Farm to Early Care
and
Education Supply Chain
​Internships

CLICK HERE FOR LINK
Learn about community-based food systems and help build local food value chains between local farmers and regional, institutional markets. Learn about child care environments and their food services as well as rural farming systems and local food procurement systems. Join us for a 10-week paid summer supply chain internship experience at one of four Partnership for Children offices in North Carolina: 1) Down East Partnership for Children in Rocky Mount; 2) Wayne County Partnership for Children in Goldsboro; 3) Lee and Moore County Partnerships for Children in Sanford and Carthage; or 4) Wilkes County Partnership for Children in Wilkesboro. Professional development opportunities and a tour of diverse agroecosystems across the state is included. Participants will be paid $15/hour, 40 hours per week for 10 weeks (May 23 - July 29, 2022). Travel to host sites and housing is not included. 

For more information, please contact:
Caroline Hundley, NC Farm to Early Care and Education Project Director at 336-287-1620 or cmstover@ncsu.edu.
Application deadline is February 1, 2022.
Applications will be accepted until midnight.

COVID-19 Precautions
We will prioritize the health and safety of internship participants and everyone affiliated with the program above all else. At this point in time, we are planning to hold the Supply Chain Internship in person during summer 2022. During the internship, we will follow the recommended protocols from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the state of North Carolina. Because of the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, guidance is subject to change.

Background
The Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) and the NC Partnership for Children are collaborating on a Farm to Early Care and Education initiative to pilot local food purchasing models for child care facilities in 4 areas of NC: Rocky Mount, Goldsboro, Sanford/Carthage, and Wilkesboro. Farm to Early Care and Education (Farm to ECE) programs, which connect child care providers (including family child care homes, as well as public, private, and state-funded centers) with sources of local food to integrate in meals and snacks, are an example of a potential new market that provides healthy food to one of our most vulnerable populations, children aged 0-5. There are currently just over a quarter of a million children enrolled in ECE sites in North Carolina, where many are served two meals and two snacks a day, indicating the potential size of this market for local farmers. Previous work in this area has come up against challenges of coordinating the logistics of volume and distribution in order to increase benefits for farmers. Despite these challenges, there is a possibility to develop the ECE market if we can coordinate among centers to aggregate demand and increase the volume of purchases while also addressing distribution logistics. Farm to ECE Summer Supply Chain Interns would help Partnerships for Children in these areas of NC work with child care centers, farmers, caterers, and food hubs to source local food for young children’s meals and snacks.

Internship Dates: May 23 - July 29, 2022
Internship Overview
For Summer 2022, we are looking for student interns interested in agriculture and local food supply chains to work with the child care community in five Partnership for Children offices across the state (Down East Partnership for Children, Wayne County Partnership for Children, Wilkes Community Partnership for Children, Lee County Partnership for Children, and Moore County Partnership for Children). Interns will support the testing, implementation, and evaluation of the Farm to Early Care and Education local food pathways. 

Examples of supply chain intern projects include:
  • Farmer outreach 
  • ​Development and implementation of ECE food service requirements and procurement practices
  • Procurement data collection
  • Distribution routes and logistics 
  • Recipe and cost analysis for child care meals 
  • Creation and/or management of online order systems
  • Customer outreach and relationship building
  • Social media and website management
  • Development of policy around ECE food procurement
  • Coordination with K-12 school systems
  • Outreach to families

Interns will be paid $15/hr for 40hrs/wk for 10 weeks (May 23 - July 29, 2022).

5 Available Summer Internship Opportunities:
All Interns will be placed at NC Partnership for Children Offices
The Partnership for Children is a nonprofit organization that provides services, advocates, and collaborates with others to insure the wellbeing of children, ages birth to five, so they can reach their health, developmental, and educational potential. Interns will be placed with Partnership offices in order to facilitate the building of local food supply chains for child care sites they serve. This cohort of supply chain interns will participate in weekly meetings with each other and CEFS Farm to ECE program managers to share, ask questions, and learn from each other as they build local food and ECE connections.
Preference will be given to students that meet the following criteria:
  1. A resident of the region in which they will be working
  2. Experience with technology and online platforms
  3. Good communication skills and self-motivated
  4. Knowledge of, or experience working with farmers and rural communities

1- Lee & Moore County Partnerships for Children (Sanford & Carthage, NC)
2- Down East Partnership for Children (Rocky Mount, NC) - 2 interns will be placed here, serving Nash & Edgecombe counties
3- Wilkes Community Partnership for Children (North Wilkesboro, NC)
4- Wayne County Partnership for Children (Goldsboro, NC)

Relevant Skills
  • Preferred experience/study in agriculture, food systems, ag business, or economics
  • Experience or knowledge of child care or educational systems in NC
  • Familiarity or willingness to learn about online sales platforms
  • Experience with social media including basic analytics
  • Good communication skills
  • Preference given to students who live or attend school in communities in close proximity to the host organization of their choice

Requirements for Interns
  • Must be currently enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate, or professional degree program at any North Carolina university, college, or community college, or have graduated within 6 months of the start of the internship
  • Enthusiasm for local foods and a respect for farmers and producers from diverse rural communities
  • Must attend an orientation on May 23, 2022 
  • Must hold a drivers license and have access to transportation to the host site

Program ComponentsActivities will be organized into five main program elements including:
  1. Introductory “Diverse Communities and Agriculture across NC” Tours: Two 2-day farm tours and other day trips visiting various agroecosystems and communities throughout NC. These tours are important for students to understand the unique agricultural challenges facing diverse producers and communities across NC and the role of cooperative extension.
    This tour is tentatively scheduled to happen in person. Due to COVID concerns and precautions, we will reassess closer to the date and determine if a virtual option is needed.
  2. Mentorship and hands-on job training: Each student will be matched with a host site (Partnership for Children office) and mentor. Mentors will oversee the student on a day-to-day basis, as well as mentor the student in a specific summer project.  
  3. Professional skills development and agriculture career exploration: All students will participate in professional development activities throughout the summer. These professional development activities will likely include: leadership training, racial equity, understanding agriculture career pathways, and networking opportunities.
  4. Professional presentation opportunity: Students will be required to give a professional presentation of their summer project and experiences at the conclusion of the internship.  
  5. Participation in cohort of  summer supply chain interns: The cohort of supply chain interns will participate in weekly meetings with each other and CEFS Farm to ECE program managers to share, ask questions, and learn from each other as they build local food and ECE connections.

Background of CEFS
CEFS envisions a future of vibrant farms, resilient ecosystems, strong communities, healthy people, and thriving local economies. CEFS is one of the nation’s most important centers for research, extension, and education in sustainable agriculture and community-based food systems. It is recognized as a national and international leader in the local foods movement, and celebrated for its work in building consensus around policies, programs and actions that facilitate a vibrant local food economy.

CEFS was born from the shared conviction that a land-grant-university-based research, education, and extension program focused on organic and sustainable agriculture could have a significant and essential impact in North Carolina.
Expectations for InternsGeneral Expectations:
  • Regular communication with Host Mentor and CEFS Intern Coordinator/Farm to ECE Management Team
  • Timeliness to meetings/deadlines
  • Initiative + self-direction 

Getting Started:
  • Attend orientation
  • Set up initial meeting with Host Site + Intern Coordinator

Weekly:
  • Check in with Host Mentor about goals and progress
  • Check in with Intern Coordinator
  • Meet with other Farm to ECE Supply Chain Interns and Farm to ECE Management Team
  • Work 40 hours/week

Meetings:
  • RSVP for calendar invites via google calendar
  • Be on time for in-person and virtual events
  • Be prepared with updates, questions, and next steps
  • Advanced warning for cancellations + reschedule for that same week (if possible)
  • Attend whole group meetings (as scheduled)
  • Attend professional development (as scheduled)

Communication:
  • Prompt communication + responses
  • Follow code of conduct when communicating

Hours and Payment:
Code of Conduct for InternsInterns shall:
  1. Represent CEFS and Host Sites with professionalism and courtesy
  2. Demonstrate respect towards others at all times
  3. Abide by the rules, policies, and procedures of the Host Sites they serve
  4. Abide by the rules, policies, and procedures of CEFS regarding a Drug-Free Workplace, Anti-Harassment, and Anti-Discrimination
  5. Direct concerns, problems, and suggestions to their Host Site Mentor and Intern Coordinator

At no time may an Intern:
  1. Engage in any activity that is illegal under local, state, or federal law
  2. Engage in activities that pose a significant safety risk to others
  3. Engage in political advocacy during paid work hours

The following acts also constitute a violation of the program’s rules of conduct:
  1. Unauthorized absence
  2. Use of profanity, abusive, or inappropriate language
  3. Refusal to comply with the instructions of their supervisor
  4. Stealing or lying
  5. Harassment of any kind, including sexual, verbal, and physical harassment
  6. Engaging in any activity that may physically or emotionally damage other interns in the program or people in the community
  7. Unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensation, possession or use of any controlled substance or illegal drugs during the term of employment
  8. Consuming alcoholic beverages during the performance of work-related tasks
  9. Being under the influence of alcohol or any illegal drugs during the performance of work-related tasks
  10. Failing to notify supervisors of any criminal conviction that occurs during the term of employment