Internship Opportunity in Western North Carolina

Posted on March 14, 2012 by in Internships // 0 Comments

Internship Opportunity in Western North Carolina A Way of Life Farm Description: We are located on 42 acres in the foothills. A creek surrounded by beautiful forest with a wide variety of native plants lies on the corner of the property. Vegetable production is on about 2 acres of flat bottom land and smaller gardens on slightly sloping land above the house. The majority of the property is in scrub after being clear-cut 8 years ago. We are working to slowly reclaim that area with pigs and chickens. A small orchard is being established as well. The nearest town is about 15 minutes by car. Charlotte and Asheville are 1 hour away. There is a wonderful, small community of young farming families in the area that we meet with regularly and have a multi-farm CSA together.

Interns will commit to the following:

Full season stay from March/April/May through October

40-50 hours per week of work (A precise farm schedule is hard to maintain due to weather and needs for specific tasks, however a typical day will begin at 8 am and end at 5:30 pm, with an hour for lunch. Interns will have Sundays off and Saturdays will rotate between going to the Farmers’ Market, working a half day on the farm, and one long weekend per month with Saturday-Monday off. Fridays are one of the busiest farm days and cannot be missed.)

Participate in monthly farm tours through CRAFT (on Saturday afternoons)

Prepare meals for yourself throughout the week
Arrive promptly at pre-arranged start time

Work outdoors in rain, shine, heat, or cold
Bring appropriate clothing and supplies to stay comfortable and healthy on the farm.
Maintain a positive and curious attitude
Respect farm housing, tools, and facilities

Sara Jane and Jamie will provide the following:

A broad range of information and skills related to farming, primarily communicated in the field and occasionally in formal classes. These skills include vegetable raising from seed to harvest, raising pastured pigs and chickens, methods of pest control, soil health and revitalization, and a lot more

Answering or helping to research any farming related questions

Experience in marketing farm products and information on the farm as a business

Access to an excellent library of farming related books

Membership to CRAFT (see above)

Visits and work days on neighboring organic farms for a broader perspective

$250 per month stipend for the first 3 months, with a likely raise to $300 per month for the remainder of the season.

Housing: Camper-trailer (no plumbing or electricity; outhouse, outdoor shower, and propane cooking appliances are provided along with basic cooking supplies)