Soil Born Farm Apprentices Wanted – California

Soil Born Farm Apprenticeships Early morning harvest at Soil Born Farms' American River Ranch

Soil Born Farms is seeking five full-season farm apprentices for the 2016 season. The apprenticeship runs from March 1 to October 31. Please submit your application by January 6th, 2015.

The goal of the apprenticeship program at Soil Born Farms is to provide training for aspiring farmers by teaching the basic concepts and practical applications of organic food production.  At Soil Born Farms, organic food production is a piece of the broader work of the organization, tying food systems into the larger social issues of food security, social justice, and public and ecological health.

This full-time apprenticeship is designed for people who want to pursue a career in sustainable “specialty crop production” or mixed fruit and vegetable farming.  Interested applicants can apply with an intention to participate in only the first-year apprenticeship, but the ideal candidate will be interested in pursuing the second-year apprenticeship as well.  Apprentices are exposed to all aspects of food production through hands-on field work (40-45 hours/week), formal classes on sustainable crop production, pest management, farm business, animal husbandry and other topics(30-35 hours total). Apprentices will also take part in readings and discussions and monthly regional farm tours. Positions are available each season for Second-Year Apprentices, taking on increased responsibility at either the American River Ranch or the Farm on Hurley Way.

Required Qualifications:

  • Ability to commit to a full-time eight-month apprenticeship (March – October)
  • Commitment to sustainable agriculture
  • Strong interest in pursuing a career in farming or community food systems
  • Interest in working in a physically-demanding position in all kinds of weather
  • Ability to lift at least 50 lbs.

Preferred Qualifications:

An interest in pursuing a career in sustainable agriculture in the Sacramento region

Some experience working or volunteering on farms and/or doing outdoor manual labor

Housing & Compensation:

On site 10’x10’ canvas platform tents with access to shared kitchen, living room and bathroom.  Apprentices will receive a stipend for a portion of the hours worked on the farm.  There is prepared lunch offered during the work week to eat and sit down with staff together daily.  Apprentices will also receive food from the farm (vegetables, eggs, etc) and a stipend for supplementary food.

Application deadline: January 6th, 2015

Start date: March 1, 2016

More information and application available at:

https://soilborn.org/index.php/farming/farming-apprenticeship.html

Contact candino@soilborn.org with questions.

1 Comment on Soil Born Farm Apprentices Wanted – California

  1. I stumbled on the numerous enriching resources shared on BF, via Cornell Univ.I am a resident of Lagos in Nigeria with a little understanding of what Agric business is all about but seriously interested in pursuing it as an option. Presently,I work in a bank and already have 6 acres of land with a running water to cater for any line of agro business I might decide to venture into eventually. We had tried Watermelon on the land in the 2nd quarter of 2015, Cucumber in the 3rd quarter and Plantain in the last quarter. All the crops came out fine but suffered sizeable issues of pest attack. This is largely due to inadequate attention as there’s no farm house nor full time worker dedicated to managing our resources/products on the farm.
    Hence, I decided to face farming fully in 2016 but still undecided on what line to pursue.
    Kindly advice.
    Thank you

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