Farm Intern Job in Wisconsin

Farm Intern Job Description: Steady Hand Farm in Amery, Wisconsin is Hiring for 2015

Internship Overview: Join Steady Hand Farm (SHF) for the 2015 season for a unique Farm Internship opportunity and learn the ins and outs of a start-up small-scale diversified, vegetable farm.  What’s unique?  This is their first year of production as Steady Hand Farm.  Not only will you learn about what it takes to make a small-scale veggie farm work, you will experience the joys and challenges of the first season.  Working along with SHF farmers, you will undertake all of the day-to-day aspect of vegetable production as well as special projects needed to get our farm up and running. Your work will include seeding in the greenhouse, transplanting in the field, laying mulch, tractor cultivation, hand weeding, irrigating, harvesting, washing, packing and delivering produce.  Special projects may include building a high tunnel, putting up a cooler and more. How to apply: Send an email expressing your interest to Steadyhandfarm@gmail.com.  Please include a resume and cover letter explaining your interest in working for a small-scale veggie farm.   If we are considering you for one of our positions, SHF will send along a list of short answer questions, schedule an interview and ask for 3 references.

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Schedule: You will typically work Monday – Friday from 7:30am to 6:00pm.  Some weekends weather depending.  You will have two breaks each day, second breakfast around 10:30 and lunch around 1:30.

Pay: Interns will be paid the first Friday of the month.  Monthly take-home pay is between $600 and $800 depending on farming experience and includes housing and meals.  This pay is minimum wage or better with a subtraction for housing and meals.

Housing: Housing is included as part of your pay.  There is a cozy lower level apartment with a separate walk-up entrance for Interns.  You will have your own bedroom and share a kitchen, bathroom and common area.   Laundry machine is available upstairs. Utilities and wireless Internet access are included.

Meals: Meals are included in your pay.  Crew will share common meals of 2^nd breakfast and lunch during the workweek.  Breakfast, dinner and weekend meals are on your own.  You will have fields of produce available for your use, and SHF will stock the Intern kitchen with staples: grain, dairy (or equivalent), fresh eggs, coffee and some protein.

Living Situation: Farmers have two small children who will be around sometimes during the workday.  They are congenial little people.  Candidates should be comfortable working with children around.  You will not be expected to watch them.

Steady Hand Farm is located in a region experiencing a small-scale farming boom.  There a number of other farms employing interns that are 10 to 20 minutes away.  There will be lots of opportunities to connect with other growers and interns in the area both on and off the farm field.

Safety: SHF takes farm safety very seriously, and expects employees/interns to do the same.  Farmers will provide training to all interns on how to perform their job in a way that is safe for them and everyone else on the crew and anyone who visits the farm.  This includes safe lifting, using the best tool for the job, wearing personal protective gear, and minding to potential dangers.  And, most obviously, operating tractors and vehicles in a safe way.

Requirement: Please come prepared with rubber boots and rain gear.

Farm Description: Steady Hand Farm is the diversified vegetable farm of Jason and Juli Montgomery-Riess.  While this production is new, they are not new to this work.  They have a combined 8 seasons of farming experience, including 3 seasons of farm management. They aim to raise high quality, delicious produce while maintaining a sane lifestyle.

They raise their produce on 5- acres of a 70-Acre farm situated in the mixed pine birch forests and lake country of Polk County near St. Croix Falls and Amery, WI. The Apple River flows to the south, and the neighbors include humans, horses, otters, insects galore and deer (lots of deer!). The farm has the feel of being nicely secluded with woods and pasture surrounding it.  At the same time, it is close to the highway and are only an hour and 15 minutes from the metro area.  The majority of their produce is sold direct to customers in the Twin Cities through a CSA.  They also sell produce to regional grocers and restaurants through the Hungry Turtle Farmer’s Cooperative.