Summer Farm Crew Internship

***To apply

Please fill out this Google form with a cover letter and resume.

MEVO (Mahwah Environmental Volunteers Organization, Inc.) is recruiting hard-working college students with the desire to make an impact on our environment’s future through our 2026 Farm Crew. This internship is designed for motivated and passionate individuals who want to develop hands-on skills in organic farming and learn the principles of community-based suburban agriculture. We offer an experience that shows you how to create, develop, and implement community farming on a local level, how to manage a not-for-profit farm, teach educational programs, and productively grow vegetables for sale to restaurants, CSA members, and a farmers’ market.

Farm Crew Details 

Title: Farm Crew Member

Start Date: May 18th, 2026

End Date: August 12th, 2026 

Days for the Internship: Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday
 

Work Hours: 9 am – 5 pm

Pay: $1500 stipend

Additional Compensation: Organic veggies and herbs

Housing: We are working to provide free housing at Ramapo College for a select number of interns through a memorial fund to honor our late board member, Sandy Shevack. If distance from Mahwah or lack of transportation poses a barrier to internship participation. Please note if this could be applicable to you on the application form.   
 

Work 

This summer you and your fellow crew members will work to carry out regenerative agriculture projects:

• Maintaining the MEVO Fresh Roots Farm, a two-acre sustainable farm and our new growing spaces at Lottie’s Farm, both in Mahwah. Farm work includes: preparing beds for planting, planting, seeding, harvesting and processing produce, managing compost piles, pruning, pest management, and preparing for CSA & restaurant pick-up/drop-off. Our crew will also manage volunteers and day-to-day farm tasks.
• Working with Volunteers. Every Sunday we have a community open volunteer day that lasts the duration of your workday. You will learn how to work with and manage volunteers of all backgrounds and abilities to join us in our farm work.
• Teaching sustainable agriculture. Our crew will teach educational programs on organic farming, local food systems, the impact of conventional food systems, environmental values on food, beekeeping, and more. During the summer, most of our teaching is to volunteer groups through 1 on 1 conversation, but we also occasionally get larger volunteer groups and scout groups. 

Training & Education

Week 1: May 18th - May 22nd

• General Training: This training week is designed to introduce crew members to MEVO’s mission, our broader environmental community, and train basic leadership skills. Throughout the week, we instruct on topics such as leadership, public speaking, environmental careers, alternative living, volunteer event planning and management, organic farming, health and wellness, and much more. We present on these topics through a mix of guest speakers, site visits, and staff presentations. In addition, this is a time for interns and MEVO staff to get to know each other so we will do plenty of team building and a group hike. Each day runs approximately from 9 am-5 pm. Hours may vary as the dates approach. 

  Week 2: May 25th-27th (please note, these dates may shift slightly to accommodate Memorial Day)

• Crew Specific Training: The second week will be Crew Specific Training week. Each crew leader runs training to prepare crews for the specialized work they will be accomplishing throughout the summer. The farm crew will spend their week learning from their Crew Leader, Farm Manager, other farms, community gardeners, and herbalists. Training will take place on the Fresh Roots Farm and other locations in the area. Each day runs approximately from 9 am-5 pm. Hours may vary as the dates approach.  

Group Trips

• Vermont and Upstate New York, July 14th-19th:  On this trip, we’ll spend the bulk of our time camping off-grid in a rustic cabin and working at Merck Forest and Farmland Center (MFFC) in Rupert, Vermont. During our time at Merck, we will be working in their forest maintaining trails and the sugar bush, on the farm working with animals and crops, and in the sap house splitting and stacking wood. We will also have a ton of fun hiking, swimming, and exploring the town of Manchester, VT.  Towards the end of the week, we will leave MFFC to work and learn at our friends at Essex Farm CSA, in Essex New York, a unique full diet community-supported agriculture (CSA) farm.
  • This trip is largely funded by MEVO and crew leaders. MEVO cooks and provides as many meals as possible, but some nights we go to town for a meal, which will be the responsibility of the intern to cover. 

Responsibilities and Requirements 

• Physical volunteering and getting dirty: MEVO’s volunteer work is tiring and you need to be in good physical shape and willing to work hard. You will spend A LOT of your summer outdoors on the farm in the heat and mud, rain or shine!
• Public speaking and leadership: We want you to end your internship with the ability to be a leader and get people involved. This means that you will speak in front of groups of people of all ages and be asked to make difficult decisions, at times with little guidance.
• Teaching and volunteer management: Every Farm Crew member will work with volunteers, corporate groups and more to teach about sustainability and growing food. You have to be willing to teach, improvise, and have patience with your students/ volunteers. You will also need to be energized to excite both students and volunteers about what you have to share. Teaching will be carried out in both structured more formal styles and through hands-on experiential education. 
• Willingness to get the job done: Some days we work late to finish the task at hand or have to get to the farm early in order to get our projects accomplished. Please make sure your days and early evenings are completely free on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays .We suggest that you refrain from scheduling evening summer classes and work shifts during these days in order to accommodate longer work days when required. Plus, you’ll be beat!
• Completion of a Summer Special Project: This is an interpretative project to showcase your summer experience in MEVO. This is not meant to feel like a chore or schoolwork, but rather something to show your fellow interns and MEVO staff on the last day of the internship. Special projects have included a mural at the farm, herbal skin care made with MEVO herbs, a MEVO recipe book, and more. More details will be provided during the internship 

Requirements

•  Mode of transportation: We operate throughout northern New Jersey which means we will be traveling to different locations for work and training. You need to have a practical way to get to our meet-up locations in Mahwah, NJ. We carpool most days so you will either be driving a carpool or carpooling in someone else’s ride. 
• Attendance: 
  • This is a 344 hour position. At minimum, you must complete 336 hours (this allows for 2 days off). If you do not complete 336 hours, we will not provide you with a certificate of completion for the internship or submit documents and evaluations needed for class credit for your school. Excessive absences or lateness will result in a possible dismissal from the program. 
    • Every intern can have up to two days off during the internship.
    • If a prior vacation has been planned an intern can take 1 consecutive week of vacation spanning a three day internship work week. The intern will be responsible for making up only 1 of those days. 
  • Trips: There will be a week-long trip to Vermont and Update New York (July 14th-19th) and attendance is mandatory. Please make sure you are physically and mentally able to participate in this trip. It is a high point of the internship, provides some of the most rewarding experiences of the summer, and is meant to push you out of your comfort zone. You must attend the trip to complete your summer internship.
• Training: You must be able to attend all days of summer crew training (May 17th-May 21st and May 26th-28th), so please plan your schedule accordingly. 

How to apply

Please fill out this Google form. Violet Reed, our Executive Director, and Jacob Morenberg our Farm Manager, will review your application. If you have any questions or technical difficulties please call or email Violet at 201-316-4888 or violet@mevo.org.