Daily tasks vary from farm to farm and change with the season, weather and workload. Your day might include a mix of the following:

• opening tunnels and watering early in the morning
• harvesting, washing, packing, and preparing deliveries
• bed preparation, including applying compost or farmyard manure
• marking out and planting beds (both indoors and outdoors)
• tunnel work such as weeding, removing old crops, and preparing for new plantings (e.g., tomatoes)
• outdoor tasks like planting brassicas, broccoli, or salad crops, either by hand or with tools
• direct sowing crops and preparing seed beds
• propagation work, such as watering and caring for seedlings
• general crop maintenance and lots of weeding

Days can be busy and physically demanding, and the pace may increase during peak harvest periods. The exact routine will depend on the type of farm you are placed on and the time of year.

Your working days and hours will be agreed directly with your host farm at interview stage. You must work at least 30 hours per week over a period of 6 to 9 months to complete the internship programme.

You will be recruited and employed directly by your host farm, who will provide a contract of employment for the period of your internship. Your work hours and rate of pay will be agreed at interview/job offer stage.

Full participation in the training programme is compulsory. Your host farm will allow you time out to attend the training days. Please provide your host farm with the details of the training schedule in good time so that you can book your required time off.

To gain your QQI Level 5 Organic Principles & Standards qualification, you’ll need to prepare two pieces of course work, usually submitted in June and August, and sit a short final exam in September. Assessment is based on the final exam (40%), a market research assignment (20%) and a conversion plan assignment (40%).

The training programme is fully funded by the Dept of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, including all workshops, training days, farm walks, QQI Level 5 classes, materials and final exam, and Health & Safety and Manual Handling certificates. It is provided free of charge to all interns.

This depends on the location of your host farm. If you live off-site, you are responsible for your day-to-day transport to and from the farm. Some farms are accessible by public transport, but many are rural, so please check this carefully before you apply and during the interview stage.

You will also need to travel to OGI workshops and training days, which are compulsory. These events take place monthly and may be held in different regions (for example, one workshop in Munster, one in Connacht, one in Leinster). We do our best to choose central or rotating locations, but you should consider this travel requirement before committing to the programme.

The availability of host farms varies from year to year. While we will always do our best to have a range of host farms across the country, availability of work placements depends on the needs of individual farms, which is subject to change.

Accommodation is not provided as part of the programme. Some host farms will have accommodation options available on site, while others will be able to help you to find accommodation in the local area.

There is a two-week trial period at the start of every placement. If you realise during this time that the placement is not a good fit, OGI will do its best to support you in finding another host farm. However, we cannot guarantee that another placement will be available, as some farms will have already filled their intern positions for the season.

We encourage you to research your host farm as much as possible before committing to the internship. Use the interview to ask questions that matter to you and to make sure the placement suits your needs. Please also check your own criteria carefully  for example:

• accommodation options
• access to public transport
• travel time
• other personal or family commitments

The more preparation you do in advance, the better the chance of a strong match.

Your days off are agreed directly between you and your host farm, as the host farm is your employer for the duration of the internship. Arrangements around holidays, weekly days off, and any additional time off should be discussed and confirmed during the interview or at the start of your placement.

If you are sick or injured, you must inform your host farm as soon as possible, as they are your employer for the duration of the internship. Each farm will have its own policy on sick leave, but in general you should:

• contact your host farmer promptly if you cannot attend work
• follow any procedures they outline (e.g., medical certs for longer absences)

If an injury or illness affects your ability to continue with the internship, please also let the OGI Internship Coordinator know. We will support you and your host farm to explore options, in some cases, pausing or ending the placement may be needed.

When you finish the internship, you will have completed a full growing season and gained strong practical skills. Interns who successfully complete the required assessments receive a QQI Level 5 Component Award in Organic Horticulture, along with an OGI Certificate of Completion.

Past interns have gone on to part-time or full-time work in the organic horticulture sector, started their own market gardens, continued to further horticulture training, or have stayed working on their host farms.

You will also remain part of the OGI grower network, with access to events, learning opportunities, and support after the programme ends.

Yes. You can apply if you already have a valid work visa for Ireland and meet the programme application criteria.

You’ll need to be over 18 and in good physical health to take part, as this is a hands-on programme involving manual, outdoor work on your host farm. There is no upper age limit. Previous participants have come from all walks and stages of life.

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

To meet our application criteria, you must have at least 6 months of farming or horticulture experience AND/OR hold a previous qualification in horticulture (QQI Level 5 or above). As this is a paid work placement, this ensures that interns are aware of the nature of the work and are not starting from scratch.

You can build practical experience before you apply through short-term opportunities such as:

• WWOOF (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms) www.wooof.ie
• Volunteer placements on community farms or gardens
• Short unpaid farm stays (some farms offer trial weeks or 1–2-week beginner placements)

Many host farms prefer applicants who have already spent some time on their farm in the previous season or who have already completed a successful short trial stay. It shows commitment, helps you understand farm life and gives hosts confidence in your suitability for a full internship.

Horticulture QQI Level 5 (& above) courses are available at colleges and universities around the country.

We don’t currently run any shorter internship programmes. The OGI Internship programme is designed to provide participants with hands-on experience of working through a full season. Visit our events section, sign up to our mailing list and follow our social media for information on organic horticulture events and training opportunities around the country.