Farm Apprentice and Outdoor Educator Wanted in Virginia

Farm Apprentice & Outdoor Educator Positions

The Abundant Seed Exchange; a Farm and Education Center, is currently looking for two apprentices to work closely with the farm owner on our cultivated land. We are centrally located between Charlottesville and Lynchburg,VA in beautiful Nelson County. We built our farm and education center from scratch. We have two acres under cultivation, with a further half-acre designated as a teaching garden for the education center. This is where the students of our regional community come to learn, about sustainable farming. We grow a diverse array of vegetables, raise goats, and have chickens for meat, and eggs. We never use harmful chemicals or artificial fertilizers. We are currently in our 2nd year of operation. Our education center provides 2 summer camps and 2 chicken processing workshops for our regional community on a trade/barter system.

We are kind and generous, but carry high standards as well because our apprentices live close with our family. We are looking for disciplined workers with a can-do attitude. We value your worth and expect the same from you. By the end of the summer you will be able to skillfully cultivate compost, grow your own food, develop a skill set for small livestock care, and know how to process chickens.

www.theabundantseedexchange.com

Those with personal or professional backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Our ideal apprentice and outdoor educator candidate would posses these qualifications.

• Capable of Self -Care

• Professional

• Positive

• Reliable

• Ability to multitask

• Communicate clearly

• Flexible

• Friendliness

• Can-Do-Attitude

• Responsive to constructive criticism

• Confident

• Ability to repeatedly lift 50 lbs

• Weather will not inhibit your work

Valid driver’s license

• Comfortable working with and around children

The Farm Apprentices will participate with:

• Vegetable production

• Weeding

• Pest control

• Harvesting and packing vegetables

• CSA drop offs

• Crop Planning

• Recruiting CSA members at markets

• Participating in our two weekly farmers market stands by; leading children’s activities, helping set up and take down, talk to shoppers about the food we raise, in an eloquent manner while using your knowledge of farming and growing vegetables and raising livestock.

• Assist with general care and maintenance of farm

• Record keeping e.g. planting, harvesting, and soil amending

• Turning compost

• Watering/irrigation

• Help design and improve to-be-cultivated areas of the garden

• Moving, feeding, and watering the chickens and goats

• Moving electric fencing

• Processing chickens

Additional

Creating lesson plans for summer camps and farmers market activities

Wildcrafting herbs and perserving

Food preserving e.g. fermentation and canning

House floral garden and teaching garden maintenance

Helping to prepare meals 3-4x per week for our farm team

Social media keep up

Resourcing outside volunteers for projects

Personal or educational background in agriculture, horticulture, environmental science, agricultural science, used for teaching during camps, creating lesson plans and farmers market activities.

This position runs March – October 2016 with the possibility of continuing into the winter.

Compensation includes private housing with a separate bathhouse, farm food and a stipend of $500.00 per month. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis with a desired start date in March 2016. Applications are processed in order received. Live-in significant others are welcome as long as they are willing to be part of the farm.

No pets, and we prefer non-smokers.

To apply for the farm apprentice and outdoor educator position please email Kim Earhart at theabundantseed@gmail.com for an application.

After reviewing the application a phone interview will be scheduled.