AGRICULTURE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

We hosted our first cohort of interns in early 2019. Our Agricultural Internship is a hands-on, interactive and practical farming experience focused on the particular aspects of farming successfully in Hawaii’s year-round tropical climate. We are committed to the success of our interns because their success gets us closer to our mission and vision of nurturing the next generation of food producers on our beautiful island. The program design is a interactive learning experience connected to multiple aspects of real-world farming.

The purpose of the program is to help individual’s transition from their current situation into a full or part-time farming opportunity. This is a paid internship for people of all ages who have experience with landscaping, home gardening, small farming or farming enthusiast; it is not for a beginner gardener. Some gardening or farming experience is required. The program is an experiential learning environment for individuals looking for an opportunity to develop a career in agriculture. There are a total of two sessions with each session being about 25 weeks long.

During the first session, interns will learn how to maintain a crop, propagate, and harvest. They will learn about composting, soil science, equipment handling, and proper documentation required for FSMA and GAP certification which AHK holds. These teachings are provided by practicing farm and administrative staff with hands-on practical learning.

During the second session, the interns will expand their hands-on farming experience while also working on ancillary skills and processes such as creating their own farming business, QuickBooks financial planning and tracking software, branding, marketing, and business management. The intern will become entrusted to supervise a portion of a crop that they will run as their own. They will have the opportunity to sign up for KCAC plot licenses which will allow them to farm independently at KCAC. 

Course of Study

In the first 6 months, the interns perform and study the following topics:

  • Farm and Field Preparation

  • Soil Health, Composting and Worm Casting

  • Propagation/Direct Seeding

  • Harvesting/Post Harvesting

  • Crop Management 1.0

  • Farm Equipment & Maintenance 1.0

  • FSMA & GAP Requirements and QB Bookkeeping 1.0

The second 6 months, interns will continue to practice all they learned prior in addition to the following topics: 

  • Crop Management & Harvesting 2.0

  • Farm Equipment & Maintenance 2.0

  • FSMA & GAP Requirements 2.0

  • Farm Advanced Planning & QB Financials 2.0

  • Farm Branding and Marketing 1.0

  • Farm Business Operations Management 1.0 

Interested in becoming an ag Intern?

Sent us an email at info@ainahookupuokilauea.org

or CLICK HERE to fill out our Contact Form!