FOOD For Lane County Youth Farm- FULL FOR 2024
POSITION: 2 APPRENTICESHIPS
PART TIME (30 hrs/week)
APPROX START/END DATES: March - Nov
LOCATION: Eugene (Willamette Valley)
NO ON-FARM HOUSING OFFERED
VEHICLE REQUIRED? No, we are located close to public bus line.
ON FARM VISIT REQUIRED? Preferred. Will make accommodations if required.
LANGUAGES SPOKEN: English. Several of the staff speak some Spanish, but none are fluent.
We are a program of FOOD For Lane County (FFLC), the regional nonprofit food bank in our area. FFLC is a well respected and innovative organization with the mission of “Reducing hunger by engaging our community to create access to food”. On the Youth Farm, we cultivate 5 acres of diverse vegetable crops as well as approximately 70 mature fruit trees (apples, pears, Asian pears,plums), strawberries, thornless blackberries and a young blueberry patch. We are not certified organic, but we use all organic methods. We have two small tractors that we run on biodiesel that we use for discing, tilling, bed shaping and mowing. Most other work on the farm is by hand, including transplanting, weeding, harvesting, and post-harvest handling. We grow winter cover crops, and create our own compost. Approximately half of our produce is delivered to the FOOD For Lane County warehouse for distribution through our network of partners to those experiencing food insecurity in our county. The remainder we sell through a 170-member CSA, and an onsite produce stand on Saturdays, which includes an on-line store. We also grow vegetable, flower and herb starts for two very large plant sale fundraisers each spring.
Our primary farm crew consists of a Farm Supervisor (20 years on staff), a Field Coordinator (11 years on staff), an Outreach Coordinator (4 years on staff) and an Assistant (1 year on staff), who work from mid-January-early December. During the main growing season, we hire up to 16 teens to participate in a part-time work experience and job skills program where they attend classes and are trained to do farm work as well as operate our farmstand. Some of our stellar youth are in leadership positions and return for up to 4 consecutive seasons. Our Gardens Program Manager oversees the program. We also host numerous volunteer groups and individuals at our farm each year, which creates a dynamic and unpredictable element to our crew size on certain days of the week. Overall, our crew each day can range from 4-25 people, depending on the time of year.
The Youth Farm is located on a 10 acre site within Springfield city limits. The land is owned by the local school district and is surrounded by single family homes, duplexes, apartment complexes and a city playground. We share the land with a separately managed community garden as well as a garden project connected to Springfield School District. The only facilities on site are storage sheds, including several shipping containers, roofed, open-air structures, two walk-in coolers, and several high tunnels with over 16,000 square feet of growing space. We are close to city bus lines and bike routes, and both downtown Springfield and Eugene are a 10 minute drive away. The neighboring town of Eugene is a large college town with plenty of entertainment and recreation opportunities, including bike paths, fairly close-in hiking trails, lakes and rivers for boating.
Ted has been the farm supervisor/manager at the Youth Farm since 2004. He began his farming journey 25 years ago as an intern at Hey Bayles! Farm in Lorane, OR. After 2 seasons at Hey Bayles!, he then participated in the Apprenticeship Program at the UC Santa Cruz Center for Agroecology. He then returned to Hey Bayles! as a farm manager for 2 years before beginning at the Youth Farm. Ted is always seeking ways to improve our growing practices and systems while creating space for new leaders to develop and thrive. He really enjoys teaching the next generation of agricultural leaders and innovators. The other staff at the Youth Farm will also play a pivotal role in training and teaching Apprentices. As we like to say, “Team work, makes the dream work”.
The Youth Farm has been in operation for over 25 years, serving the community healthy food while creating opportunities for youth, beginning farmers and volunteers. We have worked with and trained well over 100 interns over the years. Many are still involved in agriculture, including some as farm owners.
TRAINING AND EXPECTATIONS
Apprentices will be trained in various aspects of the operation including orchard care (pruning, fertilizing, thinning), nursery and greenhouse management, and growing a wide variety of annual produce (over 40 crops). Work will include seeding, planting, cultivation and weed management, fertilization, harvesting, wash/pack, irrigation set-up and watering, composting, CSA and market set up and distribution, and use of small farm equipment (root barrel washer, salad mix spinner, vacuum seeder, walk behind tillers, flame weeders and lawn care equipment).
Apprentices will also have the opportunity to help run our onsite produce stand, including set-up, take down and customer service. They will be involved in packing boxes for our CSA customers, which we do 2 times per week for a 25 week season.
Depending on interest, Apprentices will have the opportunity to lead volunteers and youth participants once they are trained.
We would like apprentices to begin on March 5, four days/week, either Tuesday-Friday or Wednesday-Saturday with some additional weekend duties on occasion. We work from 9-5 or else 8-4, depending on the time of year. An early start to the season will give Apprentices the opportunity to learn pruning on some of our fruit trees. They will also be integrally involved in preparations for our two plant sales, including seeding and tending starts, and organizing for the sales that occur in April and May. The apprenticeship will end between November 15-November 22. Apprentices can request up to two weeks off, and will earn vacation time and paid holidays.
Our staff works alongside interns, and we train as we introduce new tasks. We also have a curriculum of educational topics, including composting, nutrient management and soil testing, plant propagation and nursery management, orchard management and fruit tree pruning, crop planning and rotation, winter farming, greenhouse management and construction, irrigation, cultivation and weed management, food preservation, cover cropping and food insecurity. These on farm classes will supplement Rogue Farm Corps online Educational Event Series and weekend intensives.
Our Apprenticeship educational program consists of lectures, occasional field trips, hand-outs, literature review and mostly hands-on learning. Our staff will work alongside the Apprentices, training as we introduce new tasks, and will be available for questions as they come up. We do short daily morning check-in stretching circles as well as frequent meetings. We do field walks monthly, and will do our best to address topics that Apprentices are interested in.
COMPENSATION / ACCOMMODATIONS
$17/hr for 30 hours/week. Vacation time accrual, sick time, and holiday pay are included. Reimbursement of RFC tuition if complete the season. Farm produce and starts are provided as available.
No housing is offered. Shared housing as well as apartments and studios can be found in both Eugene and Springfield. Check Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace to get an idea.
QUALIFICATIONS
Passion for organic farming, gardening or outdoor work
Previous experience in working with plants outdoors, agriculture, landscaping, etc. (Prefer 1-3 years experience)
Interest or experience in working with youth and community members
Ability to lift 50 pounds and perform physical farm tasks in adverse weather conditions
Excellent attention to detail
Good communication skills
Organized and reliable
Share FFLC’s values of Compassion, Inclusion and Collaboration
EQUITY AND INCLUSION
Inclusion is one of the values of our organization, FOOD for Lane County. We are all invested in and strive to create a safe, open, productive work environment for everyone involved, and prioritize community building, straight forward communication, and validation and appreciation.
FOOD for Lane County has an Equity Manager, and all of our staff take monthly trainings which include: understanding privilege and inherent biases, microaggressions and how to interrupt them, racism and other forms of oppression, intersectionality, how to celebrate diversity, and creating equitable and inclusive workplaces. In addition, our supervisors have received training in conflict resolution and neurodivergence.
Youth Farm staff.