Internships and Other Student Opportunities

In-person internships are back for fall quarter 2021!

Welcome to the CASFS Farm, Gardens, Pantries and Kitchens, your campus food system. Come intern with us!

Sign up for the CASFS Internship!

CASFS manages and supports UCSC campus programs and facilities that focus on hands-on experiential learning in production, distribution and nutritional and culinary operations, as well as research in organic farming and agroecological production practices. All of our work advances our mission of advancing agroecology and equitable food systems through experiential education, participatory research, agricultural extension, and public service. We envision an equitable food system that empowers local communities, builds relationships, and nourishes all people and the environment, and are committed to fostering diversity throughout CASFS and equity in access to food, resources, and knowledge.

CASFS is offering in-person, hands-on internships that focus on introductory fieldwork experiences across our campus food system, prioritizing students’ basic needs for food access. CASFS Internship fieldwork focuses on land-based agricultural and horticultural production, post-harvest handling, food distribution through Produce Pop-Ups, and nutritional and culinary preparation and services in the Cowell Coffee Shop. Fall quarter students will focus their fieldwork at one of these diverse fieldwork sites. From quarter to quarter, you can intern across sites. 

Come be part of making these operations, which are focused on serving and supporting students, actually work for students, and for you! When you intern with us, you will join a team of students who are all working and learning together and from each other, as well as learning from the land and our CASFS student staff and professional staff. 

Our internships are run through the Environmental Studies Department’s “Internship Office” CASFS serves as the “Agency Supervisor” for both lower division two and five unit internships. Two unit Internships require two mornings per week, for a total of six hours a week of fieldwork. Five unit internships require three mornings a week, for a total of 12 hours a week of fieldwork. Our internship fieldwork schedule is offered Monday through Friday from 8:30AM-12PM. Depending on class schedules, we can make some accommodations for students who need to leave somewhat early to make a class that’s close to 12 noon, across campus. However, All interns need to be able to start their fieldwork at 8:30AM, so that the fieldwork introductions can happen together, as a team. 

CASFS is committed to serving underrepresented students and hiring students who are in need of financial support through our educational and employment programs. If you are unable to intern with us this quarter, due to time constraints or scheduling conflicts, please consider volunteering and getting to know the place, people and programming. If you want to Volunteer, please fill out the sign-up form and indicate that you want to volunteer. Volunteer days and times are the same as the internship schedule. CASFS employs students in leadership positions and pays a minimum of $17/hour, with 25 cent increases, per quarter worked. CASFS recruits student staff from internship and volunteer programming, so if you are interested in paid work with CASFS, please come and inform yourself about this work and let the staff get to know you.