Join us at Clio’s Books in Oakland for a live book talk on September 16th, 7-9pm. Author and UC Berkeley alum Jennie Durant will be in conversation with BFI’s Executive Director, Jeanne Merrill.
For Students
Jobs and Resources
As part of our Fair and Healthy Jobs mission area, we aim to connect UC Berkeley students and alumni to food and farm systems career pathways.
Food Systems Opportunities Postings
California Solar Specialist
American Farmland Trust
Remote/Sacramento, CA with regional monthly travel | Salary: $80,000 – $85,000
Apply now!
California Water Resource Specialist
American Farmland Trust
San Joaquin, CA | Salary: $65,000 – $70,000
Apply now!
Coalition Manager
California Farmworker Coalition
Remote / California | Salary: $75,000 – $90,000
Apply now!
Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator
Berkeley Food Network
Berkeley, CA| Salary: $27-30/hr
Apply now!
Retreat Program Assistant
The Occidental Arts and Ecology Center
Occidental, CA | Salary: $66,836
Apply now!
Research & Policy Associate, Low-Wage Work Program
UC Berkeley Labor Center
Berkeley, CA | Salary: $63,500 – $194,800, based on experience
Apply now!
Director of Development & Community Engagement
Codman Community Farms
Lincoln, MA | Salary: $100,000–$120,000
Apply now!
Volunteer Coordinator
Iskashitaa Refugee Network
Tucson, AZ | $18/hr
Apply now!
Program Coordinator
Iskashitaa Refugee Network
Tucson, AZ | $18/hr
Apply now!
Field Crew
West County Community Farm
Sebastopol, CA | Wage: $20/hr
Apply now!
Grants
Dairy Plus Program
California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA)
California dairy facilities are now invited to apply for the Dairy Plus Program (DPP) to implement advanced manure management solutions on farms across the state – reducing methane emissions, improving water quality, and addressing nitrogen and salt surpluses through innovative, sustainable projects. Due September 14 2026.
Cheatham Student Field Grant
UC Berkeley Natural Reserves
Funds from this grant are to be used to support UC Berkeley field-based classes, workshops, seminars, or field-based projects based at one of our reserves. This grant is for UC Berkeley faculty, staff, lecturers, and students. Spring grant cycle application opens September 20, 2026.
KIDS FIRST: David L. Kirp Prize
Institute for the Study of Societal Issues
Each year, the KIDS FIRST: David L. Kirp Prize awards $2,000 to one UC Berkeley undergraduate student who has developed innovative strategies to increase opportunities for children and youth or who has demonstrated a commitment to improving the future of children and youth. Applications due November 2.
Volunteer
Oxford Tract: Cultivating Community through Urban Farming
Summer 2026 Hours | 1741 Walnut Street
Oxford Tract is a UC Berkeley student-driven agroecology and wellness farm growing food for campus pantries like Basic Needs Center and offering hands-on learning in sustainable agriculture and food justice. No experience needed. All are welcome.
Volunteer hours:
Thursdays 3–6 PM
Saturdays 10–1 PM
Follow @berkeleystudentfarms (IG) for updates and how to get involved
Berkeley Student Food Collective
New and Returning Member Application
The Berkeley Student Food Collective is a group of students working to provide cheaper, more sustainable, and healthier food to the Berkeley community — and learning how to run a grocery co-op in the process. Apply to become a member and volunteer this fall.
Graduate Journal of Food Studies
The Graduate Journal of Food Studies invites submissions for a special issue exploring the theme Food as Joy. Our 2025 special issue dealt with food and loss, so now we thought we would turn to joy. Food is and will always be a source of pleasure, celebration, creativity, and connection. This issue seeks contributions that examine the intersections, tensions, and possibilities of food as a source of joy. We welcome interdisciplinary perspectives and encourage submissions that engage with food’s social, cultural, political, environmental, and emotional dimensions. We welcome submissions from graduate students and early-career scholars across disciplines in the form of either research essays or short form pieces. Due September 15, 2026.
Alameda County Social Services Agency
Volunteer to build an online platform/search tool where job seekers can find work and volunteer hours in order to fulfill CalFresh work requirements. Looking for tech expertise to help craft this platform, including bandwidth to advise on this in the coming weeks and months.
Learn more by emailing Aliza Kazmi at aliza.kazmi@acgov.org
Garden Volunteer
Occidental, CA
The Occidental Arts & Ecology Center (OAEC) is an 80-acre research, demonstration, advocacy, and organizing center in Sonoma County, California, that develops strategies for regional-scale community resilience.
BFI Events
Lunch & Learn Webinar – First Look: New Research and Policy Recommendations on Groundwater Management and Small Farms in California
Wednesday, September 16th, 12-1PM | Zoom
Join us for this webinar as Ngodoo Atume (UC ANR Small Farms Network) and Catherine Van Dyke (Community Alliance with Family Farmers) present findings on how groundwater regulations are affecting small-scale agricultural producers across California.
Book Talk Event: Bitter Honey — Big Ag’s Threat to Bees and The Fight to Save Them
Lunch & Learn Webinar – The Economic Impact of California’s Farm to School Investments
Wednesday, October 6th, 12-1PM | Zoom
California has made a major investment in farm to school programs, but what has that investment meant for farmers, school food programs, and the state’s broader economy? This webinar will feature new research, funded by the State of California, on the California Farm to School Incubator Grant Program. The research examines producer sales and market expansion, school procurement, and the generation of broader statewide economic activity. Presenters will also discuss the enabling conditions that determine whether farm to school investments translate into sustained purchasing relationships, such as technical assistance, food hubs, and farm infrastructure. The webinar will conclude with a set of policy recommendations for state leaders to consider as they shape the future of farm to school investments in California.
Events
Cardiovascular Disease and Dietary Fiber — Clinical Outcomes and Interventions
September 15th | Online
This program provides health professionals and Coalition for Grain Fiber (CGF) scientists and advisors with a deeper understanding of the emerging role of fiber in cardiovascular disease progression and impact on quality of life; the evolution of the impact of dietary fiber as cardiovascular disease clinically intensifies; and particular subgroups that are more likely to benefit from fiber interventions.
WASHOKU | Nature and Culture in Japanese Cuisine
May 22nd – October 18th | Online
The exhibition, “WASHOKU | Nature and Culture in Japanese Cuisine,” on view at JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles from May 22 through October 18, 2026, delves into the core elements, evolution, and connection to culture of this UNESCO-recognized intangible cultural heritage.
Southern California Agrivoltaics Conference
October 20th | Kellogg West, Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona, CA
Join the Robert Redford Conservancy for Southern California for a conference that brings together agrivoltaics researchers and share findings with agricultural producers, solar energy developers, and other sectors that align with this system in the state’s seven southern counties and beyond.
CalCAN Agriculture & Climate Conference
San Joaquin Valley, CA | November 9, 2026
Agriculture is facing unprecedented challenges from climate change, economic pressures, and increasing regulation. CalCAN’s inaugural San Joaquin Valley conference will bring together farmers, researchers, technical advisors, policymakers, and agricultural leaders from across California to discuss challenges, explore opportunities and build connections towards a stronger, more resilient agricultural landscape across California.
Register Here Starting Sep 8, 2026
Classes & Fellowships
GloCal Health Fellowship
September 2026-27 | Online with orientation in Washington, D.C. | Due Sep 15 2026
The University of California Global Health Institute Fellowship supports a 12-month, mentored research fellowship for investigators interested in studying diseases and conditions in developing countries. The fellowship is designed for: US doctoral students (PhD, DrPH, etc.), professional students (MD, DDS, DVM, PharmD, etc.) and postdoctoral fellows, as well as foreign postdoctoral fellows from affiliated international sites in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Food Systems Opportunities Newsletter
Our bi-weekly Food Systems Opportunities Newsletter is a great resource for those looking for food and farm systems related opportunities both on and off campus. These include full-time and part-time jobs, fellowships and internships, volunteer opportunities, open grants, food systems courses and more. Click here to subscribe to our newsletters.
If you would like to advertise a food or farm system related opportunity with BFI, please complete our FS Opps submission form.
BFI Jobs and Fellowships
If you are a student at UC Berkeley interested in working with the Berkeley Food Institute, please visit our Careers page or Fellowships page for information about open positions. We typically post new BFI student positions and fellowship opportunities for the upcoming academic year in the spring/early summer. We recommend signing up for our Food System Opportunities Newsletter to receive our job announcements.
Food Systems Career Pathways
Explore the Careers in Organic Food & Agriculture resource guide to learn more about the various unique pathways to make a real impact in food and farm systems. Since 2017, BFI has also hosted annual career panels to connect our campus community to various career pathways in food and farm systems. Our career pathways programs have included resumé review nights, farm tours, career fairs and more. If you’re interested in future events, please email us at foodinstitute@berkeley.edu. You can find new events on our Events page. Subscribing to the BFI newsletter and following BFI on Instagram (@ucberkeleyfood) are two great ways to learn about ongoing career development events.