You will need to be either certified organic or in conversion to take part as a host farm.

The programme starts at the end of March and ends in early October. Employment start and end dates can be agreed with your intern at interview/job offer stage. Interns must complete a total of at least 720 hours paid work on their host farm to complete the programme. The OGI training programme runs from the start of April until the end of September.

Recruitment for the programme opens in January and closes in mid-February. The OGI Internship Coordinator reviews and screens all applications and sends a selection of the most suitable candidates to host farms by the end of February. Host farms conduct their own interviews and should select their preferred candidate by mid-end of March.

Interns will need support and guidance, especially at the beginning, but they are also expected to learn quickly and become increasingly independent as the season progresses, especially with the additional training days off farm. A helpful approach is:

1. Demonstrate the task clearly and explain the standard you expect.
2. Work alongside them the first few times so they understand the method, pace, and workflow.
3. Observe them doing the task independently and offer feedback where needed.
4. Once they are confident and consistent, you can leave them to carry out the task on their own.

The level of supervision required will vary depending on the intern’s experience and the complexity of the task. Regular check-ins throughout the season make it easier to keep things on track and address small issues before they grow.

As a host farm you give a commitment to guide, teach and involve your intern directly in daily horticultural practice on your farm.

Yes it is mandatory to have a farm Health & Safety Statement and Risk Assessment in place for employees.

Accommodation is not provided as part of the programme. If you don’t have accommodation options available on your farm, we would appreciate any help you can provide to your intern to find accommodation in the local area.

Your intern is directly employed by you, and you must provide a contract of employment to cover the full period of their employment. Work hours and rate of pay can be agreed at interview/job offer stage but must be at least current minimum wage.

Our application criteria require that applicants should have at least 6 months of farming or horticulture experience AND/OR hold a previous qualification in horticulture (QQI Level 5 or above). This is to ensure that interns are not starting from scratch and are aware of the nature of the work. However, interns may need time to get up to speed with certain aspects of the work on your farm, depending on their background and experience.

Yes. There is a 2-week paid trial period at the beginning of the placement. This allows you to assess whether the intern is a good fit for your farm and gives the intern time to decide if the role is right for them. The trial period ensures both you and the intern can commit confidently to the full programme.

If things don’t work out during the trial period, you may choose to end the placement, or the intern may also decide not to continue. If this happens, OGI will do its best to support a replacement, but please note that there is no guarantee another intern will be available once placements are filled for the season.

Interns must work at least 30 hours per week over a period of 6 to 9 months to complete the OGI Internship Programme. Exact working days and hours can be agreed directly with your intern at interview stage.

Yes. You can sign up a new employee so they can benefit from the training programme (which is fully funded by DAFM) if they meet the application criteria and commit to taking part in the full programme, including full attendance on training days.

Yes. Full participation in the training programme is required for all OGI interns. If you take on an OGI intern, they must attend all scheduled training days and be paid as if these are on farm work days.

In-person OR online training days usually take place once a month from April to September. Host farms are asked to allow interns the necessary time off to attend.

Yes. However, they must meet application criteria and commit to taking part in the full programme, including full attendance on training days.

Interns need to be over 18 and in good physical health to take part. There is no upper age limit. Previous participants have come from all walks and stages of life.

Yes, but only in a supporting role. As the intern’s employer, the main responsibility for managing day-to-day issues rests with you as the host farm. We encourage any concerns to be addressed directly between you and the intern first, as most challenges can be resolved through clear, early communication.

Having a simple grievance plan or agreed approach in place from the beginning can be very helpful. Regular check-ins or review meetings between you and the intern also play an important role in spotting small issues early and resolving them before they become problems.

If further support is needed, the OGI Internship Coordinator is available to offer guidance or help mediate. OGI’s role is supportive rather than supervisory, and we step in only when required.

If an intern is finding the workload difficult, the first step is to speak with them directly. Often, clear communication, resetting expectations, or demonstrating tasks again is enough to resolve the issue.

At the end of the internship, your commitment as a host farm comes to an end. There is no obligation to offer ongoing employment once the programme finishes. Some host farms choose to continue employing their intern if the season has gone well, but this is entirely your decision and depends on your farm’s needs.

We do not provide work visas for this programme. Applicants must have a valid visa to work in Ireland before they apply. We are not able to assist in the visa application process.

Just let us know as soon as possible so that we can reallocate your applicants to another host farm.

We don’t currently run any shorter internship programmes. The OGI Internship programme is designed to provide participants with experience of working through a full season.