Bel Avenir Farm
1 APPRENTICESHIP
PART TIME (15 hours/week)
APPROX START/END DATES: March/April - November
$15/HR first three weeks (trial period), $18/HR
LOCATION: Ashland (Rogue Valley Chapter)
YEARS IN PRODUCTION: 12
PREVIOUS YEARS HOSTING: New Host Farm
PRACTICES: Organic Practices (Not Certified), No-Till, Rotational Grazing
ACRES IN CULTIVATION: 5
Meat Production, Poultry (Eggs), Value-added/Processing, Agritourism
ON-FARM HOUSING? No
VEHICLE REQUIRED? Yes
LANGUAGES SPOKEN: English (Fluent)
Women-Owned/Operated
Bel Avenir (which means bright or beautiful future) is a 5-acre farm located in rural Ashland, on the ancestral lands of the Shasta, Takelma, and Latgawa peoples. Diane Choplin launched the farm in 2012 and firmly believes in serving the land as a responsible steward while building soil, producing nutrient-dense food, and maintaining high standards for animal welfare. Bel Avenir supplies direct-to-consumer rotationally-grazed lamb and pastured eggs, as well as value-added products. Dedicated to regenerative practices and the highest standard of animal welfare, Bel Avenir is Bee Friendly Certified, and a Jackson Soil and Water Conservation Stewardship Site.
https://www.facebook.com/BelAvenirFarm/
Farm Overview
Bel Avenir is a no-till, 5-acre labor of love located just outside the town of Ashland, on the ancestral lands of the Shasta, Takelma, and Latgawa peoples. Myer Creek bisects the property. There’s a raised-bed kitchen garden, pond, fruit + nut orchard, and over three acres of perennial pasture which is home to a small herd of hair sheep, flock of laying hens, and a plethora of insects, soil microbes, and burrowing rodents. My 15yo son and I live in the farmhouse. For added income, I Airbnb the largest bedroom.
Bel Avenir has historically been a one-woman show with very occasional hired help for tasks I can’t do alone or as efficiently. I raise rotationally grazed lamb and pastured eggs that I sell directly to clients. Meat is whole-animal to enable farm kill and encourage nose-to-tail consumption. Clients come to me by word of mouth. Additionally, I make value-added products from hides and orchard fruit that I sell to Airbnb guests and also by word of mouth.
Though not certified organic, I hold to those standards, controlling weeds through mechanical means (hand pulling/digging/burning) and with grazing, tarping, and sheet mulch. I’m also an experienced boot-strapper, as any single person running a farm must be, having received multiple grants and one corporate sponsorship for infrastructure projects.
Farming is an exciting, challenging, and rewarding learning curve, especially having come from an urban existence! I’m grateful for all of the opportunities this valley and its supportive farming community offers to beginners. I’ve taken full advantage since beginning my journey in 2009 with workshops at OSU Extension, Jackson Soil and Water Conservation District, and online. I enjoy giving back to those programs and have hosted over 350 folks for tours and workshops on the subjects of noxious weed management, riparian restoration, rotational grazing, and economics and enterprise.
I’m a member of the League of Women Farmers and the Oregon Forages and Grasslands Council. I also work part-time for OSU Extension (SOREC), Small Farms, and serve on the board of Our Family Farms, the organization behind the campaign to ban GMO crops from Jackson County.
For a deep dive into my farming philosophy and values: https://www.dianechoplin.com/writing
TRAINING AND EXPECTATIONS
Lambing kicks off in spring (late March), which means ear tagging, cord dipping, potential lamb pulling, and health checks. At a month old, I band male lambs as means of castration. Rotational grazing season begins once all the lambs are on the ground and able to reliably find and follow their mamas. It runs through October/November, when forage growth slows and the flock is separated for breeding and slaughter. Rotational season means constant forage assessment and taking down/setting up of paddocks (weed whacking fence lines, moving electrified nets, etc.). I do FAMACHA scoring, hoof-trimming, and conduct my own fecal egg counts (collect poo, put it in solution, and look at it under a microscope). Other activities include collecting and delivering eggs, night penning animals, cleaning their coop/sleeping spaces, reducing fuels for fire resilience, and LOTS of weed management. Apprentices will learn to identify forages and weeds (including noxious, beneficial, and toxic), how and when to control them, and how to measure and maintain pasture density.
All work is physical to varying degrees. There will be digging, weed whacking, bending, lifting, mowing, and working low to the ground. Hay bales are the heaviest item, at 60 pounds, but it’s rare that they need moving, at least not until rotating season ends in late fall. Well, sheep are heavier but we won’t pick them up. We’ll just move them around at hoof trimming.
For 7-10 hours a week, I will work alongside you to teach skills and talk concepts as we work. I envision the experience as hands-on learning. We’ll also check in for the first and last 5-10 minutes of each workday. Questions are always welcome. Our first day will include a tour, a discussion of what the Apprentice is most interested to learn, deciding our schedule, and meeting the animals. We’ll have two evaluation sessions as per RFC guidelines, more if the Apprentice desires. Attending an irrigation district meeting is a possibility, as is assisting with any workshops, or selecting a personal project.
I’m also happy for Apprentices to participate in and learn from my Airbnb farm stay and potentially take on a project of their choice on the farm.
Schedule: No more than five hours of work per day, M-F, with possibility of some weekend hours as needed, for fifteen total hours per week. Regular schedule desired. Flexibility for days off, extreme heat, and poor AQI. Punctuality, clear communication, and advanced notice of vacation plans are expected.
QUALIFICATIONS
Reliability, good physical fitness, and a sincere desire to learn are paramount. Good communication (as mentioned above), listening skills, and accountability are also important. I’d rather someone admit they forgot how to do something and ask for help, than forge ahead, too embarrassed to ask, and cause harm to themselves or others, or make more work later. Please be detail oriented and have a strong work ethic. Be someone who wants to do their best in everything, versus get away with minimum required effort. Previous outdoor and/or physical work experience is a plus as it means you know how to take care of yourself in summer heat, deadlift properly, etc. Committed to agriculture, farming, and/or homesteading is another plus, but not required.
I would prefer that the prospective apprentice visit in person to make sure it’s a good fit for all. In absence of that, a Zoom call would be necessary.
COMPENSATION / ACCOMMODATIONS
$15/hr for an initial trial period of three weeks.
$18/hr after successful trial period, plus farm-produced eggs and seasonal produce, when available.
$250 completion-of-season bonus.
The rental market in and around Ashland is tight and expensive, but the farm is just 2 minutes off of I-5, so commuting from Talent, Phoenix, Jacksonville, or Medford would be easy (10-20 minute drive). Look for housing through Craigslist, rental property management companies, and social media. If I learn of someone looking for a roommate or renter, I’m happy to share that information. As of the writing of this description, I know of no such opportunities.
EQUITY AND INCLUSION
I make efforts to educate myself to the experiences of others so that I may be more mindful in my interactions and aware of the inequitable privileges accorded me, as well as subconscious actions I may take or have taken that reinforce division and oppression. I invite feedback and work cooperatively to address concerns. I recognize I have much to learn and actively seek out opportunities to do so. I read a lot of nonfiction, personal essays, memoirs, and biographies by BIPOC authors, attend DEI trainings and LGBTQIA events, and speak up when I see injustice and insensitivity. I advocate for greater BIPOC representation in my off-farm work and strive to avoid tokenism. I respect and honor people’s pronouns and lifestyle choices. I greet everyone warmly and pay attention to nonverbal cues regarding their comfort and safety. I am open to suggestions on how I can do better. My farm, unfortunately, is not ADA-compliant.
Diane Choplin with Sheep