Internships at Green Toe Ground in North Carolina

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Green Toe Ground is Offering Farming Internships for the 2018 Season in Burnsville, North Carolina

Green Toe Ground grows and sells biodynamic vegetables. We started in the fall of 2001. Our farm cultivates about 5 acres of bottom fields by the South Toe river. We started practicing biodynamic farming on the land in 2004. We feel it speaks to our philosophy and perspective of approaching our farm as a whole organism.

In 2006, we had an opportunity to buy our 16 acres of land. We grow vegetables of all kinds, a mix of heirlooms and hybrids. We have worked hard to find which varieties work well for our land, but are always exploring new products. We usually start selling in April and go through December, though sometimes we sell year-round.

Although we have been farming for 20 years, we do not know everything, still make mistakes, and continue to learn everyday. We have been on this piece of land for 17 years, usually working side-by-side with 1-2 apprentices and our two daughters. We love to discuss what we are doing and share our experiences and background.

Green Toe Ground offers internships April thru October, with the possibility to extend. Typically, we work Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 or 6 p.m. as needed, with a 1.5-2 hours lunch break. As the weather gets warmer, we often start earlier in the morning. Tuesdays and Fridays are harvest days, and Wednesdays are delivery days to restaurants in Asheville. The Asheville City Market and North Asheville tailgate markets require us to leave the farm by 5:15 on Saturdays. Apprentices come to market on a rotational basis, and when not at market, cover other chores such as feeding and watering of animals, watering starts in the greenhouse, etc.

Compensation offered…

Green Toe Ground offers a weekly cash stipend and monthly food stipend to use at our local food cooperative or the farmers market.. Apprentices live in an off the grid cabin with water catchment system for washing dishes. There is an oven and stove, outdoor toilet, and a solar shower bag at the cabin. Apprentices do have access to a refrigerator. We offer vegetables from the farm, eggs, and milk. Apprentices get a full paid week off each season, organized in advance. We also make room for days off as needed for friend and family visits. We also pay for apprentices to attend the Southeast Regional Biodynamic Gathering each October in TN.

We have WiFi at our house and can set up  times weekly or as needed when you can come and sit on porch and use your computer. The Celo Community Center (right down the road) also has wifi access and it is open to the public to use.

Green Toe Ground is an active member in the CRAFT network.

Our location…

We live in a beautiful place in the South Toe River Valley at the base of the Black Mountains, in the township of Celo, NC. Once summer starts, there are lots of music festivals and events in Burnsville and the surrounding regions. We have a large party for the 4th of July, with music and a DJ, Farm Olympics, and fireworks. Celo has a pickup soccer game every Sunday. Biking and walking and hiking trails are abundant in Celo and in Pisgah National Forest, and we have the best swimming holes in the area right on our property!

We request applicants come with an open and curious mind and a willingness to adapt and learn. These are critical skills to success at our farm. We may not do everything perfectly or the way you expect, but we do have our reasons.

A car or truck is handy to have at our farm so you can leave when you’d like.

To inquire about employment opportunities at Green Toe Ground, please contact us by email or phone in January or February Visit our website for further information about the farm. Our email: nicoleandgaelan@yahoo.com

 

To learn more about farming jobs and internships or to post an opportunity on beginningfarmers.org, go to: https://www.beginningfarmers.org/internship-and-employment-opportunities/