Sweet Water Farm

Sweet Water FARM

• 1 APPRENTICESHIP

• FULL TIME (35 hours/week)

• START/END DATES:  June - December 

• $17/HR

• LOCATION: Hugo  (Rogue Valley Chapter)

• YEARS IN PRODUCTION: 19

• PREVIOUS YEARS HOSTING:  1

• PRACTICES: Organic Practices (Not Certified) 

• ACRES IN CULTIVATION: 2.5

• Vegetables, Cut Flowers, Fruit, Hemp

• ON-FARM HOUSING? Yes

• VEHICLE REQUIRED? Yes

• LANGUAGES SPOKEN: English, Spanish  

The mission at Sweet Water Farm is to grow healthy food and take care of a special piece of the Earth at the same time.  We are honored and fortunate to be in the position to take on this beautiful and challenging task.  Both of our children were born on and fed from this land. The farm has been a conduit to connect with and nourish countless people in our community for the past 19 years.  We intend to continue using Sweet Water Farm to learn and push the limits of sustainable food production in the Rogue Valley.  We aim for Sweet Water Farm to be a place where humans can connect with the endless cycles of the Earth and return to their lives with purpose and energy.  

@sweetwaterfarmhugo

Farm overview

Sweet Water Farm is located in Hugo, Oregon about 15 minutes north of Grants Pass and 15 minutes east of the Rogue River.  Cool and wet winters contrast with hot and dry summers.  Spring and fall are world-class beautiful and mild.  Pine and oak savannah is the native ecosystem here with fir, cedar, and manzanita as other dominant species.

The home site is ¾ of an acre of sloping 75-foot beds for annual vegetable production, a circle garden with perennial flowers and asparagus, and a small variety of fruit trees and berries.  We also lease 2 acres from our next-door neighbor which has a section of 100-foot beds and a section of 200-foot beds for annual vegetable production plus potatoes, onions, winter squash, garlic, and hemp.  We have a propagation hoop house and two hoop houses for hot-weather crops in the spring and summer and cold-weather crops in the fall and winter.

We use a BCS and a 4-wheel Kabota for soil prep and mowing. We aim to leave soils covered with growing plants, mulch, or tarps as much as possible to limit erosion and preserve soil life. We only apply OMRI-certified amendments and compost to the soil. Lots of 5-gallon buckets are lifted, carried, and dumped at Sweet Water Farm.  Weeding and cultivation in beds are all done by hand and hand tools. Transplanting is done by hand, but this year we are going to experiment with the paperpot transplanter.

Sweet Water Farm is entering its 19th year as a primary vendor at the Grants Pass Growers Market. This farmers market is a bustling event every Saturday all year round and is the oldest market in the state of Oregon. We also provide produce for a few local restaurants, a natural food store, and a food co-op.  

Plans for 2025 include a half-acre expansion of veggie production, construction of a 90’x24’ foot hoop house and a 20’x18’ equipment building, the raising of a new flock of chickens and a couple of pigs, and planting of fruit trees, medicinals, and perennials. 

Sam and Denise live in the main house on the property with their 14-year-old daughter Ivory, 2 dogs Benny and Ricky, and a cat Pedro. Their 18-year-old son Ari lives in his own house and takes care of a small flock of chickens. There is also a house that is occupied by our friends-a couple in their 30s with a 5-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter.

Training and Expectations

We will teach Apprentices every aspect of running a successful season of farming.  

These include:

• Farming mindset and self-care strategy

• Understanding and implementing a full-year planting calendar/schedule

• Understanding time/labor requirements regarding calendar/schedule

• Record keeping

• Seed propagation and prop-house management

• Soil preparation and transplanting

• Soil cultivation and weed management

• Greenhouse management and trellising 

• Cut Flower cultivation and bouquet/floral design

• Harvesting,  washing, and packing of produce

• Growers’ market setup and marketing

The Apprentice will be expected to work 35 hours a week, split into five 7-hour days, with two days off per week. During the height of the season, the Apprentice may work extra hours if desired. A week off for a vacation mid-season can be scheduled. Tasks are physically challenging and repetitive at times, but the Apprentice will not be asked to do anything Sam and Denise have not done countless times each year for decades. The Apprentice will be taught body positioning for all tasks to maximize efficiency, avoid injury, and increase strength.

Apprentice will be integral to the success of Sweet Water Farm for the 2025 season.  As we plan to increase yields this year, develop farm infrastructure, and grow more food and independence than ever, Denise and Sam will develop a schedule and plan that is specific and realistic and aims to coincide with the non-negotiable flow of the Earth. As planting and harvesting dates are crucial to success, the Apprentice will be given significant responsibility in making this plan a reality. They will help Sam and Denise seed, germinate, transplant, irrigate, weed, harvest, clean, and sell hundreds of thousands of plants. Getting healthy food to the people is the mission. Simply put, this is how you can make farming an occupation that allows you the freedom to be your own boss and work from the land where you live. Managing the landscape in a way that keeps things neat and organized, manageable, productive, and beautiful while also doing so in a way that nourishes the Earth will be our goal. 

When the Apprentice arrives on June 1, much of the initial steps will already be rolling for the year. The first two large veggie successions, storage onions, leeks, the main flower patch, five salad/lettuce plantings, and one greenhouse will already be planted. The Apprentice will step right in and take over many of the day-to-day tasks that keep the farm running. Maintenance/Mowing Monday focuses on keeping the seeding and soil prep schedule flowing and the grass and edges mowed and trimmed. Trellis/Transplant Tuesday focuses on trellising greenhouse tomatoes and cucumbers as well as getting the next transplants in the ground. Weeding Wednesday keeps our beds cultivated and our plants healthy and charging without too much competition. Thorough Thursday is our day to finish any needed tasks and start harvesting for Market. Friday is all harvesting, washing, and packing of produce.  Saturday is Market day when we get to bring the goods to the people!

We will harvest and cure garlic as well as transplant the summer veggie succession, melons, and winter squash in June.  Every 2 weeks we will transplant head lettuce and salad mix. In July we will transplant our second to last veggie succession, keep the onion and leek patch well-weeded, and plant out our hemp field.  In August we will transplant our final fall succession of overwintering veggies, harvest and cure storage onions, and seed overwintered onions. In September we will start to enjoy the warm days, cool nights, and the bounty of fall, harvest the potatoes and begin to pick and cure the hemp crop. In October we will harvest and cure winter squash, flip a greenhouse from tomatoes to greens, and pick sensitive crops and dried flowers before the freezes hit.  In November we will plant garlic and overwintered onions, fill up another greenhouse with cold-weather veggies, and clean the fields up and seed cover crops before things get too wet. In December we will rest and get ready to do it all again!

QUALIFICATIONS

The Apprentice must have at least two full seasons of farming experience and have the goal of operating their own farm in the future.  

Compensation / ACCOMMODATIONs

We will start apprentices at $17/hour.  The Apprentice receives 15 minutes of paid self-care per day. Accommodation is a tiny house on the property with electricity, a kitchen, a shower, a sleeping loft, and a composting toilet for $600/month. The cabin is separate from other housing on the farm, is private, and has a nice little deck.  

Equity and Inclusion

We appreciate anyone who wants to help us in the mission to grow healthy food and care for the Earth. Sweet Water Farm operates with the utmost respect for the people we employ and interact with in the community. We encourage honest and open communication and everyone is given equal opportunity to provide feedback and air grievances.  We do not judge others for who they are, and we expect the same in return. 

Sam and Denise at the Grants Pass Growers Market

Bel Avenir Farm

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/ 

@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

Runnymede Farm

Runnymede Farm

• 1 APPRENTICESHIP

• PART TIME/FULL TIME (24-40 hours/week)

• APPROX START/END DATES: March/April - November

• $15/HR

• LOCATION: Rogue River (Rogue Valley Chapter)

• YEARS IN PRODUCTION: 25

• PREVIOUS YEARS HOSTING: 5

• PRACTICES: Organic Practices (Not Certified), Mechanized/Tractor Farming, Winter Farming

• ACRES IN CULTIVATION: 9

• Diversified Vegetable, Fruit, Dairy, Poultry (Eggs), Cut Flowers, Nursery Stock, Value-Added / Processing

• ON-FARM HOUSING? No

• VEHICLE REQUIRED? Yes

• LANGUAGES SPOKEN: English

• Women-Owned/Operated, Veteran-Owned/Operated

Runnymede Farm is well known for our fresh produce and nursery business in the local Rogue River community.  We strive to provide the Rogue Valley with high quality, local food while being good stewards to our land.  The farm uses intuition and intensive, chemical-free, non-certified organic practices to produce a wide variety of crops on their 10 acres, including vegetables, fruit, cut flowers, nursery plants, eggs, and dairy.

@runnymede.farm

FARM OVERVIEW

Runnymede farm is located in the beautiful Evans Valley of Southern Oregon, just 2 miles outside the town of Rogue River, a 10 minute drive to Grants Pass and a 20 minute drive to Medford. The 10 acres comprises 5 acres of pasture, 1 acre of wooded forest, 3 acres of hoop houses, nursery space, and growing fields, and 1 acre of living quarters. Teri and Arthur White, the farm’s owners, live on the farm with their dog Leche and the other farm animals. The Rogue Valley is a beautiful place at all times of the year, with plenty of hiking, river floats, and nature to explore.

Runnymede grows row crops and flowers in our fields and hoop houses.  We also have a small orchard of pear trees and blackberries, as well as a nursery with annual and perennial flowers, vegetable starts, fruit trees, bushes, and ornamental bushes and trees. 

Each year, Runnymede raises a new round of chicks for egg production.  There are about 15 goats bred for raw goat milk, and two calves to help maintain the pasture.  

Produce, eggs, nursery starts, and plants sell at 3 local farmer’s markets (Ashland, Medford and Grants Pass), as well as selling produce for a few other local farms. We do a 5 week CSA in the winter months. We also do on farm sales of our raw milk, eggs, and nursery stock.  

Due to the scale and intensity of the plantings, field prep is done with a tractor, while all other tasks are performed by hand with basic tools.  The farm employs 2 full-time employees, 1 part-time employee, and hires additional seasonal help as it’s needed.

The farm is operated by husband and wife team, Arthur and Teri. Together, they have over 25 years of farming and marketing experience. They have been on the farm since 1999. 

Nora Kendall is the primary mentor for the RFC Apprentice and was once herself a RFC Apprentice! Nora started working at Runnymede in 2021, and once completed with the RFC program, was hired on full time at the farm. She is now the field manager, organizes the daily on-farm operations, as well as works 2 of the 3 markets. Nora enjoys the diversity farming brings to each day, and appreciates being able to spend the days on her feet being active.  She is in the beginning years of starting her own farm, and loves educating others about farming and the importance of local food.  Nora also lives in Rogue River with her husband and looks forward to growing her own farm business in the years to come.

TRAINING AND EXPECTATIONS

Apprentices joining the crew at Runnymede can expect to be exposed to all tasks involved in operating a small-scale, diverse, mixed production farm. Those tasks will include animal husbandry (including milking and milk handling) and planting, cultivation, harvesting, packing, and farmers market sales of produce, fruit, and nursery products. Additionally, there are a variety of farm-related construction projects here available for Apprentices to participate in if they are interested. We are looking for a market employee to operate our Saturday market booth in Grants Pass, a great opportunity if the right Apprentice is open to it! 

On-farm training time consists of between 24-40 hours/week for an Apprenticeship position, depending on the applicant, and will include some weekends and holidays. Training will be offered as RFC participants work alongside the host farmers and employees. They will work alongside the host farmers and employees, with some independent work as well, especially as the season progresses. The farm has many facets, and apprentices are welcome to gravitate toward the areas that interest them. Apprentices are given more leeway whenever possible in choosing their work than farm employees. Apprentices joining the crew at Runnymede can expect to be exposed to all tasks involved in operating a small-scale, diverse, mixed-production farm. 

The Apprentice will have tasks demonstrated to them clearly and thoroughly.  We require applicants come with no prior bias, and we may explain tasks that they have previous experience with to ensure it is done the way we like it. We are not providing instruction in biology, botany, or zoology. We are providing on the job experience from which apprentices will have to use their own initiative to further or codify their education.

QUALIFICATIONS

Applicants seeking employment at Runnymede Farm must be mature, serious in their pursuit of farming, and physically capable of lifting heavy objects and being active and on their feet for long days. They must be capable of working independently without constant supervision. A positive attitude that brings a calm presence amongst the employees and animals is a must.

We encourage Apprentices to explore and enjoy Southern Oregon’s beauty, its proximity to the coast, the redwoods, the cascades, and the desert. We encourage Apprentices to make friends in the wider Rogue Farm Corps community and share experiences to fully understand that farming, like life, has many paths.

We prefer an applicant who can stay from March - November but can be flexible on start and end dates as needed. We prefer an applicant to visit in person before a placement decision is made. If you will hire on without an on farm visit, we will have an interview,  perhaps multiple interviews. 

COMPENSATION / ACCOMMODATIONS

Apprentices will start at $15/hr.

We do not provide On-Farm Housing.  Housing can be tight, but rentals are available in the area. Non-local applicants are encouraged to come early to get settled. We can provide a reference for employment and character for housing applications. 

EQUITY AND INCLUSION

Our farm encourages and supports applicants from all backgrounds and is committed to creating a safe and supportive work environment. Runnymede is happy to share our knowledge of farming with anyone with an open mind towards learning and the world around them.  

One of the foundations of nature is variety, and as such, Runnymede Farm also welcomes all souls committed to tolerance, non-violence, and ethical and moral human values.

PAST APPRENTICE TESTIMONIALS

“[Arthur and Teri provided] a clear schedule and list of tasks. [They hosted] a welcoming environment and awesome coworkers… open to ideas and feedback from employees.” - 2021

Teri and Art White (Photo: David Hampton Photography)

Farm Mentor Nora Dennehy with one of the Goats at Runnymede

Feral Farm

Feral Farm

• 1-2 APPRENTICESHIPS

• PART TIME(20-32 hours/week)

• APPROX START/END DATES: April - October

• $15/HR

• LOCATION: Jacksonville / Applegate (Rogue Valley Chapter)

• YEARS IN PRODUCTION: 8

• PREVIOUS YEARS HOSTING: 3

• PRACTICES: Certified Organic, Mechanized/Tractor Farming

• ACRES IN CULTIVATION: 4

• Seed Production, Nursery

• ON-FARM HOUSING? No

• VEHICLE REQUIRED? Yes

• LANGUAGES SPOKEN: English, Spanish (basic)

• Women-Owned/Operated

Feral Farm was founded on a love of seed and a passion for stewarding the genetic and cultural diversity of our food system. We believe in health from the ground up, and grow our seeds in a way that honors the soil and our native ecosystem. Feral Farm is dedicated exclusively to organic, open pollinated seed and heirloom garlic production. The farm consists of four fields along a five mile stretch of the Thompson Creek watershed in the Applegate Valley of southern Oregon, where long dry summers and a county ban on GMOs favor healthy, clean seed production. Owned and operated by Cacia Huff and with the help of neighbors along Thompson Creek.

https://feralfarmseeds.com/
@feralfarm4

Farm Overview

The majority of the farm is in wholesale vegetable and flower seed production (80%), seed garlic for wholesale and direct local sale (10%), and an on-site honor system farm stand selling garden starts and seed packets (10%).  Everything is certified organic. All fields are drip irrigated and cover cropped in winter. Straw mulch is used on many crops. We use a small tractor for bed prep, hand tools for weeding, and mostly small/hand scale tools for seed processing, though some will be mechanized. Overall, a wide variety of tools will be employed to grow and process a diversity of seed crops - between 50-100 varieties per season, including flowers and herbs and a full spectrum of vegetables. There is a nice seasonal flow, with early springtime being heavily focused on greenhouse work, seeding and transplanting; late spring being focused on weeding and crop supports like mulching and trellising; summer begins seed crop harvest; and fall continues harvest and begins seed processing and cleaning. There are lots of opportunities to learn new skills!

Feral Farm is spread across four isolation fields along a 5 mile stretch of Thompson Creek - a rural and fairly close knit community of homesteaders, farmers, and ranchers. Thompson Creek is located approximately halfway between the cities of Medford and Grants Pass. The home field is where I live as well as three other people including my landlord and his partner and another renter, and my house will be accessible during work hours to the Apprentices. The other three fields do not have bathroom access. There are ample hiking trails to explore, rivers and creeks to swim in, proximity to Applegate Lake, and opportunities to connect with others in the farming community. 

Feral Farm has been in operation since 2017, and is run by Cacia Huff. It started with a small lease on the established farm I, Cacia, was working for at the time. Prior to that, I spent 2 seasons in the Puget Sound area of northwestern WA, Apprenticing at the Organic Farm School, where I learned business management, farm-scale vegetable and contract seed production. My background prior to that was an Environmental Studies degree at UCSC. My studies in agroecology led me to spend time in southern Mexico establishing school gardens and garden classroom curriculum, and opened my eyes to the worldwide struggle to maintain and preserve rapidly disappearing seed diversity. It then led to a few years of work in organic certification, before I decided that I wanted to be out in the field and on the ground rather than in the office. I’m passionate about being outdoors, working with my body, being surrounded by natural beauty, and expressing creativity in the work I do. I love pushing myself mentally and physically, and this type of work never fails there!

TRAINING AND EXPECTATIONS

I will be working alongside the Apprentices for the majority of the time, taking time to demonstrate each individual task as it arises. I am always available for feedback, and encourage questions. I embrace the idea of allowing greater independence on tasks that an Apprentice enjoys or shows particular aptitude for - there is flexibility there. I’m happy to schedule regular check-ins and foster open communication.

Early Spring: greenhouse production of many types of plants for seed crops as well as farmstand/nursery plant production. Soil blocking, hand seeding, potting on, and managing the flow of the farmstand. 

Mid to late Spring: bed preparation, which will include tractor work (done by me), hand fertilizing, bed marking, direct seeding with an Earthway seeder, and hand transplanting from soil blocks. Setting up drip irrigation systems. String trimming and weeding with a walk-behind electric tilther, wheel hoe, and stirrup hoes. Plant protection (hoops and row cover), and early identifying and roguing of off types in seed crops.

Late spring to early summer: continued weeding, laying straw mulch on cucurbits, and setting up crop supports like trellises and, in some cases, isolation netting to prevent undesired crossing of seed crops. 

Summer: garlic harvest, proper curing, and cleaning for wholesale and local sales. Early seed crop harvests begin in July and August, mostly dry-seeded crops which will be cured, threshed, winnowed, etc. Each crop is a different process.

Late Summer/Early Fall: later season seed crop harvest and processing, which includes many wet seeded crops like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash and cucumbers. Mechanical and hand processing, fermenting, decanting, and cleaning - each crop is a different process! This is also the time we finish clean garlic and pack large wholesale orders for shipping.

Late Fall: continued seed cleaning, packing and shipping.

Throughout the season:  Keeping the farmstand stocked and running, plenty of weeding, gopher trapping, and keeping irrigation water flowing. 

Feral Farm offers an average of 20 to 32 work hours per week from approximately April through October, Monday through Friday. Hours start on the low end and increase as the season progresses, with a slight lull in July. I am flexible with time off if requests are made ahead of time. The heaviest crunch times are May and September/October, so those are not great times for extended time off requests. While I do work to switch up the work tasks throughout the day and week to avoid monotony, Apprentices should expect to be doing a fair bit of physical exertion in all kinds of weather! Southern Oregon will get hot, averaging daily between 90-105 in the summer. Apprentices should plan to use a respirator for a few weeks in the summer due to wildfire smoke.

QUALIFICATIONS

I work best with people who already love being outdoors, enjoy challenging themselves, and enjoy doing physical work in all weather. Also, those who enjoy learning new things and thinking creatively about how to approach tasks. Flexibility and the ability to go with the flow of work that is often weather-dependent and, therefore, unpredictable is important. Attention to detail is critical when it comes to maintaining varietal integrity of seed crops, garlic, and vegetable starts, which is relevant through all parts of the season. Good communication and mutual respect - listening and asking questions as well as speaking up about any issues that arise, respecting each other's time (showing up on time, communicating scheduling needs), and also being attuned to your own physical needs. Previous farming or landscaping work is desirable but ultimately not as important as enthusiasm to learn!

COMPENSATION / ACCOMMODATIONS

$15/hr plus reimbursement of RFC tuition if/when season is completed.

Apprentices will also receive plant starts and seeds for personal garden use, any edible portions from processing seed crops (eg, melon and squash flesh), and garlic for personal use.

Verizon and US Cellular service is available, though not always stellar in the fields. Wifi is available at the home farm house and will be accessible (as will the house itself for breaks, bathroom, shower if needed). There is no housing on-site at this time.

I would prefer to meet prospective Apprentices if possible to make sure we both feel like we would be a good fit. I have found paid working interviews to be a helpful way to go about this. If this isn’t possible, I’m open to getting to know each other over the phone.

EQUITY AND INCLUSION

I do not discriminate on the basis of gender, gender identity, sexuality, ethnicity, or age. I encourage open and respectful communication.

Cacia, with kitty friend