2019 MWFC Internship Opportunities

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Hello! Thank you for your interest! The Modern West Floral Co. Internship is a non-paid learning experience that is geared toward a variety of people and skill levels who enjoy working in the garden and learning techniques to grow beautiful plants and flowers that thrive in our unique environment.  Interns will be working and learning at MWFC’s small flower farm in Carbondale, CO (site is 1 mile out of town). Interns are responsible for their own transportation, lunch, water, and proper attire - tools will be provided. We have multiple internship positions available. Please see descriptions below:

Positions:

  • Farm Intern

    • Description- This position is for someone who really wants to get the full farm and flower business experience!

    • Learn- seed starting, transplanting, soil health, flower varieties, maintenance of the farm, harvesting as well as bouquet making for our wholesale accounts. See Estimated Activity and Learning Schedule below for more info.

    • Commitment- Flexible. Can range from a 1-4 days a week, 4-6 hours per day.

  • Harvest Intern

    • Description- This position is for an early morning flower harvester. It is very important that this person is very attentive to detail and good at taking instruction as each flower has different requirements for proper harvesting and best possible vase life.

    • Learn-  flower varieties, harvesting and post harvesting techniques and the joys of early mornings on the farm!

    • Commitment- Flexible. Can range from a 1-2 mornings/week, for 2-4 hours.

  • Photography/Visual Storytelling Intern

    • Description- THIS IS NOT A PHOTOGRAPHY COURSE. This position is for someone who has photography skills and is looking for an outlet to hone those skills.

    • Learn- Guided discussion of visual storytelling and techniques. Photography assignments and working within social media platforms.

    • Commitment- Flexible. Meet 1-2 times/month to go over new assignments and to discuss. Photograph sessions to be coordinated to fit your schedule.

Internship At a Glance:

Up to 30 Weeks: April 1st - November 1st (Dependant on position)

No experience necessary.

Looking for someone with the following characteristics:

  • hardworking

  • eager and excited to learn!

  • likes to be outside

  • follows directions well

  • good attention to detail

  • careful, patient, reliable and on time

  • able to kneel and squat for substantial periods for time, able to lift 20 lbs

How to Apply:

Please send a 1-2 page essay containing:

  1. Introduction of yourself and  life experiences

  2. What position you are applying for

  3. Why you really want to come learn and work with MWFC

  4. What do you want to learn and what’s your learning style?

  5. Availability (include your ideal start and end date as well as availability at a weekly scale)

  6. 1-3 Examples of photography (Photography/Visual Storytelling Intern only

Please email submissions to modernwestfloral@gmail.com with the subject line that reads “2019 Intern Application”. Application deadline is March 15th.

Estimated Activity and Learning Schedule (Farm Intern):

Recommended readings are not mandatory but are intended to expand the learning experience and set the stage for thoughtful discussion during the work day. Recommended readings and learning themes are listed below. Though each week will bring some variation based on seasonal needs, please note that weeding is a constant and though we will not be weeding all day, it will make up a large portion of our task list each day in the middle of the season. These weeding times will be great opportunities for fruitful discussion and learning.

Weeks 1-5:

  • MAIN TASKS: Outdoor bed prep, planting seeds for starts, direct sow hardy annuals outside under season extension, possible low tunnel building, direct sowing of more tender annuals, cuttings for chrysanthemum and scented geranium, division and sorting of dahlia tubers, hardening off of starts,  setup of drip irrigation system.

  • LEARNING ACTIVITIES: Where do flowers come from? In depth look at seeds, corms, and tubers. Study of potting mediums and good seed starting practices.

  • RECOMMENDED READING: Floret Farm’s Cut Flower Garden, Cool Flowers, Vegetables Love Flowers

Weeks 6-10:

  • MAIN TASKS: More bed prep (weeding) seed starts, direct sowing of seeds, transplanting perennial and annual starts outside, planting of dahlia tubers, net and stake plants that need it, construction of compost tea maker, turning and starting compost pile, beginning principles of biodynamic techniques.

  • LEARNING ACTIVITIES: Building of compost tea maker and compost pile. Learning about soil ecosystems.

  • RECOMMENDED READING: Teaming with Microbes, Biodynamic Gardening, Maria Thun’s Biodynamic Almanac for North America

Weeks 11-15:

  • MAIN TASKS: Sowing of biennial starts, cut mums back, weed and deadhead, apply compost tea, thin any direct seeded crops.

  • LEARNING ACTIVITIES: Identification, knowledge and discussion on what we call ‘weeds’.

  • RECOMMENDED READING: Good Weed, Bad Weed;  Beyond the War on Invasive Species;  Noxious Weeds of Colorado

Weeks 16-20:

  • MAIN TASKS: Weed, water and maintain garden, harvest blooms every 3 days, transplant biennials, apply compost tea, purchase cover crop seed?, roll up and store non high tunnel season extension.

  • LEARNING ACTIVITIES: When and how to correctly harvest and prep cut flowers for sale, pollinators and beneficials for the garden, pest identification, organic solutions to pests.

  • RECOMMENDED READING: Flowers for Sale,  The Flower Farmer,  Gaia’s Garden

Weeks 21-25:

  • MAIN TASKS: Weed, water and maintain garden, harvest blooms every 3 days,  apply compost tea, order spring bulbs, take soil test samples and send in to lab.

  • LEARNING ACTIVITIES: Continuation of when and how to correctly harvest and prep cut flowers for sale, best spring bulb varieties for our climate, native and non-native plants of Colorado, how to forage responsibly.

  • RECOMMENDED READING: Flowers for Sale,  The Flower Farmer,  Wild at Heart


Weeks 25-30:

  • MAIN TASKS: Pulling out any spent crops and seed cover crops, plant any potted perennials that are needed for next year, plant spring flowering bulbs, dig up and store dahlia tubers, chrysanthemums and geraniums, direct seed hardy annuals, general garden clean up, pull and store irrigation, get results back from soil test and amend accordingly, pot up bulbs for winter forcing.

  • LEARNING ACTIVITIES: How to read a soil test and know what to add, how to store tubers and plants for the winter.

  • RECOMMENDED READING: Let it Rot!, Gaia’s Garden