Funding available to ag businesses seeking interns for growing season

The Colorado Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Workforce Development Program is now accepting applications from businesses looking to hire interns for the 2023 growing season.

“By providing paid, hands-on internships in agriculture, we’re helping more young people gain access to education and experience that will help them decide if they want to pursue a career in agriculture,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Kate Greenberg. “This program supports the development of future generations of farmers and ranchers, and supports ag business owners in training the next generation. ”

The Agricultural Workforce Development Program provides financial incentives to Colorado farms, ranches, and agricultural businesses to hire interns and provide them with the hands-on training needed to begin a career in agriculture. Qualified businesses may be reimbursed for up to 50 percent of the actual cost of hiring an intern, up to $5,000, in exchange for providing an educational experience to the intern. Since the program was created in 2018, the Department of Agriculture has funded more than 75 internships at farms, ranches and agricultural businesses across the state (25 in 2022 alone).

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