SPRING/SUMMER 2024 - Landis Center Sustainability Fellow

Sustainability - Landis Fellowship 

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and candidates are encouraged to apply ASAP. 

Position Overview 

The Sustainability-Landis Fellows are focused on food production, research, and programming addressing community health through food security and community building. Onboarding for the community and research aspects of the fellowship begins after Spring Break (March 18th) for 2-3 hours/week. Hands-on farm training begins April 15th for approximately 5 hours/week. Beginning May 13th, the fellows will work approximately 32 hours per week until August 12th, a total of 14 weeks with 10 unpaid vacation days. This full time work will be divided between LaFarm (~18hrs), Easton Garden Works (~2hrs), Easton Urban Farm (~6), and other projects, including working at a market stand, developing community programming, and research (~6hrs). 

To Apply: Please send applications through Handshake.

Please (1) describe why you are interested in the position, (2) whether you have any other major commitments during the summer that prevent you from working 32 hours/wk, (3) whether you will have a car on campus. 

Duties & Details: 

A passion for sustainability, regenerative agriculture, and environmentalism is encouraged though not required. At least one season in farming or gardening is preferred. A proclivity toward being outdoors, an appreciation for plant life, and/or a penchant for tinkering with tools & machinery is beneficial. 

Work May Include: 

● Production and Infrastructure Support: 

○ Use of machinery (tiller, mower, string trimmer, flame weeder) to prepare beds, weed crops, and maintain gardens 

○ Weeding, planting, harvesting, washing, and packing crops, using basic skills, hand tools, and common sense 

○ Harvesting and arranging flower bouquets 

○ Designing and implementing building projects, including use of basic power tools and hand tools 

○ Setting-up irrigation systems 

● Programming and Community Engagement: 

○ Working with community partner organizations, including Greater Easton Development Project (GEDP), Easton Urban Farm, Easton GardenWorks and Kellyn Foundation to distribute food and educational materials to West Ward residents during weekly Tuesday Market Stand. 

○ Setting-up displays and helping customers during the weekly On-Campus Market and/or On-Farm Pick-up 

○ Leading tours or work parties of local classes, groups, schools, and your Lafayette College peers 

○ Sharing reflections of your LaFarm work experience with the community at large through photos, creative writing, film, or other media for our LaFarm website 

● Research: 

○ Supporting community partners who are focused on community welfare by understanding real and perceived barriers to food access including the impact of new weekly market stand model on food insecurity 

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○ Collecting and analyzing impact metrics to assess effectiveness of new farmers market and develop new models that address food sovereignty and community building through surveys and participant-observation research 

○ Maintenance of environmental research on sustainable agriculture and regenerative farming 

○ Preparing public dissemination of research at global higher education conference and local CBLR presentations 

● Other: A whole host of other work is possible: web design, event planning, garden design, tree planting, soil testing, cover crop management, cooking demos, marketing, data organization, carpentry, farm art installations, sign-making, screen printing, leading farmer meditation & yoga… if you’ve got a skill, we’ve probably got a farm-based application. Join us. 

Farm Fellow must be willing and able to: 

● Work hard: get to work early, lift up to 50 pounds, keep pace in all weather conditions ● Be prepared: bring water, snacks, sun protection, closed-toe shoes, hat, rain gear, etc. ● Be professional: take your work seriously, show up on time, wake 

● Be flexible, organized, efficient, and work as part of a team 

● Project a positive image of the Lafayette College community to our partner organizations and community members in Easton 

Schedule and Compensation: 

● $10/hr with a commitment for 32 hours/week 

● Campus housing provided 

● Free farm vegetables 

● Fellows can take 10 days of unpaid vacation starting July 1st with approval from Farmer Josh so as to stagger vacation times. 

Food and Farm Systems: Learning Goals 

1. Farming Techniques. The fellows will learn a wide range of practical skills necessary to small-scale vegetable production. These skills include seedling production, field preparation, crop production, irrigation, harvest, post-harvest handling, product distribution, equipment use and maintenance, and weed, pest, and disease management. 

2. Farm Management. The fellows will be exposed to the higher level skills necessary to run an agricultural business, including crop planning, soil fertility management, marketing, sales, record keeping, and labor management and safety. 

3. Food History of Lehigh Valley. As part of our commitment to food sovereignty, the fellows will learn about food systems and cultures in the place they are living and working. This will include visits to local farms and cultural centers, as well as conducting research on past and current food sovereignty efforts. 

4. Personal Food History. A crucial part of food sovereignty is for all individuals to understand their own personal food history and culture. Fellows will have time to research the traditional food ways of their ancestors, and cultivate a special relationship with a crop of their choice on the farm.