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.
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