OVERVIEW:

The  Council for Healthy Food Systems (CHFS), in coordination with Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance (FARFA), is seeking a part-time summer intern to support our outreach work.  This position is ideal for an intern who would like to learn more about protecting our small farms and rebuilding resilient local food systems, while getting to know like-minded individuals and organizations. 

CHFS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides educational programs relating to diversified local and regional foods systems that are healthy, safe, economically sound, and environmentally sustainable. CHFS’ primary activities are: 

• Hosting educational events for small-scale farmers to help them succeed with regenerative agricultural businesses. Current programs focus on soil health and on successful direct marketing of animal products. 
• Providing education for consumers about sustainable agriculture, local foods, and the importance of systemic change. 
• Co-hosting (along with FARFA and Small Producers Initiative at Texas State University) an annual conference, the Southern Family Farmers and Food Systems (SFFFS) Conference. 

 POSITION SUMMARY: 

This intern’s primary responsibility will be to support CHFS in outreach efforts to bring underserved farmers to our workshops on conservation & regenerative agricultural methods: 

• Develop and post social media and email communications. 
• Conduct outreach to potential ally organizations. 
• Support CHFS staff at exhibit booth/table for 2-3 Texas based conferences. 

The intern will also support CHFS in hosting the 2024 SFFFS Conference.  

• In June and July, develop and post social media and email communications to reach established and new audiences to promote attendee registration, specifically BIPOC and underserved farmers.  In addition, support staff in conference logistics and planning efforts.

• Attend Conference on August 4-6 in San Marcos and offer behind-the-scenes support. This may include tasks such as speaker support, volunteer orientation, technical assistance upon check in, answering questions, and packing up after the event.   

Responsibilities:

We have a small, tightly knit team that works cooperatively on all projects. Our intern will provide support in all aspects of the work of CHFS. 

The Intern reports to the CHFS Program Director and will play a pivotal role in helping both organizations grow our impact. 

This position is part-time, estimated 20-25 hours/week, working remotely. The weekly schedule is flexible; some weekend hours will be needed. Applicants should be based in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, or Arkansas. 

The position offers a stipend of $300/week, for 12 weeks. Preferred start date: June 1, 2024. 

APPLICATIONS:

Please submit the following to Shanna@healthyfoodsystems.org   

• A cover letter indicating that you wish to apply for the CHFS Outreach Internship. Include why you want to work with us and what experience/skills you hope to gain, your available dates, and number of hours per week you wish to work. Please include where you learned of the position. 
• A current resume highlighting the experience and/or coursework relevant to the position 
• Experience/knowledge in outreach
• Experience/knowledge of sustainable agriculture is a plus, but not required
• Contact information for two references (name, phone, email, relationship) 

We strongly encourage Black, Indigenous, other people of color, people from working class backgrounds, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other people from marginalized communities to apply.

FARFA and CHFS are equal opportunity employers. Applicants will not be discriminated against based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, citizenship status, disability, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, medical condition, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

We look forward to hearing from you!