OGI Internship in Organic Horticulture
The OGI Internship in Organic Horticulture is a unique springboard into a career in organic horticulture. The programme consists of a paid, practical work placement on an Irish organic horticulture host farm, supported by a training programme, including a series of workshops and farm walks with experts across the country, and a classroom-based QQI Level 5 Organic Principles & Standards module.
Participants experience the realities of organic horticulture, gaining practical skills, extra qualifications and training as they go. The programme starts in March and finishes in October every year. The programme was established by the OGI in 2014, and is funded on an annual basis by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Applications for our next programme will open in January 2026. If you would like to find out more, please register your interest here.
THE PROGRAMME
Build your career in organic horticulture with an internship on some of Ireland’s best organic farms.
Interns work a minimum of 30 hours per week on a well-established Irish organic horticultural farm, over a six to nine-month period. Interns are recruited and employed directly by their host farm, gaining experience through a full growing season.
Build your skills with practical workshops, classes and farm walks led by expert growers and trainers from across the organic sector.
A training programme runs alongside the work placement, providing extra training and qualifications, including:
• QQI Level 5 Organic Principles & Standards (25-hour module), with a final exam taking place at the end of the training programme.
• Practical workshops including soils, propagation, pests, weeds & diseases, health & safety, business & marketing, and machinery.
• Farm walks on some of the best organic farms around the country.
• Mentoring, career development, industry events & more.
ACCREDITATION
On completion of the programme, interns will be awarded:
• QQI Level 5 Organic Principles and Standards (25-hour approved Organic Farming Principles certification) on passing a final examination.
• Organic Growers of Ireland Certificate of Completion. This certifies that the participant has successfully completed their work placement for the required period, and attended all workshops, farm walks and training sessions.
• Participants will also gain certificates in Health & Safety and Manual Handling as part of the training programme.
HOW TO APPLY
Applications for our 2025 programme are closed. Applications for our next programme will reopen in January 2026. If you would like to find out more, please register your interest here.
Application criteria & guidance
• Applicants should have a previous horticultural or farming qualification (QQI Level 5 or equivalent) and/or a minimum of six months work experience on a farm or horticultural enterprise.
• Applicants should clearly demonstrate in their application their commitment to organic growing, as well their physical ability and experience in working outdoors.
• Applicants must not have previously taken part in any OGI Work Placement or Internship programme.
NOTE: If you are applying from outside the EU you must already have an Irish working visa in place before applying. We do not organise working visas.
PROGRAMME AIMS
The OGI Internship in Organic Horticulture is designed to bridge the gap for those who have already completed a horticulture course or have some practical experience in farming or horticulture. It aims to:
• Provide a high standard of practical skills and knowledge, giving participants the confidence to start up their own horticultural enterprise or take on the management of an existing one.
• Develop an understanding of sustainable organic systems of farming based upon biological and environmental concepts.
• Develop an understanding of the economics of running a successful horticultural enterprise.
• Provide a pathway into a full-time career in organic horticulture – many participants continue to work on their host farms or start their own enterprises on programme completion.
Please email placement@organicgrowersireland.ie for more information.
TESTIMONIALS
“I currently operate a 1 acre market garden that supplies 1 local shop and 2 local farmers markets. I would highly recommend the OGI apprenticeship. The knowledge, skills, confidence, contacts and friends I gained through completing the internship have equipped me very well to set up and run my own horticultural enterprise.”
“Great experience in understanding the growing aspect and the physical, mental and emotional around same. Valuable experience in the business side of things, marketing, human and public relations. Broadened awareness of all the multifactorial aspects of growing, such as sustainability, climate conditions, financial investment, mechanisation, and staff levels.”
“I now have a more in-depth knowledge of not only what it takes to run an organic horticulture enterprise but also what opportunities are available to me in terms of training, grants and markets. I feel much more confident in my decision making and planning abilities re running an organic vegetable enterprise.”
“It helped me a lot, to see the reality behind growing. There are so many challenges that organic growers are facing, that I would never think of, so it was precious to encounter those first hand. As I am planning to start market garden myself, this programme helped me a lot with the ‘mathematics’ of growing, both crop planning and the financial part of a successful farm.”
