Mason Garden Interns

Duration: Spring 2010 Semester, 10 hours per week
Location: Fairfax Campus

Description: Interns will work collaboratively with the Garden Managers to plan the garden (e.g., what crops to grow and the cropping pattern), determine when to plant and harvest; facilitate care for soil and plants, possibly including soil and moisture testing and weed analysis; organize and oversee volunteer work days; research and implement organic solutions to pest and other site-related problems; coordinate sale of produce through appropriate venues, and; manage equipment and supplies. Additionally, interns will seek to identify Mason faculty members with practical gardening experience to solicit advice for best practices.

In addition to performing work related to the daily maintenance of the garden, interns may also design and implement a directed research project, focusing on issues either directly related to the Mason Garden or to sustainable agriculture in the local community. The research projects will culminate in a research paper and a presentation to interested members of the Mason and local community.

Specific Duties:
Manage operations
-Assign tasks to volunteers and supervise their work, while maintaining responsibility for the completion of work.
-Coordinate and oversee community plots, if they are available.
-Coordinate and oversee the use of the garden for environmental education.
-Collaborate with students and faculty using the gardens for research.
-Coordinate and oversee the distribution of food to charity organizations.
-Maintain a positive and motivating atmosphere

Maintain good relations with others
-Collaborate with Sustainability Manager and the representative(s) of the Sustainability Council Food Working Group, seeking their advice and permission whenever appropriate.
-Introduce yourself to neighbors and provide contact information in case of questions or concerns.
-Maintain an appropriate and positive relationship with the greater Fairfax City and County communities.

Promote the garden and its values
-Keep the Mason community informed about the garden and promote its mission and work with public presentations, updates, etc.
-Recruit volunteers for the garden.
-Keep the Mason community and the national campus sustainability movement informed about the garden.

Maintain detailed records
-Records of plants
-What was planted (including what variety of what plant)
-When it was planted (time of year, time of day)
-Where in the garden it was planted (which plot, which part of the plot)
-What was planted around it (companion herbs, other food crops, et cetera)
-What practices were used to plant and maintain gardens (what kinds of fertilizers, mulch, was it watered with rain water or tap water, et cetera)
-People in charge of community plots
-Who was assigned what plots
-Who worked in the garden
-When they worked
-A garden calendar: what should be planted when, list of outstanding tasks, et cetera.
-Write a report summarizing the activities and accomplishments of the garden

Stay informed
-Be informed of what campuses have gardens, their approach and organization, and important ideas and insights, etc.
-Stay informed of best practices in gardening including permaculture and other organic techniques

Qualifications: Interns must be comfortable working outdoors under physically demanding circumstances. Candidates must be:
-Passionately committed to organic gardening and community gardens
-Able to work independently
-Able to recruit, manage, and motivate volunteers
-Able to work effectively with the Garden Managers and other members of the Mason community
-Able to publicize and promote the garden and its value, purpose, and importance on and off campus

First-hand knowledge of organic agriculture practices, field experience in gardening or farming, people management skills, and time management skills is preferred. Prior or current involvement with the Mason Garden is also preferred but not necessary.

Funding: This is an unpaid position. However, interns are encouraged to find outside sources of funding for their positions in the form of grants.

About the organization: The mission of the Office of Sustainability is to use the strengths of George Mason University - innovation, responsiveness, flexibility, and community strength - to provide leadership in environmental, social, and economic stewardship on our campuses and throughout the local and global communities of which we are a part.

About the garden:
Through the hard work and dedication of Office of Sustainability staff members, Service Learners from New Century College, and other volunteers from across the university, the George Mason University Organic Vegetable Garden began in 2009. The Mason Garden serves as a catalyst for conversations about local food production, food security and justice, and overall campus sustainability. The garden is also used for field research and as a teaching tool, giving it a direct tie-in to the curriculum.

The mission of the Mason Garden is to grow organic vegetables for the Mason community. Additionally, the garden seeks to promote increased understanding of local, sustainable, and just food systems and to provide an on-campus field site for the study of organic gardening principles. The Mason Garden also acts a tool used to build connections and share knowledge with the local agricultural community.

Application Instructions: Forward a letter of interest, resume, and the name, phone number and email address of 2 references to Colin Bennett at cbennet6@gmu.edu