Carversville Farm Foundation Apprenticeships

Apprenticeship Starts: March 20, 2017

Apprenticeship Ends: Nov 24, 2017

Number of Apprentices: 3 to 4

App Deadline: Feb 1, 2017

Stipend: $9/hour plus housing, eggs and seasonal produce. $10/hr. without housing. Housing: Shared housing available for non-local apprentices (2 spaces available) Meals: Cook your own meals with our produce, eggs and meat; supplement with other foods you buy. General

Description: Carversville Farm Foundation (CFF) is a non-profit farm that combines ecological regeneration and agricultural production to serve our environment as well as our community. We currently distribute our farm products to soup kitchens and food pantries in the greater Philadelphia area to help improve access to wholesome, locally grown foods. CFF also sells some of its produce . We are in the early stages of creating a diversified farm with intensive cover cropping, multi-species grazing, and vegetable, fruit and mushroom production. Apprentices will work 40 hours/week with our full-time farmers on every aspect of production. Apprentices will also have the opportunity to attend workshops, classes, and trainings on and off the farm to support their professional development in regenerative agriculture.

Skills Desired: At least 1 year of experience working on a farm. Previous tractor experience or basic mechanical and/or carpentry skills are a plus. Applicants should possess the ability and desire to work hard in both an independent and diverse team setting, often in adverse weather conditions. Must be able to lift up to 40lbs. Must have a valid driver’s license. Applicants should also have the self-motivation to strive towards completing tasks quickly and efficiently. Good people skills and the willingness to work with volunteers are important. We’re seeking people who are reliable, organized, enthusiastic, have good communication skills and an attention to detail, and have an eagerness to learn the principles of organic and regenerative farming.

Educational Opportunities: Farm safety training; first aid certification; keyline design/reading contour; how to use a laser level; cover crop field walks; introduction to environmental monitoring; introduction to soil food web, soil sampling and microscope training; “Exploring The Small Farm Dream” course or similar introductory farm business planning education.

Apprenticeship Details: Our apprenticeship program is designed as an introduction to regenerative land management. This includes learning to see the land holistically, beginning with an in-depth assessment of our ecological and cultural context. Apprentices will participate in farm enterprise development while simultaneously supporting ecosystem services. Apprentices will learn to analyze contour maps, use a laser level to understand how water moves across the landscape, and think through various strategies for managing storm water as a resource for production. In addition to thinking about the farm as an integrated system, apprentices will have the opportunity to discover the aspects of farming they like best, and hone in on the personal niches they see for themselves moving forward.

Day-to-day activities will be highly varied, and apprentices will work with all farm departments to achieve the skills required for diversified farming, including but not limited to: learning and protecting yourself from the biggest farm hazards; understand service and safety of as many machines as possible; proper use and care of hand/power/shop tools; food handling safety standards and facility maintenance; fencing, feeding and moving animals; direct seeding, transplanting, packing and storing mixed vegetables; propagating/harvesting mushrooms; cover crop timing, seeding and nutrient management.

Carversville Farm Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer.