MiddWorks for Vermont Summer 2025 - ACORN Local Food Intern

ACORN's mission is to promote the growth and health of local food and agriculture in Vermont’s Champlain Valley by providing support to our farmers and food producers, engaging in food education and ensuring access to healthy food for all members of our community.

Dates: June  2025 - August 2025 (plus, the Tour de Farms on TBD date in September 2025)

Description: ACORN is looking for two interns to assist with various programs during the Summer of 2025. This internship will provide the candidate a holistic perspective of our work in the local food system.

The ideal candidate can extend their internship through September 4, 2025 (working 20-25 hours per week x 12 weeks) and can be in person at the Tour de Farms in September Weekly Farmacy distribution will continue through to October 16. It is completely optional for the intern to continue attending weekly Farmacy distribution days until October 16, based on their fall class schedule.

Key Responsibilities, Listed by Program with Estimated Hours per Week

Farmacy Food is Medicine (6 hours per week)

Part community-supported agriculture (CSA), part doctor's orders, the Farmacy program is free for patients who have been recommended by their physicians. The sixth year of the Addison County Farmacy program will run July 10 - October 16, 2025 and connect 100 families with 15 weeks of local fruit and vegetable shares and educational information. 

• Assist with communication to Farmacy members
• Attend weekly CSA distributions in Middlebury (Thursday afternoons)
• Cook and provide food samples that correspond with weekly shares and recipes
• Attend an in-person cooking class at the Hannaford Career Center
• Deliver CSA shares around the region using the ACORN Food Hub Van

Local Food and Farm Guide  (1 hour per week)

The intern may assist ACORN staff with distributing the 2025 Guide throughout the Champlain Valley 

Food Hub 

Provide logistical support to the Food Hub Manager as related to weekly operations of the Food Hub including supply chain and delivery schedules. (8-12 hours per week)

• Be available 1-2 days a week to support the Food Hub’s weekly receiving and distribution activities (Wednesdays, maybe Fridays)
• Deliver food to buyers around the Champlain Valley (pending intern’s driving record and comfort driving a van)
• Assist with social media and events/gatherings hosted by the Food Hub

Tour de Farms (September  2025) (1-5 hours per week)

The 17th Annual Tour de Farms will be held on a TBD date in Middlebury.  The Tour is ACORN's #1 fundraiser and over 6,000 people have ridden the Tour over the last 15 years. 

• Support ACORN staff with communication to farms and food vendors participating in the Tour
• Work with ACORN Staff to coordinate day-of activities for the Tour
• Collaborate with the ACORN staff to market the Tour via posters, postcards, social media and other media outlets
• Assist with rider promotion, registration and communication when needed
• Be available the day of the Tour to assist with event management

Opportunities to work on other tasks may be possible based on the intern’s interests.

Qualifications:

• Detail-oriented, self-motivated, organized with excellent time management
• Enthusiastic about the mission of ACORN, sustainability, and food justice
• Proficient in the use of Google Workspace, Slack, Zoom, Canva. Interested and able to learn new computer-based software quickly and thoroughly.
• Comfortable with a mix of computer/desk work and in-person Food Hub work
• Personable, customer-oriented, comfortable interacting with a broad range of people
• A proficient communicator with strong written and verbal skills
• Capable of handling many tasks and managing several priorities simultaneously
• Valid driver’s license and ability to lift 40 pounds.
• Ability to stand 1-2 hours at a time.

MiddWorks for Vermont Internship
Middlebury College is deeply vested in and committed to the future of Vermont! CCI provides funding so that students may work in a Vermont organization that advances a robust Vermont economy and skilled workforce, a just Vermont society, a healthy Vermont population, a “green” Vermont environment, equitable access to excellence in education, or a vibrant Vermont arts and cultural scene. Each opportunity is vetted for commitment to strong mentorship and high-quality learning goals for the student and also demonstrates that Vermont is a great place to work. As a cohort program, students and hosts are expected to participate in summer programming, and interns typically live with the cohort in Burlington or Middlebury.
 

This internship is funded with a CCI award of $4,000. If you are offered and accept this internship, please be aware that your funding for this position is provided by Middlebury College donors who support the Center for Careers and Internships, and therefore you will be required to complete pre-internship forms, post-internship evaluations, and a donor update letter. Seniors graduating in May and students who are not enrolled during Spring ’25 and Fall ’25 or who are planning to transfer in the fall are ineligible for MiddWorks internships.
 

Fee-based campus housing in Middlebury and at Champlain College in Burlington is available for MiddWorks interns. More information will be available soon. Space limitations may apply, so please try to secure your internship early!