05 - This is an 80-acre organic for-profit farm located in a beautiful area of Long Island’s East End (called the North Fork). We are about 2 hours from NYC in a great area of beaches, ponds, forests, farms, and great summer weather. We cultivate approximately 30 acres of mixed vegetables and 3 acres of cut flowers, focusing on great-tasting heirloom varieties of tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, potatoes, etc. We also have a flock of 1000 laying hens, and a few cows, sheep, and goats for milk, meat, and fun. We sell produce to approximately 700 CSA members at ten locations in NYC and on Long Island, to local residents from a busy farm stand on the farm, and at Greenmarket in Brooklyn and farmers markets on Long Island.
If you are interested in learning how to develop and run your own diverse sustainable farm to sustain you and your family someday financially as well as spiritually, you will find working with us very interesting. If you are just looking to learn how to grow your own food and relax in the country for a summer, you may not find it as enjoyable. We hustle.
Experience preferred but not necessarily required. We are looking for apprentices who are self-directed and enjoy “attacking” the challenges that arise throughout the farm season, and who are interested in helping us improve the way we do things on the farm by sharing with us lessons from their experience on other farms and by taking responsibility for the parts of our operation that interest them. Drivers license and the ability to drive a truck, particularly in New York City, is highly desired. Sense of humor, independence, initiative, a good attitude, and a large dose of common sense are also desired. Mechanical experience, driving or fixing tractors and machinery is also highly desired.
Approximately 55 hrs per week will be expected (i.e. 8 am – 5 pm 6 days per week), with one full day off, and some schedule flexibility upon advance request.
Education is mainly hands-on, learning-by-doing. We have a weekly meeting where the farmers answer questions in-depth, and many lunches turn into spur-of-the-moment lessons on everything from marketing plans to cultivating implements. We lend books from our sustainable agriculture collection and will make limited reading and writing assignments. We facilitate monthly exchanges with other area farms, including vineyards, tree farms, etc. and other organic farm apprentices, as well as social events with neighbors and friends. Enjoy our area's natural attractions on days off including kayaking, canoeing, hiking, and swimming. Special projects can include opportunities to make additional income through entrepreneurship, such as growing and marketing your own crops on unused farmland, pastured poultry, and production of pickles, cookies, jams, and farm arts and crafts for sale at farm stand. Other projects to improve the sustainability of our farm are welcomed including establishing educational gardens, teaching on-farm classes, and experimentation with alternative fuels (straight vegetable oil, bio diesel), etc.
PERIOD OF INTERNSHIP: Farm Manager: April 1 - end of Nov. Other positions: begin between April 1 and June 1 – end Nov. Novice Farmer: 1 or 2 month period during growing season. Please make the dates you are available clear in your letter of interest. Possibility to extend position through the winter for 1-2 exceptional individuals, based on performance during the regular season.
We will provide housing at a farmhouse on the farm property which is fully furnished and includes bathroom and kitchen. Within walking distance of beach, 5 mins drive from town (also bikeable).
Vegetables, eggs, and other farm produce are provided free of charge. Apprentices take turns cooking lunch for the group, and Garden of Eve provides some free staples for these meals (beans, rice, pasta, etc.). Condiments, dairy, snacks, and many other foods are available for purchase at our farm store at wholesale prices.
MATERIALS TO BE SUBMITTED: All interested applicants should submit a resume, three references (of which two should be former employers), and a letter of interest explaining previous experience and skills, and reasons for interest in this position via email.
FARM APPRENTICE
- Will participate in all aspects of vegetable farming including seeding, transplanting, weeding, and harvesting vegetables;
- Specific areas of responsibility for different apprentices will include: Greenhouse Management; Livestock Management; Flower Farm Management, and Market Management of different markets.
- If qualified, driving and accompanying box truck into NYC for CSA deliveries, as well as driving to, setting up, and managing farmers market stand.
- Working at the farmstand and at farmers markets;
- Help pack and load truck;
- Presentation and marketing of vegetables;
- Basic livestock care of goats, sheep and chickens at the farmstand;
- Participating in all other crop-related tasks
Qualities desired:
- Ability to lift 40 pounds
- Serious Interest in the biological and entrepreneurial aspects of farming
- basic Spanish language skills helpful but not required
STIPEND: $1000/month plus housing on-site, & income from entrepreneurial farm project including growing your own crops to sell at the market or farmstand, or other activities such as preserving, baking, drying herbs, etc.
FARM MANAGER
Duties include:
- Communicating daily with Chris regarding tasks for the day;
- Holding brief daily meeting with other apprentices to outline daily/weekly schedule;
- Directing daily activities including planting, cultivating, harvesting, processing;
- Driving tractor for most transplanting in the spring, and helping do tractor-mounted cultivating through the summer and fall;
- Maintaining all harvest data and records;
- Managing and working with farm crew and other apprentices;
- Helping harvesting, washing, packing, and loading produce with farm crew;
- Maintaining crew productivity data and time sheets.
- Monitoring packing room and inventory of harvesting supplies;
- Organizing and cleaning packing room, coolers and storage facilities;
- Analyzing and refining harvesting and packing room methods and efficiencies;
- Loading truck for delivery;
- Driving box truck into NYC for CSA deliveries (if qualified and necessary).
QUALITIES DESIRED
- Tractor and cultivating experience highly desired
- Minimum one season's farm experience
- Some managerial experience and aptitude required
- Disciplined, Organized, Responsible, Independent and Positive.
- Basic Spanish language skills, or willingness to learn
- A valid driver's license and ability to lift 40 pounds is required.
- This is an excellent position for someone planning to start their own farm in the next year or two, as the Farm Manager carries significant responsibility and decisionmaking independence.
STIPEND: $25K approximately depending upon experience, with a 3 year requested committment.
CHILDREN'S PROGRAM INSTRUCTOR and part-time childcare provider
If you like to spend time with kids and have a background instructing at a camp, environmental education, or other outdoor education experience, this could be a good opportunity for you.
The Children's Program Instructor will plan, promote, implement and teach classes at our farm markets on topics including organic gardening, cooking, preserving the harvest, etc. Our farmstand products and programming are oriented towards families with children and each year we look for someone with experience and interest in creating, scheduling, and teaching activities with preschool aged kids (i.e. 2-7) and their families (i.e. Bug walks, berry picking, seed planting, cooking projects, etc.) about 2-3 days/week. You may also plan, implement, recruit staff, promote and teach a small farm day camp on the farm during the summer months.
We are looking for someone who is highly self-motivated and independent, with prior experience as an instructor. The successful candidate will also have an entrepreneurial bent, with experience in creating and marketing programs successfully.
In addition, the person hired will care for Eve and Chris's 3 and 5 year old kids 2-3 days a week on the farm. Activities will include farm walks, going to the library or the beach, visiting friends, etc. Drivers liscence required.
Duties include:
20% : farm work with the other apprentices
40% : childcare for two farm kids (ages 3 and 5) on the farm i.e. walking around farm, in the house, etc);
40% : independently develop and teach weekly events for kids and families including playgroup, farm tours, cooking demonstrations, etc.
Qualities desired:
- Enjoyment of small children and previous work experience i.e. babysitting, camp counselor, educator
-Experience in creating and marketing programs successfully
- Ability/interest in independently developing educational activities for kids to offer on the farm
-Self-motivated and independent, with an entrepreneurial bent
STIPEND: $1000-$1500/month plus housing on-site
NOVICE FARMER
We are willing to fill one position each month with people who have a positive attitude and interest in exploring farming as a vocation, but who have had little prior experience. The period of the “Novice” position will be 1-2 months (i.e. you can select April-May, Sept-Oct, etc.). Email us with your interest and the months you are interested in.
Qualities desired: Ability to do physical manual work of farming, and interest in learning about farming & food
STIPEND: $600/month plus housing on-site, vegetables, & income from entrepreneurial activities.
06 - Enterprises: Now operating in our 25th year, we are a certified organic produce farm located in Orange County, NY. We grow 12 acres of vegetables and herbs on an old dairy farm that is 88 acres in size. The balance of the land is either fallow, wooded or used for pasturing cows. We have a small flock of chickens. In 2007, a conservation easement was placed on our farm.
Work to be done: Interns are involved in greenhouse work, field planting, growing, tending, harvesting and marketing of more than 100 different vegetables and herbs. Our produce is sold at the Union Square Greenmarket in Manhattan from late May to December.
We are seeking interns to fill eight positions. We have a long history of working with interns. More than 140 people have worked on our farm over the past 22 years, most staying for a full season, some for two or three seasons. We prefer people with outdoor and physical work experience who can stay for six to eight months (April/May to Nov./Dec.) and who have a strong interest in learning about and practicing sustainable agriculture. Many of those who live and work on the farm stay in touch long after the season is over and return to visit. Learning is mostly hands-on and interns are expected to take responsibility for many tasks and individual projects (greenhouse management, irrigation, record keeping, etc.).
We offer good housing with private rooms, bathrooms and kitchen facilities, plus a $300 per week stipend, increasing to $350 per week after eight weeks, and late season bonuses. Those returning for a second year receive a larger stipend. Meals are not provided but interns can cook and eat anything we grow. A long-term, year-round, co-management position is also available, with salary and benefits increasing substantially over time. There is plenty of discussion of organic methods and philosophy. Reading material is available for those who are interested.
The farm is an appealing place, set well back off the road and buffered by woods. It has varied terrain and topography. It is rich in animal and bird life. It has a creek and three ponds, one of which is good for swimming. We are a short distance from the Appalachian Trail and the Delaware River, and about two hours from New York City. To learn more about this farm and read what ten former interns had to say about their experiences here, check out the book, It’s a Long Road to a Tomato, by Keith Stewart.
