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  • From: CSAfarmer AT aol.com
  • To: market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Re: Interns
  • Date: Sat, 24 Jun 2000 06:54:21 EDT


Well...interns are all different! After 11 years of several a year, I have
horror stories and fond memories. Sometimes they are fantastic
folks...sometimes they are downright unhelpful and even dangerous.

I list through international WWOOF and all over the internet, plus through
local schools and colleges and posters at the food co-ops. It's best to have
a firm set of farm rules. They must be read and an agreement signed. All
expectations should be made crystal clear up-front. The more rigorous the
screening, the more likely you are to find gems. Taking in an intern is a lot
like getting married...you need to choose well! You will have a close
relationship for at least a growing season.

Folks through WWOOF belong to their country's organization, but I don't know
of any other way to check them out except through talking and letters. We
were supposed to have a woman from Japan here this summer, but at the last
minute she said her mother was ill so she couldn't come after all.

An intern is not getting paid wages, so that eliminates a lot of INS
problems. We had a Mexican boy stay with us for 9 months and that got
complicated because he didn't enter the country with permission to stay that
long. We had to help him get a lawyer and deal with awful paperwork. It's
ultimately the intern's responsibility to get into the country and do it
legally.

You can look at the intern page of my website. I make it sound more boring
and primitive than it is to weed out slackers. The truly anxious to learn are
undaunted by adversity ;-) My experience is that interns are way better than
paid employees...they are interested in everything, curious, motivated, ask
questions and actually work more than I expect them to. I love sharing
knowledge and am looking for that special intern who would like to take over
my CSA of 11 years. The intern we have right now just may be that person.

So...if anyone out there is looking for an internship...we are still looking
for a few. Last year there were 6...and that makes for a nice little
community. Also, check out pics of the farm and our underground house on the
website ;-)

Wendy S. Martin
Peace and Carrots Farm
Calais, Vermont
<A HREF="http://www.homestead.com/peaceandcarrots";>http://www.homestead.com/pe
aceandcarrots</A>



  • Interns, cshel, 06/23/2000
    • <Possible follow-up(s)>
    • Re: Interns, CSAfarmer, 06/24/2000
    • Re: Interns, Windwalker, 06/24/2000

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