CHICAGO — Workers with green thumbs, a strong work ethic and an eye toward the future of food are encouraged to apply for internships at The Plant, a sustainable food production facility on the Southwest Side.
Seven unpaid summer internships will be offered at The Plant, 1400 W. 46th St. in Back of the Yards, in the areas of aquaponics design and construction, indoor and outdoor farming, mycology and mushroom farming, business management and public relations.
For a complete list and descriptions of each internship, see The Plant’s official internships website. The deadline to apply is Friday, and applicants should take note of the fine print: “All applications received without indication as to which specific internship is being applied for will be disregarded.”
The facility, the old Peer Foods meatpacking plant in the Union Stockyards, is aiming to become a “net-zero” facility, where tenants aim to reduce waste and minimize energy in an effort to become completely self-sustaining.
Already, it’s drawn a handful of innovative and eco-friendly businesses, including an aquaponic farm for growing produce and Tilapia, and a Kombucha brewery.
It’s also home to Pleasant Farms, which grows produce for Bridgeport’s Pleasant House Bakery and Peerless Bread & Jam, which will use a new, massive wood-fired oven to create cookies, bialys, pretzels and breads.
Outside the building, installation has begun for of an anaerobic digester system which will convert matter like food scraps and grease into heat to the power the building.
