Internships

Transform yourself and transform the world

at White Violet Center for Eco-Justice (WVC), Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, near Terre Haute.

Do you dream of owning a farm someday? Are you interested in hands-on environmental and sustainability work? Do you want to learn more about the local food system? As a White Violet Center intern, you’ll work alongside our experienced staff who will teach you by doing. This is not a classroom study but actual farm labor that will educate you on what it takes to grow food and raise animals.

Intern Mallory Uchalik helped out at Christmas Fun at the Woods

“I really enjoyed how educational the experience was. I’ve worked on farms before, but nothing has ever been quite this immersive. I feel like I’ve been surrounded by more knowledge and more dirt than I have in a long while.”

Mallory Uchalik

Royal Oak, Michigan, former White Violet Center for Eco-Justice intern
Harvesting lettuce in February inside one of the high tunnels at White Violet Center.

“We love it. We’re exhausted at the end of the day, physically, but mentally invigorated.”

John Michael Elmore

a native of Terre Haute, former White Violet Center for Eco-Justice intern

It’s all very hands-on.

Expect to work outdoors for hours at a time planting, harvesting and weeding in the certified organic garden and in the barn and pastures caring for the alpacas and/or with the alpaca fiber.

Be a part of the sustainability cycle.

On our farm we create healthy food in a way that restores the earth, rather than takes from it. We care for our animals and in return we get eggs, compostable material and fiber. We’re farmers and we’re proud of what we do. Join us.

Curious about day-to-day activities, benefits, and general internship details?

See details & benefits
Planting

Organic farming

Get knee-deep in vegetables and fruit. Discover what it takes to run a small USDA certified organic farm — planning, planting, nurturing, harvesting, and selling.

Annie-and-chicken

Alpacas & chickens

Participate in the day-to-day work of animal husbandry, maintaining pastures and supplying for nutritional needs of alpacas and chickens.

Spinning_Fiber-Arts

Fiber arts

Fiber arts abound in the winter months and on rainy days — felting, spinning, weaving, knitting, skirting, and dyeing.

A day in the life of a White Violet Center intern

Every day is a little different and work will always depend on what time of year it is and the weather. Responsibilities are rotated among the interns so you’ll either start with animal chores or begin in the field. Here's a sample of what to expect from life on the farm!

Field work

8:30 a.m.

Weed, harvest, weed, seed, transplant, weed, trellis, prune, wash and pack produce. In the cold-weather season, you may skirt alpaca fiber instead.

Noon: Lunch

1 p.m.

Weed, harvest, weed, seed, transplant, weed, trellis, prune, wash and pack produce. In the cold-weather season, you may head back inside to skirt some more alpaca fiber.

4 p.m.

Done

Animal chores

8 a.m.

Animal chores: scooping poop, changing water, restocking hay, giving feed, collecting eggs, and checking on the well-being of the animals

10 a.m.

During the crop-growing season, join the garden to weed, harvest, weed, seed, transplant, weed, trellis, prune, wash and pack produce. In the cold-weather season, skirt alpaca fiber or join the garden to weed, harvest, weed, seed, transplant, weed, trellis, prune, wash and pack produce.

Noon: Lunch

1 p.m.

During the crop-growing season, it's back to the garden to weed, harvest, weed, seed, transplant, weed, trellis, prune, wash and pack produce. In the cold-weather season, skirt alpaca fiber or join the garden to weed, harvest, weed, seed, transplant, weed, trellis, prune, wash and pack produce.

2:30 p.m.

More animal chores: topping off water, restocking hay, collecting eggs, and checking on the well-being of the animals

3:30 p.m.

Wash eggs until done

Other possibilities

Work the Farm Store

Work the Terre Haute Farmers’ Market

Weekly intern enrichments

Weaving and felting for farm store products

Assisting in the commercial kitchen

Help in the cut flowers operation

Evening chores such as securing the chickens and closing farm buildings

For more about life outside of work, learn more about the housing and other benefits of your internship.

WVC intern Destiny James prepares vegetables for customers.

“I think it’s important, before we ever cook food, to know where it comes from.”

Destiny James

Miami, Florida, former White Violet Center for Eco-Justice intern
Intern Sadie Laing gives Brittany medicine

“I came in here thinking the arts are undervalued. I really regained a purpose here. It’s been a really valuable experience for me.”

Sadie Laing

former White Violet Center for Eco-Justice intern

Recent stories

See all

Blooming in the gardens at the Woods

By Mary Riley

Welcoming our 2021 WVC Summer Interns!

By Sister Mary Montgomery

White Violet Center interns: Meet the fabulous four!

By Sister Mary Montgomery

Remembering Sister Barbara Doherty

By Ezra (Kyle) Meadors

Life on the farm at White Violet Center: Meet our summer crop of interns

By Sister Mary Montgomery

‘It was 20 years ago today …’

By Jason Moon

Photo albums

See all
Big smile! Big smile!

2025 Earth Day Festival in photos!
Alpaca ambassador.

Earth Day 2024 in Photos!
Pax9-web

Meet Providence Pax Terre!
Hamming it up with the Earth Defenders.

Earth Day 2023
Bella

Meet our newest alpaca, Providence Isabelle (Bella)
Sisters living in the formation house, from left, Sisters Marsha Speth, Jessica Vitente, Nancy Bartasavich and Janice Smith, show off the masks they have made.

Providence in a year of pandemic
Photo-Album-Shearing-Featured-Image

Alpaca Shearing 2020
A few days old and Tony already knows how to pose.

Providence Raphael Anthony “Tony”
tomatoes ripening on the vine

Questions?

Thank you for your interest in an internship with us!  Do you have more questions about being an intern at White Violet Center for Eco-Justice? Please complete the form here and someone from the program will contact you.

Ready to apply? Use the button below to head over to the application form instead.

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About the SPs

Our congregation is rooted for tomorrow

Volunteer

Give the gift of yourself

Justice inspiration

Agritourism

Experiences at and near Saint Mary-of-the-Woods

Saint Mother Theodore Guerin

Our Foundress

Saint Mother Theodore Guerin