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Colorado Rocky Mountain School (CRMS), an independent day and boarding high school, has an organic garden program with vegetable gardens, a young orchard, a small nursery, large scale compost system, pigs and chickens and a water efficient public demonstration garden. CRMS is located on a 350 acre ranch in
2013 Growing season opportunities
Garden Intern/s (two positions available):
Time commitment: 10-12 weeks -- 40 hours/week (from mid-May to mid Sept)
Stipend: $100/week
Housing: On campus dorms
Three meals/day provided with a few exceptions when school kitchen is closed (1-2weeks)
The assistant and interns will also have access to produce from the school garden
Garden Assistant ;
Time commitment: Thirty+ weeks from late March through late October On average 40 hours a week including some weekends, but at certain times over 40 hours will be required.
Stipend: $250/week
Housing (Yurt)
Three meals/day provided with a few exceptions when school kitchen is closed (1-2
weeks)Working with the CRMS garden coordinator, the assistant and interns are involved in all aspects of the garden program from planting to harvest. While not organic certified, only organic methods are used. Starting in spring, the assistant has the opportunity to learn greenhouse propagation techniques from seed starting to final sale of the plants at the annual community plant sale. Both the assistant and interns will be involved with all aspects of the organic vegetable gardens and orchard: soil preparation, planting, fertilizing, watering, weeding, harvesting and preparing food for long terms storage. In recent years the school has planted over 400 hundred young trees and the assistant and interns have the opportunity to learn how to maintain and manage trees in the landscape. At times, the assistant, the interns and the garden coordinator are all involved in projects related to the entire campus landscape. The school has also been gradually incorporating some animal husbandry into the program. We have laying hens and have raised both pigs and meat birds. There may be learning opportunities in those areas. All of the produce from the CRMS gardens are used in the CRMS kitchen.
CRMS is a school, and our primary mission is education. Much of the garden work has been designed to be labor intensive rather than mechanized so that students have a hands-on experience. The Holdens, who founded CRMS, viewed hard physical work as “an antidote to modern easy living”. The assistant and interns needs to be prepared to get dirty. The work involved is strenuous and, at times, tedious. Summers in
An internship is, by nature, a learning experience, for it to be beneficial to both the intern and the organization it should be governed by mutual respect and an acknowledgement that the interests of all need to be served. The garden coordinator, assistants and interns work side by side and learning occurs through both hands-on work and formal instruction in a series of classes and field trips throughout the summer.
Due to our location in the mountains of western
Required:
A strong interest in organic agriculture
A well developed work ethic
Ability to work in an efficient and thorough manner
At least 18 years of age (interns)
AT least 21 years of age (Assistant)
For the Assistant--Experience with organic farming/gardening required and experience working with teenagers is a plus
Due to the housing available to interns/assistant, no pets are allowed.
Due to the presence of students on campus, all employees are required to pass a background check. This requirement poses a barrier for international applicants.
To apply contact:
Linda Halloran
970 379 3567