Fiddlehead Farm- FULL FOR 2024
POSITION: 1 APPRENTICESHIP
PART TIME (16 hours/week Thursdays and Fridays, increasing to 3 days in the fall)
APPROX START/END DATES: May - Feb
LOCATION: Corbett (Portland Chapter)
NO ON-FARM HOUSING OFFERED
VEHICLE REQUIRED? Yes.
ON FARM VISIT REQUIRED? Preferred.
LANGUAGES SPOKEN: English, Spanish.
Fiddlehead Farm is a queer and women owned and operated family farm tucked into the Sandy River valley in the rural community of Corbett. The farm is nineteen acres, with six acres in cultivation for the sustainable production of Certified Organic vegetables. The remaining acreage is kept in native forest that is dense, wild, and beautiful. Given this balance we are committed to growing food in an ecologically sound manner, with special focus on conservation of the farm and the forest. We are excited to share our practices with the next generation of farmers!
Corbett is a small rural community located just 20 miles east of Portland, at the mouth of the Columbia River Gorge. The area is rich in natural beauty and has many hiking trails, viewpoints, and swimming holes nearby.
We take great pride in the food we grow and our vegetables are known for being of the highest quality. Our produce is sold through a Fall and Winter CSA, at the Montavilla fall and winter markets, through food coops, and a small handful of restaurants. Fiddlehead is a fall and winter production focused farm. We derive all our income from the farm, so we work hard to maintain a thriving and sustainable business model while also trying to maintain a quality of life for our family.
We use a balance of mechanization and hand scale in our production. We have three tractors which we use for bed prep, fertilizing, mulch laying, cultivating and several other applications. We practice minimal tillage in our fields and employ no-till practices in our 5 greenhouses. Apprentices can expect to become familiar with a wide variety of hand tools, as well as using the appropriate equipment for a range of conditions.
Our crew consists of farmer Kate, an RFC apprentice, part-time employees, farmers market staff, and occasional volunteers. We are a small crew and appreciate the camaraderie that develops throughout the season. We put a lot of energy into making sure our RFC participants feel like they can get any of their questions about the operation and reasons behind decisions answered. We find that working alongside each other can spark these educational conversations.
The farm has been in operation since 2009. Neither Montana nor Kate grew up on a farm, but have worked much of their adult lives on organic farms of various sizes, or in related industries. Kate came to love farming in the redwoods in Northern California while being mentored by some wonderful CSA farmers in the area. She went on to work at several farms and landed in Portland to apprentice at 47th Ave farm for 2 seasons. After ending at 47th Ave and leasing a few properties to start a small-scale operation, she and her parents collaborated on purchasing land in Corbett, and Fiddlehead Farm has since grown in both size and diversity over the past 15 years.
TRAINING AND EXPECTATIONS
RFC participants will train directly with us 2-3 days per week, Thursdays and Fridays (and Wednesdays starting in Sept), 8-9 hours per day. Apprentices will train on most aspects of our fall and winter operation, including but not limited to: planting, harvest, weeding, irrigation, wash/pack, trellising, sorting, cleaning, plant protection, fertilizing, planning, record-keeping, and marketing. We accomplish these tasks through the use of hand tools, tractors, and scale-appropriate equipment. Folks will become proficient in all aspects of production, with opportunities to specialize if there is interest.
We will train mid-May through February for 8 to 9 hours per day, depending on the workload.
A unique aspect of our mentorship is we are in the fields most of the time with our new farmers. We have a daily morning meeting detailing the plan for the day, and if new farmers are on solo tasks, we have lots of check-ins with opportunity for questions and feedback. We provide strong structure to each day with clear goals and expectations, and lead by example for efficient farming habits. We strive to balance physical projects with less strenuous tasks; not only does this keep our bodies healthy, but also helps keep morale and productivity high. Initial learning for each task will come in the form of clear, detailed instruction, but most of the skill development will come about through observation, repetition, and reflection. We enjoy sharing our insights and thought processes, and are committed to fostering an environment of clear, open communication. The training of interns will be a combination of small team projects and individual activities that shift with the season. We value the ability of interns to listen and follow directions, as well as observe and emulate.
Since our farm is focused on fall and winter production, the work focuses on crop care (seeding, planting, weeding, etc) until our harvest season begins in September. The apprentice experience at Fiddlehead will differ from that of members in the cohort, but all skills and topics will be thoroughly addressed.
QUALIFICATIONS
We are looking for folks who are thoughtful, considerate, hardworking, and dedicated to an entire season. We value communication, positivity, openness, and curiosity. There will be a lot of physical exertion throughout the day so the applicant should have some outdoor or physical labor experience.
Ideally, we’d like to meet with prospective interns on the farm prior to the season starting. If circumstances don’t allow, we can connect in another format.
COMPENSATION / ACCOMMODATIONS
Hourly wage plus any veggies we produce and fruit from our small orchard.
No on-farm housing is offered.
EQUITY AND INCLUSION
The farm regularly hosts volunteers and employees from diverse backgrounds, and we work hard to create a safe and welcoming environment. Apprentices are expected to share this commitment to safety and inclusion.
Montana and Katie