Building Gardens, Growing Communities.
Fellowship - Key Dates for 2023
The Amir Farming Fellowship is a 3-month summer experience for outstanding young adults who want to cultivate change through garden and farm based education. Once selected, we train you, place you at one of our partner summer camps, and provide you ongoing support so you can teach hundreds of children concepts of social and environmental justice through a Jewish agricultural lens.
Amir Farmers have a wide range of experience with farming and education - we are excited to provide folks opportunities to develop their skills and share their learning with campers whether they’ve been teaching on Jewish farms for years or this work is entirely new. Please feel free to reach out to Sasha at recruitment@amirproject.org with any questions.
Summer camp is where the magic happens. Gardening by day, hanging out with campers and fellow counselors by night, the summer camp experience leaves Farmers fulfilled by the end of each day. Stationed all over the US and Canada, Farmers immerse themselves into these unique communities creating lasting relationships with campers and staff.
The Amir Training Seminar brings together all of our Farmers & Mentors for a week of learning, growing, and thought-provoking conversation. We run through the step-by-step process of how to build a summer camp garden, and help participants develop their skills as Jewish environmental educators. Whether you are a novice gardener or an expert, everyone will learn something new!
Each Farmer is matched with a Mentor, an exceptional Amir Farmer alum. Farmers & Mentors will communicate weekly to make sure Farmers have all of the tools, crops, and support needed to run a successful program. Mentors are there to help you troubleshoot any issues that might arise; they will be there every step of the way!
Amir Farmers begin the summer with all levels of gardening and educational experience. Through our training and summer-long oversight, Farmers become Jewish, earth-based social justice educators with a strong base of agricultural knowledge. Our alumni have gone on to work in environmental education, community organizing, and food system education in and out of Jewish communal space. You can find Amir alumni participating in Americorps, Peace Corps, and as leaders at summer camps and other educational institutions. Being an Amir Farmer can be a perfect entry-level job for those who want to enter the farm-based education field, and we have opportunities to manage larger projects for more experienced folks seeking to grow their farm team management skills
Once you finish your application, you will schedule an interview with our Recruitment Coordinator. A second interview may be held with our Executive Director as appropriate. If accepted, you will be introduced to one of our partner camps, who will hold a final interview. Our camps make the final decision on their hiring. We may introduce you to multiple camps for interviews depending on their needs and your experience.
Amir Farmers have a wide range of gardening experience. Some of our best Farmers had never planted anything in their lives before their summer with us. Our training and oversight will prepare you to lead impactful garden and farm-based programming.
Yes! Amir Farmers are employees of the camp they work at, and are paid commensurate with their experience.
The location of our 2023 seminar is not yet determined, but it will take place during late May/Early June. These training sessions are central to your success - and they’re a lot of fun! - so, barring significant extenuating circumstances, attendance is mandatory. All travel expenses are covered to both the Seminar and Camp.
Amir Farmers run programming for 3 - 5 hour(ish) blocks throughout the day. Small groups of campers (typically 5 - 15) will come to the farm where you will run educational programming and get your hands dirty! If your camp has animals, you will be waking up early to feed them. Farmers typically have a few hours free during the day for farm maintenance, program planning, and relaxation. At most of our camps, the evenings are free for farm staff. Days off are determined by the camp - typically one day a week.
Amir works with its applicants and partner camps to find a good match. If you are accepted by Amir, you will interview directly with camps who make the final decision on hiring. We work hard to find the best possible fit for your experiences and camps’ needs.
Amir is part of the thriving Jewish farming eco-system. Our organization is dedicated to providing campers a joyous experience of Judaism rooted in the dirt. What is your experience of the Jewish farming movement? If this is your first exposure to these concepts, how does it sit with you? Please feel free to peruse some of the articles at the link below to get a flavor of the work being done to grow the Jewish farming community: https://www.jewishfarmernetwork.org/news