• Fall 2026 OCN Host Application

    The Organic Career Network (OCN) supports paid internships within organizations and agencies working in organic agriculture. The program is designed to provide students with hands-on experience in areas such as organic certification, inspection, and farmer education. Intern funding is made possible through the Transitioning to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP) and must align with its objectives. To be eligible to host an intern, the majority of the intern’s assigned projects and activities must directly support organic-curious, transitioning, or certified organic farmers and/or professionals.

  • Program Support

    The project will cover the cost of 150 working hours at a rate of $15/hour for undergraduate students ($2,250) and $18/hour for graduate students ($2,700). This is the minimum wage hosts must offer to be a part of the OCN. Additional hours will be covered by the Internship Host. For nonprofit organizations, we offer a flat-rate host support stipend of $800 to help offset staff time and onboarding costs.

  • Host Application & Timeline

  • Host Applications Deadline - June 30, 2026

    Host applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. It is highly encouraged to apply early to maximize the potential intern recruitment window.

    Intern Applications Close - August 31, 2026

    Target Cohort Start Date Range - Sept. 1 - 15, 2026

  • Host Organization Information

  • What type of organization are you?*
  • As a nonprofit organization, are you interested in receiving the $800 host support stipend to help offset staff time and onboarding costs?*
  • Are you a TOPP Partner?*
  • What TOPP region or regions are you partnered with? (Please select all that apply).
  • Have you hosted an intern through OCN before? If so, please select which cohort(s).*

  • Internship Description & Information

    Please complete one job description template (linked below) for each intern position you are requesting. Organizations may request and host up to two interns per cohort, subject to available funding. If requesting two interns, the positions must support distinct projects. For example, an organization may request a policy intern and a communications intern, but may not request two communications interns working on the same project within the same cohort.

  • OCN Job Description Template

  • How many interns are you applying funding for?*
  • Internship #1 format*
  • To be eligible for funding, all internships must align with the goals of the TOPP initiative. Please select the priority areas that Internship #1 will support:*
  • Internship #1 is open to*
  • Internship #2 format*
  • To be eligible for funding, all internships must align with the goals of the TOPP initiative. Please select the priority areas that Internship #2 will support:*
  • Internship #2 is open to*
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  • Are you looking to hire an intern in specific state(s)?*
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