Overview:
The Summer Internship Program will run from Wednesday, June 7 until Wednesday, July 26, 2017 and be based at the CEFS’ 2000-acre Field Research and Outreach Facility, located at Cherry Research Farm in Goldsboro, N.C.. Summer Interns with the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) come from all over the country and world to work with faculty members, researchers and field technicians on weekly classroom learning activities, hands-on farming experience, local food endeavors, field trips to local farms and markets and focused research projects conducted at CEFS' 2,000-acre Field Research and Outreach Facility at Cherry Farm in Goldsboro, NC. Sustainable Agriculture Interns will also have the opportunity to engage with the new Agroecology Education Farm, a CEFS satellite student farm facility at NC State University in Raleigh, NC.

Internship Background:
We are seeking highly-motivated undergraduate students from a variety of different backgrounds, with a strong interest in sustainable agriculture, to participate in a unique 7-week summer internship. Summer interns will learn about the concepts and practices of various aspects of sustainable agriculture from expert faculty and staff at CEFS and through hands-on farm work, lectures and discussions, community engagement, and field trips to local farms and markets. In addition, a highlight of this program is that interns will gain hands-on sustainable agriculture research knowledge through working with a diverse of CEFS Faculty Researchers from various disciplines.

Learning Objectives:
After completing the CEFS Sustainable Agriculture Internship Program, students should be able to:
• Describe sustainable agriculture and community food systems from a broad systems perspective;
• Identify and evaluate various sustainable agricultural practices and systems;
• Improve professional development skills and networks in sustainable agriculture through collaborative learning interactions with university faculty and staff, producers, Extension Agents, researchers, nongovernmental organizations and the community;
• Increase experience with sustainable agriculture research from various disciplines through faculty led group research modules focused on hands-on data collection, exposure to various research techniques and data analysis.

Cost of Internship:
The cost for the 7-week Internship program is $1,000 total and includes housing, transportation to all internship activities and 6 credit hours from North Carolina State University (CS 492). FIVE Need-based Scholarships are available.

Background of CEFS:
The Center for Environmental Farming Systems is a partnership of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and North Carolina State University. CEFS develops and promotes just and equitable food and farming systems that conserve natural resources, strengthen communities, improve health outcomes, and provide economic opportunities in North Carolina and beyond.

Program Application Deadline:
MONDAY, MARCH 13, 2017