Grow with Us – Join the nation’s leading home gardening brand for a hands-on, immersive internship experience.
In addition to $18 per hour, earn a $1,500 Scholarship! More details below.
About Burpee
Located in Doylestown, PA, Fordhook Farm is a 61-acre historic farm and garden estate with historic buildings established by Burpee Seed founder, W. Atlee Burpee in 1876. Passionate about quality, innovation and making home gardening a successful experience, Burpee is the most trusted brand in home gardening for millions of people nationwide.
Fordhook Farm continues to be a working site for trialing new Burpee vegetable and flower seeds and plants in outdoor gardens.
Other gardens on the estate include:
- Extensive perennial gardens for sun and shade
- Large Kitchen Garden for annual vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers
- Stream and Creek Gardens
- Stumpery Garden
- Veranda Garden
- Conifer and Deciduous tree collections
Learning opportunities – In addition to gaining a horticultural experience, interns will participate in workshops; field trips to area public and private gardens; visit the Burpee Company; and help with two ‘Fordhook Open’ days in spring and summer when the grounds are open for the public to tour.
Location – Fordhook Farm, Doylestown PA. Monday-Friday 7:00 am – 3:30 pm with rotating weekends, as needed.
Daily Responsibilities:
- Support the planting, watering, and maintenance of display gardens, greenhouses, perennial gardens, and research gardens.
- Assist with irrigation installation in display, trial, and perennial gardens.
- Work with the Field Research Coordinator to plant, water, harvest, and maintain research trials, and support other research needs.
- Assist with data collection, recording, labeling, and database maintenance for research trials.
- Help maintain and clean research trials, display gardens, perennial gardens, and farm buildings.
- Provide support to the photography team and product managers and assist with public and private events.
- Operate hand tools such as pruners, saws, rakes, shovels, leaf blowers, and other equipment as needed.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
- Able to work outdoors in the summer weather.
- Able to work 40+ hours per week during busy season, with rotating weekends for watering.
- Ability and willingness to communicate with supervisors, product managers and farm guests.
- Capable of working independently as well as part of a team.
- Able and willing to lift 50 lbs.
- Valid driver’s license required
- Plant and weed identification abilities preferred.
- The desire to work, learn, and be a part of Burpee seed innovations!
- Prior experience preferred, but can be candidates with an interest in learning horticultural skills.
Scholarship – How to qualify for up to a $1,500 scholarship
To qualify, the selected intern must be enrolled in a four-year or graduate-level horticultural/agricultural/plant science program. Internships are available for 3 to 9 months. A minimum of three months is required for the scholarship opportunity for qualified applicants.
Off-season employment may also be available at the Burpee corporate office for interns (who are not currently in school) when they complete their seasonal gardening internship.
