We at Hilltop Hanover Farm & Environmental Center are devoted to the education of our community and welcome high school, college, and adult learners into our Internship Program. Whether out in our crop field, collecting wild seed from native plants, or merchandising in our Farm Stand, our internships provide on-site opportunities to learn about the connection between agricultural, environmental, and social systems. Interns will work alongside our farm staff on projects that directly support the farm and community, providing a rewarding experience through hands-on learning.
See below for a current listing of opportunities:
- Farm Stand (Retail) Internship
- Native Plants Program: High School Internship
- Native Plants Program: Garden Internship
- Bedford Garden Club Internship
Here at Hilltop Hanover Farm, & Environmental Center, we are dedicated to creating an accessible and inclusive space in agriculture. If you are interested in our Internship Program and have questions about modifications that you may need, please let us know.
Farm Stand (Retail) Internship
Are you interested in retail management, merchandising, customer service, or agriculture? Learn what it takes to operate our Farm Stand by interacting with customers, operating our point-of-sale system, creating and organizing displays, and keeping the Stand stocked, organized, and clean. Interns may help with other areas of the farm as needed, such as working with our Field Crew or Native Plants Program.
Dates/Hours:
Flexibility from May-November with a preference for July & August.
Qualifications:
Applicants must be 16 years of age or older.
Compensation/Credit:
This internship opportunity is for academic credit only and is unpaid. All interns receive access to free, select farm produce weekly and 30% off of all products sold in the Farm Stand for the duration of their internship.
Native Plants Program: High School Internship
The Native Plants Program: High School Internship was designed to foster an appreciation of native plants and an understanding of the role they play in our ecosystem for seniors in local high school programs receiving academic credit. Interns will work with our team to learn all aspects of native plant care through hands-on experience with wild seed collection, plant propagation, cultivation, nursery production, seed cleaning, and ecological landscaping to comprehend the importance of fostering biodiversity in an agricultural setting.
Dates/Hours:
Flexibility from May-June, with a required commitment of 5-6 weeks.
Qualifications:
Applicants must be 16 years of age or older. This internship experience is only open to high school seniors enrolled in a program to receive academic credit.
Compensation/Credit:
This internship opportunity is for academic credit only and is unpaid. All interns receive access to free, select farm produce weekly and 30% off of all products sold in the Farm Stand for the duration of their internship.
The Native Plants Program focuses on strengthening and expanding local biodiversity by increasing the number of ecotype plants available to the community. Our native plant nursery specializes in seed-propagated, local ecotype species, consciously sourced from the northeastern coastal zone (ecoregion 59) to distribute to local restoration projects, community programs, and backyard gardens.
Native Plants Program: Garden Internship
This internship experience seeks an individual with a developed interest in ecological gardening, conservation, and native plants. Working under the supervision of the Native Plants Program Manager, the Garden Intern will maintain and implement new and existing exhibition garden spaces around the farm, performing tasks including, but not limited to, planning, planting, transplanting, watering, weeding, mulching, edging, pruning, etc. The Garden Intern may also help with other areas of the farm as needed, such as the native plant nursery, maintenance of our seed increase plots, seed collection, educational programming and volunteer groups related to native plants, or in conjunction with the farm’s vegetable production. The internship will culminate in writing an article to be published, highlighting a project that was worked on during the program.
Dates/Hours:
Flexibility from May-November, for a combined total of 700 working hours. The default work schedule is 7:30am to 3:30pm, with a half-hour, unpaid lunch.
Qualifications:
Applicants must be 18 years of age or older. Interns should have a strong, personal commitment to learning about native plants with related studies at a post-secondary level, completion of a certificate program, or equivalent work experience preferred.
Compensation/Credit:
This internship is sponsored by the Friends of Hilltop Hanover Farm & Environmental Center to pay a rate of $18.50 /hr. Benefits include access to educational and professional development opportunities, including NYBG’s annual Hortie Hoopla event, (1) Westchester County Parks Conservation Division Bio-Day, and participation in at least one off-site collection and/or scouting trip with our Native Plants Curator. All interns receive access to free, select farm produce weekly and 30% off of all products sold in the Farm Stand for the duration of their internship.
The Native Plants Program focuses on strengthening and expanding local biodiversity by increasing the number of ecotype plants available to the community. Our native plant nursery specializes in seed-propagated, local ecotype species, consciously sourced from the northeastern coastal zone (ecoregion 59) to distribute to local restoration projects, community programs, and backyard gardens.
Bedford Garden Club Internship
The Bedford Garden Club Intern will work under the supervision of the Farm Manager and Native Plants Program Manager to plant, water, maintain, and harvest plants for both our crop and native plant productions, amongst other farm-related tasks. Interns should have an interest in food access, responsible farming practices, ecological gardening, conservation, and native plants. This internship will culminate in a final report, highlighting work completed during the internship experience to be presented to the Bedford Garden Club in-person and distributed through Hilltop’s social media and newsletter.
Dates/Hours:
Late June-August, for a period of 8 weeks, totaling 200 working hours. The Bedford Garden Intern will work 4 days per week, split between our food production team and Native Plants Program. The default work schedule is 7:30am to 3:30pm, with an hour, unpaid lunch.
Qualifications:
Applicants must be 16 years of age or older.
Compensation/Credit:
This internship is sponsored by the Bedford Garden Club to pay a rate of $17.50 /hr. Benefits include access to educational and professional development opportunities, including NYBG’s annual Hortie Hoopla event and participation in at least one off-site collection and/or scouting trip with our Native Plants Curator. All interns receive access to free, select farm produce weekly and 30% off of all products sold in the Farm Stand for the duration of their internship.