Intern

Join our team and help us strengthen the High Country local food system.

Applications are accepted through the end of April, 2021 with a May 24, 2021 start date. Each Summer Associate VISTA position runs through the end of July for a 10 week period. Each Summer Associate receives a daily living allowance of $36.71 paid every other week for a total of $2,569.70 for the whole period. To learn more about other benefits of being a Summer Associate VISTA member, please click here.

Interviews will occur on a rolling basis.

Double Up Food Bucks & King Street Farmers' Market

The Double Up Food Bucks and King Street Farmers’ Market Summer Associate VISTA member work with BRWIA’s Double Up Food Bucks program and King Street Farmers’ Market as well as other farmers’ markets in Watauga County to increase access to local food in our community.

They will help with weekly Market operations and design and implement educational kid's activities at the market. The summer associate will also research and implement new community outreach opportunities and work to expand participation in the DUFB program and attendance at the KSM. They will market the value of local food through recipe cards, educational graphics, and promotional market events. And, the summer associate will help build relationships with producers through surveys and advisory committees as well as supporting the development of ongoing racial equity efforts in the local food system. Click here to learn more and apply.

Double Up Food Bucks & High Country Food Hub

The Double Up & Food Hub Summer Associate VISTA member will work with BRWIA’s Double Up Food Bucks program and High Country Food Hub (an innovative online farmers’ market) as well as emergency food relief projects operated with the Food Hub to increase access to local food in our community.

They will assist with general Food Hub operations, including: packing and distributing orders on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, sorting deliveries from producers, interacting with customers during order distribution. They will work to increase demand for local food through creative community events and new outreach initiatives. They will also develop and execute social media campaigns to market the Food Hub, educate consumers, and inspire more people to purchase locally. And, they will work on new equity and food justice initiatives alongside other BRWIA staff as they learn, in detail, the ins and outs of a vibrant local food system. Click here to learn more and apply.

F.A.R.M. Cafe & F.A.R.M. Full Circle @ Hospitality House

F.A.R.M. Cafe is hosting two Summer Associate VISTA members. One member will work with F.A.R.M. Cafe in downtown Boone at the Cafe and with F.A.R.M. Full Circle, a food recovery and distribution program. Another member will work with F.A.R.M. Full Circle's satellite site at the Hospitality House of Northwest NC with their food recovery and distribution program.

Summer Associate VISTA members will assist with day-to-day operations including food preparation, service, and distribution. In addition, VISTAs will represent F.A.R.M. Cafe at off-site events including farmers markets, pop-ups, and outreach/educational workshops. Click here to learn more and apply.

Qualifications for all internships:

Interest in High Country food systems or sustainable agriculture
Ability to work independently with self-guided initiative
Knowledge of and experience with social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram) and websites (Weebly, Squarespace)
Strong attention to detail and well organized
Strong written and verbal communication
Ability to complete tasks and respond to email communications in a timely manner
Comfortable interacting with diverse populations and speaking in front of groups of people
Working knowledge of Google Drive, Mailchimp, and Canva

Why Intern?

Thank you for your interest in interning with BRWIA. Should you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to info@brwia.org.

Internships offered:

Summer 2021 Z. Smith Reynolds Non-profit Internship

The ZSR Local Food Systems intern will support BRWIA’s mission by creating ties between producers and consumers, expanding equitable access to and demand for local food.

Position Description: The Local Food Systems intern will work across multiple programs focused on supporting producers and increasing consumers’ access to local foods. These programs include: the Female Farmer Profile Project, the Double Up Food Bucks program, and the High Country Food Hub. The intern’s primary focus will be our Female Farmer Profile Project. The intern will interview five female farmers, working with their supervisor to identify farmers and create interview questions. The interviews will be captured and compiled as videos, audio files, and/or written articles, depending on the intern’s skills and interests.

For more information and to apply, go here. Applications are due February 15th, 2021 at 12 pm.

Internships not currently accepting applications:

Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) Internship

Internship Responsibilities:

Work closely with the BRWIA staff to support the High Country Food Hub (must be available from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm on Tuesdays and/or for at least 4 hours between 8:00 am and 6:30 pm on Wednesdays)
Help with creating content for the newsletter and social media posts and general day-to-day upkeep at the Food Hub
Interact directly with local food producers/farmers
Develop CRAFT workshops and roundtable discussions for producers/farmers
Other duties pertaining to the CRAFT program as needed by BRWIA staff

For more information on the CRAFT program, click here.

Time Commitment:
5-20 hours a week (must be available during at least one of the time slots listed above), depending on interest, program, and duration of the internship.

Food Hub Internship

Internship Responsibilities:

Work closely with the BRWIA staff to support the High Country Food Hub
Interact directly with local food producers/farmers as well as Market patrons.
Help with organizing orders at the Food Hub for pickup day (must be available from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm on Tuesdays and/or for at least 4 hours between 8:00 am and 6:30 pm on Wednesdays)
Help with creating content for the newsletter and social media posts and general day-to-day upkeep at the Food Hub
Other duties pertaining to market programs as needed by BRWIA Staff

Time Commitment:
5-20 hours a week (must be available during at least one of the time slots listed above), depending on interest, program, and duration of the internship.

Farmers' Market Internship

Internship Responsibilities:

Work closely with the BRWIA staff to support the King Street Farmers' Market program and the Winter Farmers' Market program.
Provide assistance at the Market Managers' booth, including processing SNAP/EBT and Double Up Food Bucks transactions, helping to plan, publicize, and facilitate weekly special events including musical performances and cooking demos, and collecting/analyzing market data.
Interact directly with local food producers/farmers as well as market patrons.
Help with creating content for newsletter, social media posts, and printed promotional material.
Complete routine tasks such as set-up/break-down of the Market space.
Other duties pertaining to market program as needed by BRWIA Staff.