Application deadline:
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, with a final deadline of 11 April. 

Number of positions available:
3

Location:
Work will take place at home and on the farm in the Cully neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. May include some travel to and from select locations in the Portland Metro Area (for workshops and events only).

About us:
Rhythm Seed Farm (RSF) is a new nonprofit startup located in Northeast Portland. We are an urban seed farm dedicated to improving our communities and our environment by growing food and saving seeds. We specialize in raising rare edible and medicinal plants in the Portland Metro Area, and teaching people our techniques. For each packet of seeds we sell, we donate another to marginalized communities.

Our mission: To enhance social and environmental resilience by growing locally adapted seeds, distributing them to low-income and BIPOC communities, and empowering our members and partners to grow and save seeds of their own.

Our vision: To foster ecological resilience and a culture of abundance in our local food system, where everyone’s access to healthy, organically-produced foods is no longer defined by their income or zip code.

Our values:
— Mutual aid between people, plants and pollinators.
— Climate shock mitigation through smart landscape design.
— Creating and sharing a replicable nonprofit model that can be spread to urban areas across the United States.

Learn more about us at www.rhythmseedfarm.org/our-aims

Intern duties and responsibilities:
— Produce content (blogs, photos, videos, etc.) about the farm to be shared on our online channels.
— Regularly take photos and/or videos of the farm (as well as possibly visit partner sites or satellite locations), labeled and organized in our cloud storage system.
—   Generate educational content about our plants that bridges the digital and real-life divide, possibly in collaboration with the IT interns and/or garden interns. This includes filling out our care guide template, uploading them to our website, generating QR codes, and creating signs for select plants to be placed around the farm.
— Plan and execute public awareness campaigns across our social media platforms, including drafting and scheduling posts, responding to comments, monitoring campaign hashtags, etc.
— Help us tap into relevant online communities on Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok by searching for and engaging with like-minded organizations and individuals online. Curate lists and feeds organized by community or topic.
— Design yard signs, plant sale and fundraiser signs, create templates for flyers, letterheads, etc.
— Establish and implement tracking metrics for our online channels (in collaboration with our IT interns).

Have an idea outside of the tasks described above? Interested in some but not all of the projects listed? Submit an application! We have multiple positions available, and when possible will divide the projects based on interests.

Benefits of the internship:
Interns will have the opportunity to make a major impact in a young volunteer-driven nonprofit organization, while learning edible landscaping/sustainable urban farming techniques that improve food security in our area while improving our urban ecosystems.

Rather than creating advertisements for unnecessary junk or greenwashed goods, our interns will have the opportunity to create practical, educational and uplifting content without the profit motive getting in the way. 

Further, unlike internships at large companies or corporations, we encourage our interns to work across their areas of interest to gain as many hands-on experiences as will help them with their career plans and curiosities.

We also believe that the more people know how to grow food and medicines for themselves and their communities, the better place the world will become. So all interns — even those whose roles are mostly outside the garden — are invited and encouraged to come get their hands dirty with us! This can be done as part of your weekly hours, or in addition to them.

For students seeking internships for academic credit, we will work with your school or university to ensure your work will meet those requirements. A written recommendation from the intern’s direct supervisor will be provided upon successful completion of the internship. Finally, interns will receive a one-year membership to RSF at no cost.

Requirements and qualifications:
Current or former student in a relevant area of study preferred.
Interest in/passion for community mutual aid and community autonomy.
Interest in/passion for plants & gardening.
Demonstrable past experience, whether work, volunteer, or relevant course of study desired but not required.

Applicants with interest in science or nonprofit communications, videography or photography, social media management, or copywriting would be a good fit for this internship.

Schedule and duration:
10 hours per week from 15 April to 15 October (though we can be flexible on either duration or weekly hours for the right candidate). Weekly schedule will be set based on the availability of the successful candidates and Rhythm Seed’s directors.

Application procedure:
Submit your application by clicking the button below or at the top of the page and filling the application form. Short-listed candidates will be contacted for supplementary application materials and interviews as needed.