Student Opportunities

Get involved with the Student Farm!

Volunteer

Students and community members can volunteer at the Student Farm - our capacity for volunteers varies by program. We require a safety training which happens in the first week of the quarter. Click here to learn more. To get on the email list for volunteer opportunities sign up here

Intern
  • UPDATE 11/4/24: The Internship Sign-Up Form for Winter internships is now open! Please complete the form to be added to the list. Submission does not guarantee an internship. You will be notified by Week 10 regarding your status. If you do not receive an internship, you will be placed on an early notification list for priority sign-up next quarter.

For questions about the internship program, please reach out to the Student Farm Internship Coordinator. If you would like to receive announcements about future student farm opportunities, including internships, please subscribe to our listserv (ucdstudentfarm@ucdavis.edu) by following these directions. Thank you!

UC Davis students can earn academic credit for their work at the farm. Typically interns receive 1 to 3 units of credit depending on how much time they plan to spend at the farm; 30 hours of work earns students one unit. We encourage students to do a 2 unit internship. In addition to completing these hours, interns are required to complete reflective written work and check in regularly with an assigned mentor. Interested students are encouraged to sign up well before the quarter begins (the sign-up form opens Week 6 and closes Week 10 of the quarter). 

We offer internships in the following Student Farm programs:

  • Market Garden: interns learn about small-scale organic mixed vegetable production
  • Ecological Garden and Flower Project: interns learn about non-mechanized backyard gardening and small-scale sustainable flower production. Watch this video to learn more about the Eco Garden and Flower Project, and what you will do as an intern.
  • Fresh Focus: interns work to address student food insecurity and farm food loss
  • SCOPE: interns learn about plant breeding for organic systems. Watch this video to learn more about the SCOPE project. 

Learn more about the flow of our internship program here.

Employees 

We offer a number of student employment positions at the farm and aspire to these leadership values. Please visit our Employment page for more information on current and potential opportunities.

There are also a number of university courses that take place at the Student Farm, along with a number of research opportunities and special projects.

The Student Farm is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive learning environment. Students with a wide variety of backgrounds and interests are welcome and encouraged to become involved. No prior farming or gardening experience is required.

Find out more

Take a tour!

Our introductory tours provide a great chance for those interested in getting involved at the farm to learn more about how they can participate in what we do. Typically, these tours take place during our Fall Welcome event on the second Tuesday of Fall Quarter.