PCC ROCK CREEK LEARNING GARDEN AND FARM- FULL FOR 2024
POSITION: 1 APPRENTICESHIP
PART-TIME (13 hrs/week, split between 2 sites on Portland Community College campus)
APPROX START & END DATES: 3/1 - 12/1
HOUSING NOT OFFERED
LOCATION: Portland
VEHICLE REQUIRED? No.
ON FARM VISIT REQUIRED? Yes.
LANGUAGES SPOKEN: English. Intermediate Spanish, Elementary Swahili.
Rock Creek Farm:
The farm is located in a corner of the PCC Rock Creek campus and it consists of a main barn, cattle lab barn, and 30 acres of pasture. The main barn houses the horses, cattle and sheep and has a classroom. The cattle lab barn has a squeeze chute and alley system for handling and doctoring cows. Although the farm is in the corner of campus and feels fairly remote, it does get a decent amount of visitors on a daily basis.
The main purpose of the farm is to support the college’s Veterinary Technology program. Students in the program take two large animal classes where they learn how to provide basic medical care for livestock using the animals residing on the farm. We sell a small number of lambs in the spring and calves in the fall (this year we had 30 lambs and 3 calves). We have two John Deere tractors used for seeding and mowing pastures. We practice rotational grazing in spring, early summer, and fall using temporary electric fencing. We practice humane, low stress livestock handling. The farm employs 3-4 part time employees year round. Employees work mainly on weekends and holidays, with occasional weekday work.
Farm manager Avery has worked on a variety of farms over the past 15+ years. “I have some experience in vegetable production but most of my farming has been with livestock including cattle, horses, sheep, goats, alpacas, pigs, and chickens. The PCC Rock Creek Farm has existed for about 30 years and I have been the farm manager here for 4.5 years. I am experienced at operating equipment including tractors, mowers, skid steers, etc. and knowledgeable about basic livestock medical care. I have years of experience with kidding/lambing and I am a certified sheep shearer. I believe strongly in humane and low-stress livestock handling. I am interested in regenerative agriculture and I love teaching others about farming, as well as learning as much as I can. I have a masters in Ag Science and am working on a doctorate in Ag Education.”
Learning Garden:
Portland Community College is the largest higher education institution in the state of Oregon. The Rock Creek Campus rests on 250 acres of Tualatin Kalapuya land in Washington County, 20-30 minutes outside of downtown Portland. The Learning Garden is nestled near the main buildings on campus and consists of 3.5 acres with 50 fruit trees, 50 blueberries, grapes, brambles and many fruits and vegetables. Our campus is also home to wooded trails, the riparian habitat surrounding Rock Creek, a large recreational public park with sports fields operated by Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District, as well as the 5 Oaks Museum.
The Learning Garden produces thousands of pounds of food each season, which are primarily donated to the food pantry on campus. We rely primarily on hand work, but also keep a new BCS walk-behind tractor just in case! We are no-spray, practice extensive cover cropping and are moving towards the production of our own usable compost. Our farm crew is always in flux - we have volunteer hours 9am-1pm Monday-Friday and we meet whoever is volunteering where they're at and re-prioritize based on inclusion.
The Learning Garden in its current iteration was established in 2012. Miriam has served as the Rock Creek Campus Learning Garden Coordinator since 2017. She ran her own 8-acre farm from 2011-2016, co-owned/operated a 25-acre production from 2006-2011, and worked on other peoples' farms from 1999-2003. She is interested in seed-saving, seed stories and the dignity of all living creatures.
TRAINING AND EXPECTATIONS
Farm:
On a daily basis, the main tasks to be done are feeding and watering livestock including cattle, horses, sheep, goats, pigs, and chickens. In the spring and fall we graze rotationally, so Apprentices will learn about rotational grazing and putting up temporary electric fencing. Apprentices will learn basic livestock handling and basic medical care including administering injections, oral dosing, deworming, trimming hooves, etc. In the spring, we shear the sheep and Apprentices will get to be a part of that process and learn the basics of shearing. Apprentices will learn how to operate tractors and attach various implements. Apprentices will learn about the basics of managing a farm such as record keeping and maintaining a budget.
This position will have approximately 6 hours per week of work on the farm. Of those 6 hours, 3-4 hours will be working/learning with the primary farmer during the week, and 2-3 hours will be working solo on the weekends to feed the animals. The weekday schedule can be flexible and will be created in coordination with the primary farmer, and the weekend schedule will be created quarterly in coordination with the current farm employees. Time off requests given at least two weeks in advance will be granted.
Teaching skills through demonstration and working alongside the apprentice will allow me to provide instruction and training, specifically for the bigger tasks beyond feeding, such as trimming sheep hooves and moving cows. Once the Apprentice feels comfortable with the daily farm tasks, they will have autonomy to work on their own. Avery will always make myself available for questions and check-ins. A more formal check-in/meeting can occur monthly, or more frequently based on how the apprentice is feeling.
Learning Garden:
Crop-planning is collaborative. Greenhouse work begins in Feb. We plant, cultivate, harvest, wash and deliver food together. Efficiency does not dictate here! However, Miriam can offer insights based on her 15 years of production experience.
Our production is highly unpredictable because of our ethic of working in community, where building trust and creating learning opportunities are valued more highly than task completion. That said, because the majority of work is by hand, it is possible and probable that work will be physical and conditions may not always be easy.
The goal is to co-create a schedule that allows for 3-4 hours of labor in partnership, 2-3 hours of solitary labor pursuing a special project, and 45 minutes to an hour a week for check-ins, questions, and reflection.
QUALIFICATIONS
Willingness to learn, honest communication, reliability, and attention to detail
Considerate communication skills
A genuine delight for people and plants
COMPENSATION AND ACCOMMODATIONS
Farm and Learning Garden:
$15.45 per hour
The Apprentice can attend on-farm community education classes for free. Also available is: a share in the harvest, seeds and entry into the PCC hiring system and diverse community of students, staff, faculty and campus neighbors.
The PCC Rock Creek site is located in a semi-urban area of Portland with various options for housing close by. There is low-cost housing in the area, and the campus is served by public transportation.
EQUITY AND INCLUSION
Farm:
The farm is open to visitors and everyone is welcome here. PCC has a diverse student population and the farm is a place for students, staff, and the surrounding community to come and interact with the animals and ask questions.
Learning Garden:
As LG coordinator Miriam has been building relationships for years with colleagues in Accessible Education and Disability Resources, the Dreamer Center, English for Speakers of Other Languages, and so many other departments on campus. This has guided the direction of the garden and created a welcoming space for everyone who wants to be in the garden.
Avery Tompson, Farm Manager PCC Rock Creek
Miriam, Learning Garden Coordinator