Organic Farm Apprenticeship in Oregon

Posted on November 23, 2020 by Taylor in Apprenticeship, Education, Farming, Organic // 0 Comments

Organic Farm Apprenticeship in Oregon at Horton Road Organics in Blachly – 2021

Organic Farm Apprenticeship in Oregon General Information:

At Horton Road Organics, they cultivate 5 acres of exceptional vegetables for local farmer’s markets, natural food stores, restaurants, and a 70-member CSA. Their location in the forested coast range of Oregon provides wonderful access to the culture of Eugene’s university town life, as well as the beauty of the Siuslaw National Forest and ocean ecology. The farm community includes apprentices, staff and farmers who all live, work, and experience the season closely together. The fields are tended with much hand work going into intensively cropped raised beds and greenhouses.

Expectations:

Our organic farm apprenticeship in Oregon promotes developing peer relationships to enhance learning, being part of a community which creates a completely unique experience each season. Since 1997, we have trained many successful new farmers who are now farming across the country. By offering all the ingredients for developing a vibrant small scale farm, our program is particularly designed to help those exploring this lifestyle as a career.

At Horton Road, our apprentice program is predominantly hands on. While each week there is a guiding theme, a class or field trip, students spend much of their time planting, weeding, harvesting and preparing vegetables. They also dig and fertilize raised beds, learn to sell produce at farmers markets, keep records, and write for our CSA newsletter.

At Horton Road, we have a strong work ethic. Throughout the season, students are expected to gain mastery over different tasks, develop an understanding of the working farm, and become an integral part of a seasonal crew. Our weekly curriculum provides lots of opportunity for ongoing learning, something that requires active participation on the apprentice’s part. Unlike conventional classroom learning, apprenticing integrates body and mind through direct experience – developing endurance and flexibility, cultivating knowledge through mindful observation, and building intuition by living the farmer’s life.

Our goal each year is to foster a diversified, productive, ecologically sensitive and personally enriching learning environment. We have made considerable effort in our program to create focused, energetic and limited work periods to accomplish our daily tasks so that apprentices know exactly what’s expected of them and can enjoy a fair amount of free time relative to many farm operations.

Apprentices do well if they are open to what there is to learn and not necessarily attached to a specific agricultural philosophy or technique. Prior field experience can be helpful but not as important as a willingness to meet the demands of the farm each day. It is essential that apprentices are: (1) able to commit to the entire season mid-April through October and have a good work ethic, (2) physically able to do field work, which involves a combination of stamina, strength and flexibility, and (3) able to work well with others in a team, have good communications skills, and are prepared to contribute time and energy to community well-being.

Compensation:

Education: Although hands-on experience is essential in learning how to farm, study is also important. Each week begins with a theme that is carried through the week, reinforced by reading or video, a class or field trip, and an assignment to share with the group. Students are expected to engage the subjects, though the degree to which one digs deeper is up to the student. Monthly field trips to a wide array of local farms that demonstrate the diversity within alternative agriculture. The season culminates is each apprentice’s presentation of their “Faux Farm” a project presented to the group for review, designed to integrate the year’s learning and direct you to your next step in training.

Meals: In addition to the bounty in the fields, the farm supplements the community pantry with a number of basic organic bulk beans, grains, and oils.

Stipend: Starts at $600 per month and ends at $1,000 per month (increases $100 each month of the apprenticeship) minus federal and state withholding; Worker’s Comp Insurance; Sick days as needed & limited Vacation time

Housing: Private bedrooms with kitchen, bath, outdoor solar shower & community room. Access to main dwelling for laundry. Phone and internet access available.