Internships
We are now accepting interns at New Village Farm!
Our internship program offers a deeply hands-on learning experience rooted in the rhythms of the natural world. This opportunity is ideal for college students, recent graduates, gap-year explorers, and anyone eager to immerse themselves in farm-based and environmental education. Interns can earn academic credit through the University of Vermont (UVM), and we are glad to collaborate with other institutions to arrange credit whenever possible.
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At New Village Farm, learning unfolds through meaningful work, observation, and connection. Interns become part of the living fabric of the farm, engaging with animals, land, and children in ways that foster both practical skills and a sense of purpose. Days follow the flow of the seasons, the needs of the farm, and the natural curiosity of the learners who join us.
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Interns may choose between two focused tracks, Education or Livestock, or weave the two together in a blended experience.
Education Track
In the Education Track, interns step into the joyful, unpredictable, and deeply meaningful work of guiding children as they discover the farm and themselves within it. This track is ideal for those who love to learn by doing, who find satisfaction in supporting children’s growth, and who appreciate the magic that happens when nature becomes the classroom.
Interns become companions, mentors, and co-adventurers to children ages 5–13 as they explore gardens, forests, marshes, meadows, and barns. You’ll help facilitate experiences that blend practical work with imagination and discovery, gathering eggs, milking goats, planting seeds, weaving with wool, building shelters in the woods, identifying animal tracks, or simply following a group of curious kids to wherever their attention is most alive.
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This track offers the opportunity to:
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Learn and practice child-led, nature-based teaching, supporting curiosity rather than directing it, and noticing when to step in and when to step back.
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Develop gentle, grounded leadership skills, using tone, rhythm, and presence to guide a group rather than relying on rigid rules.
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Observe and respond to children’s individual needs, whether through movement, meaningful work, rest, imaginative play, or connection with animals.
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Participate in daily and seasonal farm rhythms with children, from spring planting to autumn harvest, from morning animal chores to afternoon adventures in the woods.
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Support conflict navigation and emotional development using restorative, compassionate approaches that see behavior as a form of communication.
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Cultivate your own craft as an educator by learning how to create environments that encourage resilience, independence, collaboration, and reverence for the natural world.
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While the work is often lively, muddy, and spontaneous, there is also a deep structure beneath it, a steady rhythm of tending, guiding, noticing, and reflecting. Interns in this track often discover not only new teaching skills, but also a renewed sense of patience, presence, and joy
Livestock Track
The Livestock Track offers an immersive journey into the rhythm, responsibility, and quiet wisdom of working closely with animals. This track is ideal for those who feel most grounded with their hands in real work, who appreciate the steadiness of daily chores, and who are curious about the deep relationship between humans, animals, and land.
Interns become active caretakers of the farm’s animals, cows, goats, chickens, and rabbits, learning how each species moves through the seasons and responds to attentive, thoughtful stewardship. Your days may begin with the soft hush of morning chores and end with the satisfaction of seeing healthy, content animals settling in for the night.
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In this track, interns gain experience in:
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Daily animal care routines, including feeding, watering, bedding, mucking, and observing individual animal health.
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Milking and dairy handling, learning the physical skill, patience, and sensitivity required for successful milking and proper milk care.
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Rotational grazing and pasture management, understanding how animals shape the land and how thoughtful movement supports soil health and animal wellbeing.
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Basic health assessments, including recognizing common signs of stress or illness and assisting with preventative care.
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Animal behavior and communication, tuning in to subtle signals, posture, movement, sound, that indicate comfort, curiosity, or concern.
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Farm systems and infrastructure, such as fencing, shelter setup, composting, and the behind-the-scenes work that keeps a farm safe and functional.
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Seasonal rhythms of livestock management, from spring kidding or calving (if applicable), to summer pasture care, to winter preparation and cold-weather routines.
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This track helps interns develop a calm, attentive presence and a strong sense of responsibility. Animals respond not only to what we do, but how we do it, our energy, patience, and consistency. Interns often discover that tending animals is as much an inner practice as an outer one: learning to slow down, observe deeply, move with intention, and honor the interdependence between people, creatures, and the land.
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The Livestock Track also integrates with the wider life of the farm. Interns will see how animal care supports gardens, education programs, and the overall vitality of New Village Farm. For those who wish, there are opportunities to share animal-related tasks and lessons with children, showing young learners how to brush a goat, collect eggs, or care for a newborn chick.
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Whether pursuing agriculture, education, environmental work, or simply wanting a season of meaningful, embodied learning, interns in the Livestock Track come away with real skills and a deep appreciation for the steady, reciprocal relationship between farmers and the animals they tend.
Blended Track
Although the Education and Livestock tracks each have their own emphasis, the reality of life at New Village Farm is that the two worlds naturally overlap. Children help with chores, animals shape the rhythm of the day, and learning happens everywhere.
The Blended Track is for interns who intentionally want to spend meaningful time in both settings, supporting kids as they farm, explore, and play, and working in the quieter space of animal care where you can focus more fully on your own learning.
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This option is ideal for those who:
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Crave the lively, relational work of farming with kids, introducing them to new skills, guiding them through chores, and learning how to mentor young farmers.
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Also value the grounding, reflective experience of tending animals independently or with the farm team, feeding, milking, mucking, observing health, and settling into the quieter rhythm of barn work.
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Want to understand how educational programming and practical farm operations weave together to create a whole, living farm community.
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Are excited to move between the spontaneous adventures of child-led exploration and the focused attentiveness required for animal husbandry.
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Seek a well-rounded, embodied farm experience that nurtures both teaching skills and agricultural skills.
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In the Blended Track, interns might begin the morning milking goats or caring for the cows, then shift into a morning of forest play or garden projects with children. Later, they might return to the barn for health checks or fencing work before rejoining a group of kids to harvest vegetables or visit the animals.
Across all tracks, interns are immersed in New Village Farm’s unique teaching philosophy, centered on meaningful work, connection, and presence. Our mission is to foster belonging through relationships with plants, animals, and people.
We strive to:
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Minimize playground structures & sports equipment to draw kids toward marshes, forests, climbing trees, and open meadows.
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Minimize rules while supporting children in making safe, positive choices independently.
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Add responsibility as participants grow in skill and readiness.
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Meet life as it unfolds—allowing the day’s needs of animals, gardens, and the land to guide our curriculum.
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Help kids find balance and peace in an increasingly busy, digital world.
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Use a “behavior is communication” approach and restorative practices in moments of conflict.
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Center gratitude, resilience, collaboration, and presence in all we do.
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Interns are invited to participate in Farm School (Tues, Weds, Fri, ages 5–13), After-School programs (Tues, Wed, Thurs, ages 5–10), and various visiting school groups. Hours are flexible based on the farm’s needs and the intern’s schedule.
This is an unpaid internship. We offer UVM academic credit, support credit arrangements with other schools, and can verify volunteer hours. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
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To apply, please send a resume and a cover letter to:
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newvillagefarmprograms@gmail.com (education or blended track)
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or nvfproducts@gmail.com (livestock track)