Internships at Tune Organic Farm in Alabama
First — pictures of the farm. Below are ones by my friend Jimmy Wells. Jimmy counts birds for the Audubon society so there are a bunch of pictures of the wetland and more on his flickr site.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/oarman/sets/72157600184811386/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/oarman/sets/72157600031686574/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/oarman/sets/72157594186976571/
And here goes…
The farm is 250 certified organic acres. It is bottomland and there is a beaver created wetland of 18 plus acres. a creek runs through the back of the property. The garden area is 6 plus acres, but there is more space to utilize. Currently I grow on only 1/2 to one acre at any given time. 70 acres is hay land and is enrolled in the new EQIP program for certified organic acres.
There are lots of bottomland hardwood forested acres as well. I have 5 fig trees and am planting clover this fall in preparation of putting in a 1/2 acre mixed fruit orchard.
I have taught myself to farm over the last six years, but I have great gaps in planning and organization that are holding the farm back. There is an incredible opportunity here. We sold at a growing market in Madison County this year. I originally started farming with a CSA. I could easily have gathered enough people for a 100 member CSA within a year or two if I had the man or woman power, but, as I was farming solo, I found that the deliveries cut too deeply into the field time. I scaled back to learn to farm. Now I am beginning to ramp up production in all areas. Greenhouse, field, and ancillary projects.
Here are future ancillary dream projects for the farm.
1. Elevated observation/sleeping tower and 20 foot walkway into the a wetland for local groups to stay and observe and study. This would also be a farmstay rental in the agriturismo tradition when not used for outreach projects.
2. Alabama, while improving its organic farming profile, is still woefully underrepresented in organic farming. We would like to develop a program through the highs schools and nearby two year colleges to provide hands-on experience in organic production as part of their agriculture programs.
3. We’ve got plenty of crayfish at the wetland and I would love to have a crayfish catch and boil and on the knoll overlooking the wetland. Just a little dream I have for giving us some publicity, and raising the farm’s profile and have fun while doing it. I’m a vegetarian but no one else much around here is. I’m happy to accommodate them once a year and I’ve always wanted to do a party at the farm anyway.
We are at the beginning of this plan for our future. I know my farm quite well, but I want to learn to become a much better farmer and manager. For the intern/s there would be the opportunity, not just for practice of skills, but the ability to teach those skills and, hopefully help design the future farm.
Contact Diane at Tune Farm <tunefarm@earthlink.net>
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hi,
i am looking for a paid ($300/month+) apprentice/internship. i have experience working on a small organic farm, various organic gardens and selling produce at market. i am interested in learning more about organic farming, natural building & sustainable community. i am also a musician and artist. i am available to working until the end of the season and beyond except for two weeks starting july 25th. are there any opportunities on your farm?
thanks!!
zaba
Hello, I am also looking for a job as an internship working on an orghanic farm. I am 18 years of age and I am highly against monsanto. I wish to be around people for once who share these views and don;t just throw them away like all of their gmo trash. The house I live in in Florida is foreclosing because I live with two pill heads who whont do anything good for themselves. i do not know what to do, and I have been looking for this specific ordeal for quite a while. I don’t even care about being paid as long as I can eat and sleep and learn what I need to do so instead of killing off the planet and all of it’s doomed people I can learn and prosper the goodness. I am also an artist, and a musician of the singing kind. I have been unable to acquire my GED due to not having stable housing in Florida. I am willing to travel on foot to your location if I have to, and work diligently with serious soul. If I cannot find something of a job like this I do not know where to turn because I am not putting myself personally in a shithole feeding GMOs to idiot humans and their children. I have experience also out of high school where I was in a horticulture class, and out of the 8 people in the class, I am one of the 4 who actually did something. I created a turtle exhibit and an herb garden for this facility. I am in serious need and in serious hoping for something of this nature, and if I cannot find something I will be hitchhiking through alabama to personally talk with everyone I can there UNTIL I find something like this. If you would like to have a conversation, which would be deeply appreciated, you can reach me at alchemicflood@gmail.com. Thank you for your time. May infinity bring well blessings upon. It is hoped that relief is found here. I can stay as long as it is needed, and would not mind collaborating even, protective measures will be definitely top of mind to keep the GMO’s away. Also if you would like to see what else I do on my freetime, when I am not tending to the garden in Florida that I am actually about to have to repot and sell/give away in a few days , here is a link. https://www.furaffinity.net/ My Face book page is /derpedsunrise and can also be found searching the name Yurei Karasu. Regardless of whether I ever hear anything from any existing entity residing behind the walls of this website again, I would at least like to bid well being upon continuing the fight against Monsanto and other GMO corporations and having the testicular devices, and luckenough to get something going. Thank you.
I also just want to state that if you do find this appealing,that I am not alone,. I am a female, and I have a partner who is male. We both turn 19 in June, and we are both very willing and eager to work in exchange for a place to sleep and learning information. If in the event we do end Up doing business I would also like to state that my personal long term plans are to start up a textile hemp farm that is organic as well as vegetables. I am a fighter for medicinal and textile cannabis as well as being against monsanto and many other companies. I have marched against monsanto and I would gladly work every day physically doing something that furthers the end of their reign on so many unfortunate minds. Would be a pleasure to with you, whoever you are. A reply, regardless of interested is appreciated.
Oh and if you wanted to spread awareness we are both definitely up for that. We were thinking about travelling this part of the country and becoming speakers for our cause, and if you have high schools around your area that arent over run by the media then this would definitely do good. I would be up for it. It is my cause. Maybe one day I will be able to pay for my GED without watching people stuff themselves with artificial poisons. Have a wonderful day.
This friend of mine really likes to build things by the way, in the blood I tell ya. Want a greenhouse and the works? then lets come together. We need to end this shit plaguing our planet. it starts by bringing the minds together and spreading awareness. We are both 18. Got that peer pressure ya know.