Go to the Intern Project webpage.
Join us this summer and help build a permaculture based ecovillage of 40 homes, powered by the sun and wind, water from rain catchment, Sthapatya vend design. Where agriculture is an integral part of the landscape. The village is located within walking and biking distance of Fairfield, Iowa. Fairfield is home to a large meditator community (several thousand people meditate daily there), a university, and is a hotbed of activity for natural building, renewable energy and organic agriculture. At last count we had 10 vegetarian restaurants.
Abundance ecovillage is looking to help the right individuals get started in a permaculture plant nursery and a market garden business to be based at the ecovillage. Abundance is also looking for interns interested in learning and working on projects involving permaculture design, solar energy, wind power, biodiesel, plant propagation, market gardening, natural house building, wastewater recycling, and a wide variety of other sustainable living skills. Here are brief descriptions of the opportunities we have available this summer:
Permaculture Plant Nursery Business – We are looking to help the right individual(s) get started in a permaculture plant nursery business located at the ecovillage. We will provide greenhouse space, nursery bed space, propagation materials, intern labor, a guarantee to buy $10,000 to $20,000 worth of plants over the next two years, and contracts to maintain the plantings at the ecovillage. You will provide energy and enthusiasm, a permaculture design certificate, and plant propagation experience. You will also supervise the intern planting crews.
Market Garden Business – We are looking to help the right individual(s) get started in a market garden business located at the ecovillage. If you draw a two-mile circle around the ecovillage there are hundreds of families that eat only organic food, a college food service facility serving 700 organic meals a day, a natural foods store, and a farmerÕs market. We will provide greenhouse space, outdoor growing area, promotional assistance, biomass for compost, and intern labor. You will provide energy and enthusiasm, a permaculture design certificate, experience growing vegetables for market, and management of our intern program.
Intern Opportunities – We have opportunities for 8 to 10 interns interested in helping build a new ways to get shelter, food, water, and energy based on permaculture design. Interns will preferably have a permaculture design certificate. Interns will be asked to work 4 hours per day 5 days per week on ecovillage development projects. The rest of the time will be free to study using our extensive library and to work on projects of individual interest. Rough accommodations will be provided. There is no charge for the internship but interns will be required to provide their own food (any food grown on the farm is available at no charge). Internships available April through November.
One intern, Alison Strzelec (05/15 – 08/27), said of her ecovillage experience : "What an adventure in learning & living at Abundance Ecovillage. We became part of the land, planted the seeds and grew with them. We were able to become part of a supportive community that provided the rich fertilization for our growth. A truly awesome experience!" After her internship, Alison and Jen (another intern) came up with a great idea for their upcoming trip west. They made a list of ecofacts, made a bunch of copies, and plastered them at every place they went on their trip (rest areas, bathrooms, etc). See their ecofacts here.
For further information contact :
Lonnie Gamble
1860 Woodland Drive
Fairfield, Iowa 52556
Tel: 641-472-2301
e-mail: lonniegamble@yahoo.com
www.abundance-ecovillage.com
www.solarfarm.com
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