farms during evening/weekend hours 
  1. Exposure to ongoing experimental and investigative projects at the farm 
  1. Engaging in farm-based community educational outreach events 
  1. Access to optional relevant readings 
  1. Personal mentorship 
  1. Networking and connections for future employment opportunities 
  1. Opportunity to and support for participation in the PASA Diversified Vegetable Pre-Apprenticeship Program 

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. We hope student workers will embrace this mentality as part of the fun of “winning” at the game of farming.  

More Position Details

Summer farm crew stand-up hoeing

Student farmers are the backbone of our operation on the farm. They work alongside our farm managers and post-graduate apprentices to complete an assortment of daily projects. During the school year and over the summer, the farm employs students on the farm. Summer employment is full-time and during the school year, student farmers must maintain an average of six hours per week work morning or afternoon shifts. They also have the opportunity to work at events like Harvest Fest and Oktoberfrest. See below for more information on what it’s like to be a student farmer!

What can I hope to learn through my job on the farm?

Dickinson students can apply to work at the farm during the academic year or over the summer.

What does a student job on the farm entail? This is our favorite question to answer! …Everything. Each and every day is different. Student farmers spend their days seeding, transplanting, weeding, watering, harvesting, and washing crops. They have worked on construction projects, such as building the yurts and greenhouses, and installing solar energy systems.

Our program manages the campus composting project, dedicates a large portion of its land space to growing food for the dining hall, and is involved with many community-based projects including class visits, educational field days, workshops, and public tours. Student farmers are involved with all aspects of the farm’s projects.

What are we looking for in a student farmer?

The farm employs Dickinson students who are enthusiastic, ready for hard work and willing to try to new things. Successful applicants will have a keen interest in exploring sustainable land management first-hand.

What are the hours like for student farmers?

During the academic year, students can earn up to 15 hours of work per week. A minimum of six work hours per week is required.

Summer student farmer positions start in late May and run until classes resume in late August. Students are required to fulfill 40 hours of work per week, Monday through Friday. Our days start at 7:30am and end at 4:30pm with a one-hour lunch. Students receive free on campus housing for the duration of their employment at the farm and free transportation to and from the farm for work purposes.

What do other students have to say about their experiences working on the farm?

“Not everyone gets to say ‘Oh awesome, I get to work today’ after a difficult week full of stress from assignments and deadlines. It’s an awesome feeling to be outside and work with my body to accomplish something, and even more gratifying to be a part of growing the food my peers and I will be eating. Even better is that I get to work surrounded by an amazing team of my fellow student farmworkers and wonderful volunteers. The experiences I’ve had through the farm, and the friendships I’ve made there, are definitely some of my favorite highlights of my time at Dickinson.”- Natalie Cassidy ’18, Environmental Science and Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean Studies

“Having worked on the farm during the summer in addition to the school year, I believe the act of farming facilitates gratitude and allows for one to experience an overwhelming sense of thankfulness and fulfillment. I will truly miss the Dickinson College Farm after graduation and all the amazing and inspiring people that have greatly impacted my college career.” – Tess Zahn ’18, Environmental Science

“The farm has played such a great role in my time at Dickinson. The work is hard, but rewarding, and my shifts provide an incredible opportunity to forget what’s happening in the outside world and focus on the task at hand. Plus it’s fun to get really dirty!” – Katie Overstrum ’20, Environmental Science

Not interested in employment at the farm? That’s ok: we’d love to welcome you as a volunteer! Or, perhaps you’re interested in working with us to organize your next student organization or department event? If so, email farm@dickinson.edu!