Satellite Farm Location

Guyon Springs- FULL FOR 2024

GUYON SPRINGS -FULL FOR 2024

  • POSITION: 1-2 APPRENTICESHIPS

  • PART TIME (30 hrs/week)

  • APPROX START/END DATES: 4/1 - 11/1

  • LOCATION: Dayville (Eastern Oregon)

  • ON-FARM HOUSING OFFERED

  • VEHICLE REQUIRED? Yes.

  • ON FARM VISIT REQUIRED? Preferred.

  • LANGUAGES SPOKEN: English. Elementary Spanish. 

We grow a variety of produce focusing heavily on three crops: garlic, peppers and chiles, and purple corn. We also grow lettuce and will make this one of our main crops for the summer of 2024. We also grow a variety of other produce for market and a small CSA and market, plus flowers and herbs. We have a 1/3 acre field that supports 36 beds, standard 50’by 33”. We hope to expand to 52 beds. This field, as well as the hay field, is watered by hand lines off the irrigation ditch. The flower and herb beds are in a different field and are watered by the well using drip irrigation.

We sell our garlic and chillies to customers in our community who pre-order and buy from our store or markets. We have many value-added items such as roasted chillies, pickled vegetables, jams, garlic braids, dried and fresh flowers, chili ristras, etc. We will be selling lettuce to two local restaurants for the summer of 2024. We have a goal of a 10 person CSA for the 2024 season. Previously we have had five subscriptions. We attend 4 markets a year, and sell from our store for other outlets. 

We are no-till and biodynamic. We use hand tools for most of our farming. Twice a year we rent a tractor to manage compost made by our two donkeys and two horses. We use cover crops, mulch and black plastic covering to manage our beds. 

Our farm crew has been two part time people (20 hrs. A week each) May-October. 

We are on the confluence of Conner Creek and the South Fork of the John Day river. Our fields are in an alluvial plain and we have five irrigated acres. Our property encompasses 120 acres, and it is  very dynamic in terms of topography. The top of the property is 1,200 ft. above the farmed portion. We live on an off-grid property that sits on the hillside above the farm and has a shared property line. There are numerous springs on the property, and a pond and a creek. Most of the 120 acres is steep hillside with wide ridges. Juniper and sagebrush cover the upper regions.  The farm has a house, barns, farm store and kitchen. Housing is available for interns in the farm house. 

Dayville is a community of 120 people. The closest, largest population center is John Day, 30 miles up river. We live three miles from public land on the South Fork of the John Day river; one mile from the confluence of the main stem. The river is our main recreation outlet, along with hiking and biking trails.

Jim and Kerri have been farming off grid on our property above the farm for 10 years. We live on a spring (no well) and use holding tanks for water. We acquired the property below in March of 2020, and have built and managed it for production since then.

Jim is a science, agriculture, and Computer Technology Engineering teacher in high school and has knowledge of no-till systems. He is also interested in native plants, and growing for government reforestation projects. 

Kerri is the business owner and also a high school English teacher. She grew up on a farm and enjoyed learning alongside Jim how to grow food in this desert environment. We both value community and growing produce that has as little impact on the land as possible while producing nutrient dense food. We have been in operation since 2021, expanding a little each year. 

TRAINING AND EXPECTATIONS

Tasks to be done include but are not limited to: bed building, compost management, planting, transplanting, cultivating, harvesting, washing packing, delivering, processing value added products, animal care, mowing living pathways in our vegetable plot, and managing water and irrigation. We train and work alongside employees several days a week while our teaching schedules allow. 

We expect employees to work five days a week, six to eight hours a day on all areas of the farm. We divide our time on hot days into 2 shifts: a seven a.m. to noon shift, then a five to seven shift.

We meet in the morning to assess needs and decide what tasks to be accomplished. In the early season this is bed prep, planting, cultivating etc. We discuss longer projects and make sure we are tending toward the steps of production and sales. We demonstrate best practices with the goal of training for independence. Apprentices will grow into working solo on the farm for several days out of the week, as we teach until June and go back to work in late August. 

COMPENSATION / ACCOMMODATIONS

$15/hr. Also, of course produce and community camaraderie as perks! 

There is on-farm housing. We ask $500.00/month for rent for a bedroom in the farmhouse.  

We purchased the farm below us in 2020, and it has a nice house with two bedrooms. The house actually has four bedrooms, but we use the back part of the house for the business. For example, we have an office and a room that has freezers and some benches for starts, and another room where we store our furniture from the wall tents we use as seasonal Airbnbs. The front of the house has two bedrooms and a bathroom and kitchen.

QUALIFICATIONS

We are looking for someone who loves the process of farming and being outdoors, with good communication / listening skills, willingness to learn, good mechanical skills, a commitment to agriculture, and lastly someone who enjoys animals and small communities.

An ability to thrive in a remote, rural, high desert environment and work independently is required.

EQUITY AND INCLUSION

On our farm we all share in the work. This means we take turns doing all jobs understanding some are more fun than others. We are big on communication, assessing progress, and making sure everyone is heard. We have a great community that welcomes and includes everyone. For example, we host a weekly potluck where we feature our produce and a wood fired oven. For us, in this region, social justice looks like giving space for everyone, not just those who look or think like us. That being said, we are not always supportive of the industrial cattle ranching out here that depletes the beautiful John Day river each year. Likewise we do not support government efforts to subsidize Juniper cutting for rangeland habitat. We try to provide education for this unique environment. We are the only commercial organic growers in Grant and Wheeler counties, and we want to show that we have an imagination when it comes to growing food in this beautiful but challenging climate.

The Latshaw Family.

Harbinger Farm- FULL FOR 2024

HARBINGER Farm- Full for 2024

  • POSITIONS: 1-2 Apprenticeships

  • 1 FULL TIME (30-40 hrs/week) or 2 PART TIME (20-30 hrs/week)

  • APPROX START/END DATES: April - October

  • LOCATION: Myrtle Creek (Umpqua Valley)

  • NO ON-FARM HOUSING OFFERED

  • VEHICLE REQUIRED? Yes

  • ON FARM VISIT REQUIRED? Preferred, but not imperative.

  • LANGUAGES SPOKEN: English. 

Harbinger Farm is located about 10 miles (15 minutes) outside of Myrtle Creek. Property owners, Matt and Lucie, are the sole residents, operating the farm business out of their home. The property itself is 12 acres in total with 2 acres currently in crop production. It has about an acre of cultivated space dedicated to annual row crops, the rest being a fruit tree orchard and other perennials which were planted when they bought the property in 2020. North Myrtle Creek runs through the property, leaving about 500 ft of creek frontage–the creek runs year round and is a great place to cool off in the summertime. As of 2023, the farm also began leasing a field from a neighbor down the road, increasing production space by another half acre.

The farm currently raises annual vegetable, fruit and herb crops–a versatile assortment of 70+ items over the course of the growing season. Value-added products are also produced when time and quantity permits, including cottage foods, vegetable ferments and dehydrated goods.

Harbinger Farm vends at two farmers markets, offers a 25-week CSA, and wholesales to a local restaurant.

The only time mechanization is utilized is during bed-prep when a walk-behind tractor does some mowing, shallow tillage and bed-shaping. Otherwise weeding, cultivation and harvest is all done by hand. Field blocks are cover cropped over-winter and crop families are rotated between seasons. All transplants are started from seed in a propagation nursery on-site and a total of 6,500 sq.ft. of field tunnel space will be utilized for row crop cultivation in 2024.

Matt and Lucie serve as the core farm crew. An apprentice would fill an assistant position to them in almost all necessary field tasks. A handful of volunteers and/or work traders may join for harvest days or big projects during peak season.

Matt and Lucie share over a decade of previous farming and marketing experience combined and were duly inspired by the rewarding nature of the lifestyle, enough to find their own land to tend. Harbinger Farm was founded in March 2020 and the couple immediately began breaking ground and creating growing space. They joined the winter market in Myrtle Creek that November and have continued marketing while expanding their business ever since.

Harbinger Farm’s main goal is to successfully grow a wide variety of seasonal foods without the use of pesticides, herbicides or synthetic fertilizers. We believe that our environment shouldn’t suffer from our cultivation of this space, it should only benefit and flourish because of it. Our intent is to let the seasonal changes in our natural surroundings signal our actions, allowing the earth’s cycle to determine the unique timing for the growing season. While keeping permaculture methods in mind, we wish to find balance between stewarding the land with thoughtfulness and care while also maximizing its growing potential so we can serve more outlets within the local community.

TRAINING AND EXPECTATIONS

An Apprentice would receive a relatively well-rounded hands-on experience, encompassing most aspects of small-scale produce farming. The bulk of their hours logged will be spent on field production-related tasks, including but not limited to seeding, planting, cultivation, irrigation, harvesting, washing/packing and taking inventory. Heavy equipment usage is limited; however, an apprentice would certainly be trained to use the BCS walk-behind tractor, if interested. Farm business management methods will be conveyed when it comes time for decision making regarding crop planning, weather and climate, seasonal production trends, market demands, etc.

Being that we are operating a newly-established farm, there is much value to be gleaned from learning the progression of a small-scale farm in “real-time”. An apprentice would have the opportunity to actively engage as we grow our business, develop new systems, problem solve and overcome challenges for the first time, capturing a unique involvement that can only be enhanced by our varied previous farming experiences.

An Apprentice should expect to work maximum hours in the given range (depending on full or part time) per week during peak season (May-September) and closer to the minimum hours in the range per week on the front and tail ends. Ideally, hours per day and days per week would be flexible depending on fluctuating needs. However, if a set schedule is preferred, that can also be arranged. On average, one should expect to complete 8-hour workdays. During peak season, the expected daily start time would be 8am. Time off should be requested as far in advance as possible, but at least two weeks prior. No more than three consecutive days off will be allowed during peak season (unless an exception is agreed upon during the interview process). All time required for RFC training/events off-site, including commuting, will be gladly accommodated.

Introduction to the farm will take place initially, including lay of the land, basic farm practices and principles, familiarity with mentors, and general expectations. Detailed training will occur with each new task, even if the Apprentice has prior experience. Guaranteed demonstration of assigned duties and continually working alongside the apprentice until both parties are confident in adequate completion of the task at hand. The teaching of core concepts will take place over appropriate periods of time, with mentors helping the apprentice hone their skills and become comfortable in their position as they acquire more knowledge and experience.

Questions and constructive feedback will be welcome at all times. Field walks will occur each week after days off. Check-ins will take place monthly. Evaluation sessions will be scheduled at the end of the 30-day trial period and again around the end of September.

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Applicants with previous farm experience preferred, but not required–as long as the desire to learn and motivation to excel is clearly present.

  • Outdoor physical work experience is a must–our summer daytime temps average between high 80s and low 100s.

  • Ability to comfortably lift and carry 50 lbs is required, accompanied by repeatedly bending, kneeling, squatting and standing throughout the day.

  • Adeptness at learning new skills while pertaining the ability to override previous learned experiences with newfound direction.

  • Exhibits attention to detail and thoughtful predictability.

  • Exercises strong listening, comprehension and communication skills.

  • Ambition to pursue a demanding lifestyle and arduous career path within an industry struggling against countless social and environmental challenges.

  • Appreciation for and respect of natural science and organic chemistry.

  • Practices a favorable attitude and a pragmatic outlook; is flexible, adaptable, open minded, down-to-earth and easy-going in nature.

COMPENSATION / ACCOMMODATIONS 

$14/hour to start with opportunity for increase over the course of the season according to performance, plus access to ample farm-produced food (seconds) to take home each week.

Housing is not provided. Opportunities are available for rent in our neighborhood, Myrtle Creek and the surrounding area, including Roseburg.
There is no cell service within about 5 miles of the property; however, wi-fi connectivity is available within 20ft of the private residence. 

Introducing an apprentice to other local farmers in the area is absolutely intended–especially to some who are raising livestock and/or different crops, such as cut flowers. They would certainly be welcome to attend local farmers markets and other networking opportunities and, depending on their scope of interests, we will assist in making connections with persons involved in the local food system.

EQUITY AND INCLUSION

Folks from all walks of life are welcome to join our farm crew–as long as we share the same drive and determination for the work, how we got here doesn’t matter. We strive to treat every person we encounter with dignity and respect, with our only expectation being to receive the same from them in return. Simply put, discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated.     

Lucie and Matt Day with doggo Zevon

Nella Mae's Farm- FULL FOR 2024

Nella Mae’s FarM-FULL FOR 2024

  • POSITION: 1 APPRENTICESHIPS

  • FULL TIME (30-40 hrs/week) 

  • APPROX START/END DATES: 4/1 - 5/15 to 8/1- 10/31

  • LOCATION: Cove (Northeast Oregon)

  • ON-FARM HOUSING OFFERED 

  • VEHICLE REQUIRED? Yes

  • ON FARM VISIT REQUIRED? No.

  • LANGUAGES SPOKEN: English and Spanish.

Nella Mae’s Farm is a produce farm managed with low-till, regenerative, and holistic practices. We also raise a few beef for market with my neighbor. Nella Mae sells at our on-farm farmstand, the La Grande Farmers Market, several retail outlets, one CSA, and restaurants in two counties. 

Nella Mae’s Farm is at the base of the Wallowa Mountains in northeast Oregon. We have woods and wildlife habitat on our place and farm and graze five acres. The farm is just outside the “city” of Cove, population 500. Cove is on the east side of the Grande Ronde Valley, population 26,000, one of the largest round valleys in the world. While this is technically high desert, the snow melt, rivers and a high water table make this place rich for agriculture. We also face a short spring, extreme temperature swings in the summer, and increasingly variable weather. Nella Mae is learning to adapt every year.

Most of the farms in the valley are hundreds or thousands of acres and grow grass, grains and sunflowers for seed, alfalfa, mint, and sugar beets. There is a healthy number of small-scale farms growing meat, produce, and nursery crops, and our small group of small farms is mutually supportive and highly collaborative. Nella Mae has found a huge amount of support locally large and small, as well as fellow business owners, customers, and neighbors as she has grown the farm. She looks forward to enhancing an Apprentice’s experience at the farm through sharing experiences with her own mentors and farmer friends.

The farm crew is small and tight-knit. Many of the folks who work at our farm work at a neighboring nursery run by Nella Mae’s mentors as well. We have a friendly, fun crew and focus on collaboration, teamwork, improving systems together, and eating well. Nella Mae cooks lunch for the crew every harvest day.

2024 will be the 11th season of Nella Mae’s Farm, but she grew up on her family’s farm and started selling at the La Grande Farmers Market when she was 10 years old. However, due to the difficulty of farming, she was encouraged to leave agriculture behind and go to college. Her return to agriculture was a surprise to everyone, and was made possible by the local food movement of the 2000’s.

Nella Mae’s philosophy is influenced primarily by Holistic Management, lean farming, low-till practices, and by agricultural, and soil science. The farm’s purpose is to feed our community, build soil, and enhance the wellbeing of the land and those who tend it. 

TRAINING AND EXPECTATIONS

Skills taught at the farm include seed starting, transplanting, direct seeding, harvesting, produce processing, marketing, use of equipment, farm business management skills, sales, and customer service. 

An Apprentice at the farm will have the opportunity to go as deep as they are interested in learning marketing, business, and staff management as well as the best practices on propagation, harvest, food safety, soil care, irrigation, plumbing, light construction, and the importance of developing a farm network. 

Start date is flexible—April 1-June 15. End date is flexible—Aug 31-Oct 31.

Apprentice will generally work 6 hour days 4-5 days per week.                                                                                                                         

Time off is flexible with one or two weeks’ notice.

Heavy exertion is typical with farm work. Most work is done by hand. Carrying boxes of produce, tough work such as post pounding or broad forking, and working in hot and cold conditions is typical.

Training is integrated into work. Teaching and farming are linked in every activity on the farm. We take hour-long lunches to discuss finances, bookkeeping, no-till practices, etc. Every day at lunch is our check-in time. The rest of the training happens each morning as we plan out the day together, walk the fields, and review best practices. Discussion happens in real time while we work together. Nella Mae works side by side with others on the farm for 80-90 percent of the day and talks in depth about ag practices, books, why we do things the way we do them, and how we got here. 

Nella Mae loves to discuss big ideas and is very involved in the policy and politics of agriculture, social justice, natural resources, and rural places. 

Fingers crossed that Apprentices will find her funny because she loves to laugh while we work. :)

We always put hoes down to visit with neighbors who stop by and learn from elders in the neighborhood.

We also host outdoor schools and class visits several times per year at the farm, so we have the opportunity to teach and learn from kiddos.

QUALIFICATIONS

We are looking for a hard-working, self-motivated person who is able to communicate in a timely, and direct manner. Most important is someone who is curious, thinks deeply, asks questions, problem solves, and helps the farmer improve by giving feedback. An Apprentice must be able to work quickly and deftly with their hands. 

We are happy to host Apprentices with no gardening or ag experience. We are looking for an Apprentice who is interested in plants and has some demonstrable experience doing physical labor. 

Attention to detail and adherence to our food safety procedures is critical. Applicants should be ready for physical work and to lift 30lbs regularly. They should also be able to work outside in all weather conditions from rain to heat. We invite a person of any skill level to apply for as long as they are excited to learn about farming and work outside. 

Due to our very rural location, the Apprentice should have their own reliable transportation. If the Apprentice does not have a car, please get in touch to discuss other options. 

An in-person visit is not required before a final placement decision is made but candidates may visit if they like. 

COMPENSATION / ACCOMMODATIONS 

Compensation is $15/hour plus reimbursement of RFC tuition if/when the season is completed. This additional benefit works out to an equivalent of about $16/hour. Apprentices get all the produce they can eat and preserve, use of farm kitchen for food/preservation projects, a very flexible schedule for time off, hot lunch on harvest days, and use of farm library. 

An 8x20 tiny house with electricity, wood heat, propane cook stove, and outhouse is available for apprentice housing. Shower is available in the main farm building. Rent is $250 per month or in trade for working two Saturday markets per month. 

The tiny house is private from the main farm house, separated by a creek line. Wifi is available at the farm, but not at the tiny house. Apprentice will have access to the farm office for wifi, on-line meetings, watching movies, etc. There is cell service throughout the farm. Apprentice would be responsible for their own meals except crew lunches. Wood is provided for the wood stove in the tiny house. Significant others are allowed on a case-by-case basis. No pets allowed at this time.

EQUITY AND INCLUSION

Equity, inclusion, anti-racism, and feminism are guiding principles in how Nella Mae lives her life, raises her family, runs her farm, and operates her business. Understanding her own privilege, checking it, and ensuring that she is sharing her knowledge and resources with new and beginning farmers is paramount to what she does. 

Nella Mae Parks

McPherson Farms

McPherson Farms

  • POSITIONS: 1 APPRENTICESHIP

  • FULL-TIME (32-40 hrs/week)

  • HOUSING NOT PROVIDED

  • APPROX START & END DATES: 4/15 to 9/15

  • LOCATION: KLAMATH BASIN (Southern Oregon)

  • NO ON-FARM HOUSING OFFERED 

  • VEHICLE REQUIRED? Yes

  • ON FARM VISIT REQUIRED? Possibly

McPherson Farms sits on 750 acres just outside of Midland, a small community 10 miles south of Klamath Falls, Oregon. Our farm is run by Josh and his mom, Jani, with help from his wife, Marlena, and one part-time employee during the summer months. We raise hay, cattle, hogs, and grain on our farm. We butcher a small number of our cattle and all our hogs to sell meat direct-to-consumer through our farm store, the local farmers market, and online marketplace under our brand “McPherson’s High Desert Highlands.” Our hay is sold locally with a limited number of deliveries and most of our calves are sold at the local auction yard. Our farm is somewhere between conventional and regenerative. Most of our labor involves tractors and other machines. We practice no-till cultivation where possible, manage our cattle with rotational grazing, and utilize cover crops to improve soil health. We strive through our work to maintain both a healthy ecosystem and a productive farm to the best of our ability. 

Our area is defined by open farmland with the Cascade Mountains to the west and desert hills to the east. Our farm is in the Pacific Flyway, near several National Wildlife Refuges, providing an important rest area for migratory birds. It is a home for many different species including sandhill cranes, eagles, hawks, coyotes, and the occasional badger or weasel. There are many opportunities for outdoor recreation such as hiking, biking, and fishing within a short drive. Our community is one of family farmers who are generous and look out for each other.

McPherson Farms has operated since 1980, when the McPhersons bought their property. Josh was raised on the farm and has been helping run it his whole life. He has managed irrigation, operated equipment, and helped manage cattle for 25 years. Over that time he has taken over management of the farm. He has long term experience in farm planning, accounting, crop establishment, irrigation, grazing management, crop harvest, livestock care, equipment repairs, and direct-to-consumer sales. He graduated with a degree in geography with minors in philosophy and land use planning. Josh believes that farming can be a way to make the world better by rediscovering traditional practices and embracing new farming methods. This helps integrate our farm with the landscape while still providing for our family and the community. As such, our farm is and may always be a work in progress.

We would like to host an apprentice to pass our skills and knowledge to the next generation of farmers. We have opportunities on our farm to learn through work and experience, the same way Josh did growing up. It would be nice to spend time training someone who wants to participate in all aspects of farming and is eager to learn. 

TRAINING AND EXPECTATIONS

Josh has been training and supervising employees on the job for the last 7 years and will be the primary mentor to the apprentice. His wife, Marlena, is a science teacher with 10 years of experience in the field of education. Although she works off the farm during the school year, Marlena works on the farm during the summer and will provide some additional training and support.

The apprentice will learn irrigation management and maintenance for hand line, wheel lines, pivots, and flood irrigation. They will learn to construct and maintain both electric and wire fences for livestock. They will help provide daily care for cattle and pigs, as well as how to manage grazing cattle in a rotational system. They will help fulfill online sales and help operate a booth at the farmers market for direct to consumer sales every one to two weeks. They will help plant and establish forage and cover crops. They will help with basic maintenance and operation of farm equipment based on their own comfort and skill level. They will help with the planning and budgeting for one crop from planting to harvest.

We are part of an active community of family farmers and ranchers and will help the apprentice meet local farmers and coordinate visits to other farms approximately once a month. We will include opportunities to participate in farm community events put on by farm groups like the Klamath-Lake Farm Bureau and introduce them to the people involved in our local food systems non-profit, Klamath Grown.

The position will start on/around April 15th and last until approximately September 15th. We have some flexibility on start and end dates of the apprentice’s work season if necessary. There will be between 6 and 10 hours of training in a day, 5 days a week. The apprentice will be expected to show up between 7am and 8am as needed. The schedule can be irregular depending on the harvest schedule, with blocks of training in the morning and evening. The apprentice will have the opportunity to take a week off from training sometime in July or August. As for physical expectations, the apprentice should be able to walk 3-4 miles a day and lift 50lbs easily. The apprentice can expect to be asked to move bales of hay, lift sacks of seed, carry irrigation pipes, drag irrigation hoses, and pound in fence posts.  

Each morning there will be a check-in and explanation of the tasks for the day, with an opportunity to answer any questions. When the apprentice is given a new task or project to begin, we will be present to explain and demonstrate the techniques and expectations involved and help get them started. The apprentice will be given the opportunity to work independently, but a mentor will be a phone call away if troubleshooting is needed. At the end of the day, we will check in and talk about the progress that day and address any concerns or answer questions the apprentice might have. There will be a whole farm meeting once a week to review everything that we've done and talk about what the next week will look like. Periodically, we will have the apprentice tag along to get an understanding of jobs on the farm that are outside of their direct experience.     

QUALIFICATIONS                                                                                           

We would like an applicant who enjoys working outside without close supervision. Some experience around livestock is preferred, and the applicant should have some physical work experience. Applicants should be interested in farming as a future occupation and be willing to work with and cooperate with people of a different mindset. Our family includes children who are intertwined with our farm life. As such, we would prefer family-friendly applicants, and no smoking, alcohol, or drug use.

A vehicle is necessary given the location of our farm. Being able to drive a manual transmission is preferred, but we are willing to train someone who is eager to learn.     

COMPENSATION / ACCOMMODATIONS 

The position will start at $15/hr. We will provide a stipend for fuel to help with travel to and from the farm and to help the apprentice participate in the Rogue Farm Corp program. Following a successful season, the apprentice can expect an end-of-season bonus. The apprentice will receive an employee discount of 20% on any food purchased from the farm store.

There are rentals available in Klamath Falls and surrounding areas. We will happily advise an apprentice on good locations to rent in. That being said, we are actively networking to find off-farm housing that we can assist with for the season.

Cell service is available on the whole farm. Wi-fi is available at either of the two houses on the farm. 

EQUITY AND INCLUSION

On our farm the only thing we don't tolerate is intolerance. We only ask people that work for us to do jobs that we would be willing to do ourselves. We try to ensure that anyone can afford and access our products, while still providing us and our employees with a living wage.

Marlena and Josh McPherson with their child.