Permaculture Apprenticeship Opportunity in Washington

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Permaculture Apprenticeship Opportunity at Heartsong, Tumtum, WA
April 2016 through October, 2016 – Work/Study in Exchange for Room and Board

Heartsong is a beautiful, 8 1/2-acre former retreat center nestled in a forest-ringed meadow just 20 miles northwest of Spokane, Washington.

We are accepting applications for an apprenticeship position which will begin in April, 2016 and last through October, 2016. We seek a motivated, neophyte permaculturist willing to commit to 4 hours of work and study, five days per week. Room and board provided in exchange.

Heartsong is stewarded by three families who have formed a long-term partnership. Its primary purpose is a private residence. The families are committed to implementing an evolving permaculture design for the property. They also occasionally make the land and facilities available to permaculture groups, and others, for holding educational events that revolve around permaculture, the healing of individuals, groups and the planet.

The land consists of a large portion of a big meadow bordered by Ponderosa Pine forest, a central area where most of the buildings are clustered, a ravine riparian zone adjacent to a seasonal creek, an orchard with 20 established fruit trees and 12 young fruit trees, and an 8000 sq. ft. polyculture garden. Heartsong is home to a herd of six dairy goats (a buck and five females). A large goat enclosure and barn are under construction. Improvements also include an artificial pond, hedge rows (being established) and various remote tree plantings.

There is a large main building– a nicely renovated barn that houses a good sized, commercial-style, communal kitchen (none of the dwellings have their own kitchens). Upstairs in the barn is a large meeting room that can seat 60 people. There are four private dwellings, a well-outfitted shop, a small greenhouse, a goat shed (a goat barn is under construction), a wood-fired sauna and a small bath house. The apprentice will dwell in a 20’ diameter yurt on a secluded corner of the property. It is equipped with electricity and a very nice wood stove.

A caretaker lives in a dwelling on the property. He is a certified permaculture designer active in regional permaculture activities and an experienced on-farm educator. The apprentice is supervised on a day to day basis by the caretaker and is ultimately answerable to the Heartsong Families.

Plans for 2016, which the caretaker and apprentice will be tasked with implementing, include setting up for bee-keeping, growing the full garden for the first time (including weekly harvests and distributions), designing and constructing rainwater catchment, building an outdoor oven, putting up raspberry trellises, establishing a blackberry patch on a folding trellis, starting a flock of laying hens, seed saving, food preserving, coming up with a pasture management plan and continuing with planting the food forest. In addition, other general site maintenance, upkeep and improvements will also be included on the roster and determined from time to time.

Work/Study: The apprentice is expected to perform a minimum two hours of study per week which are included in the 20 hrs./wk. work requirement, following a lesson plan provided by the caretaker. The lesson plan will cover a broad range of topics related to permaculture with emphasis on subjects that apply to the work at hand. The apprentice will keep a journal and complete a written final project.

To Apply for the Permaculture Apprenticeship:

1)      You may go on-line to this link and fill out the application on-line:
https://tinyurl.com/heartsong-application