Internship Details

Guidelines:

For 15 hours per week of work per person (or 22 hours per week per couple) we provide the following facilities:

  • two private sleeping spaces, depending on availability (these are more like camping)
  • shared (with between the 2  sleeping spaces) kitchen, living, dining space including basic furnishings and kitchenware, sink, electric fridge, 2 burner propane cook stove (provide 2 propane tanks but we do not provide the propane), filtered drinking water, lighting, AC outlet (for cellphone and or laptop computer if you have one)
  • rural route mail box available: RR2 3342, Pahoa, HI 96778.
  • shared solar shower, shared composting toilet

We do not provide (but you will probably need):

  • food (except food harvested from the intern garden, banana patch and  intern chickens)
  • linens
  • laundry services
  • propane for cooking
  • phone or internet access (bring your cell phone, there is internet access in Pahoa at the library and cafes)
  • flashlights
  • rain gear
  • vehicle usage (but we do have bikes in various stages of disrepair that can be borrowed for a $15 one time fee, and there is a bus to Pahoa that comes within a few miles of the farm)

Work is mostly expansion and upkeep of orchards, nursery, gardens, chickens, sheep, and infrastructure. In the tropics, our farming practices are very different than on most temperate farms. For example, we often wield machetes, keeping the invasive species at bay. Work is sometimes guided by us, sometimes independent projects, and some regular chores. We are quite knowledgeable about producing food in the tropics, and there is the opportunity to learn a good bit about tropical sustainable living during your stay here.

Adjacent to the work-trade kitchen area we are developing a garden, banana patch and free range chicken coop exclusively to support interns to produce and harvest their own food. (Please have enough money available to cover your costs for your personal food and expenses for the duration of your stay. It is not easy to find paid work in Puna.)

Interns are responsible for keeping the shared kitchen area clean and tidy, figuring out how to share garden and other chores.

Things to consider:

Everything grows abundantly in this lush jungle environment, including insects (mosquitos, centipedes, earwigs), vines, mold, fungus, geckos. there’s lots of creepy crawlies.

We consider our animal and human wastes essential for fertilizer so we use composting toilets.

We have outdoor showers which are heated by the sun. They are largely hot and private, but not absolutely so.

It rains most evenings here and sometimes all day. We get about 100 inches per year.

We are off grid so our electronic and electrical depends solely on the amount of sunshine. We allow charging for laptop and cellphone on sunny days, we provide cabin lighting and an electric fridge in the kitchen. Our system cannot support cordless phones, coffee makers, rice cookers, dust busters, clock radios…

Bring led flashlight, pocket knife, work shoes (we often wear rubber boots), long pants, long sleeve shirts, sun hat, umbrella, sweater or fleece jacket, raincoat, water bottle, sheets, pillow, and towel. For longer stays a bike is a big plus. ————

We have recently required interns to sign a Discolosure and Release of Liability form to ensure they are fully aware of the risks.