Permaculture Design Entrepreneur Work Stay – WV

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Permaculture Design Entrepreneur Work Stay at the Permaculture Center at Claymont – 2019

Location: Outside of Charles Town, WV   Size: 340 acres Website: society.claymont.org

Apply for the Permaculture Design Entrepreneur Position Here

Overview: Claymont Society for Continuous Education is an educational non-profit founded in the 1970s as a school that taught the philosophy of the Georgian mystic Gurdjieff, and in particular his student John G. Bennett, who purchased the property himself. The focus of the school during the 1970s and 1980s was on increasing the capacity for people to apply spirituality and inner awareness work in everyday life, to build a more conscious and interdependent society. Before Claymont’s time, the land was owned and maintained by the Washington family, and a historic mansion from the Washington estate is still housed on the property.  Now, Claymont primarily functions as a retreat center that groups rent out to offer spiritual and educational programming, mainly on the weekends. There is a 12-acre organic farm on the property, as well as a beautiful forest, rolling fields, and some water features. A permaculture center is being launched to steward the land and offer additional educational programming about intentional design and earth care, building off of the legacy that started over 40 years ago.

Work-Stay Opening: Permaculture Design Entrepreneur

Permaculture Design Entrepreneur Work Stay Length: 6 to 9 months, beginning in February or March of 2019 (option to extend residency upon evaluation)

Position Description:
We are looking for one person to join the permaculture initiative taking place at Claymont by scoping the current opportunities on the land and designing a business model out of what is currently produced on the land. This could be an educational CSA based on wild foraging, a compost business, a workshop series, or other opportunities that present themselves. This position would best be filled by a permaculture generalist who has business experience; there is an option to grow the business beyond your initial stay. Given the size of and resources on the land and our hosting capacity, the potential for the right person is substantial.

Permaculture Design Entrepreneur Work Stay Additional Responsibilities:

• Join community resident weekly gatherings (Monday night community dinner + clean, Tuesday night meditation)
• Join permaculture committee meetings and check-ins
• Support and contribute to other ongoing projects (such as: garden maintenance, new compost system, mapping of plants growing on the property, design of a seed bank)

Permaculture Design Entrepreneur Preferred Characteristics:

• Experience implementing land-based permaculture projects
• Entrepreneurial with experience developing and executing on business plans
• Well-versed in and familiar with permaculture principles and application
• Able to work collaboratively: flexible, mature, able to work through conflict, solid communication skills, and comfortable with a wide range of personalities and people
• Suited to work in a startup environment and be adaptive
• Maintains a spiritual or contemplative practice and interested in spiritual philosophy

Permaculture Design Entrepreneur Living Arrangements & Compensation:

You will be provided with a single room with a bed, shelves, an air conditioning unit, WiFi, and utilities, with access to shared bathrooms, showers, and a kitchen. You will receive basic pay to cover food and other living expenses while establishing the business, with the chance to increase compensation as that business becomes profitable.

Permaculture Design Entrepreneur Work Hours:

The total number of hours per week that you work can be flexible to accommodate the option of working part-time in addition to your role, whether it be at a remote job or through selling goods grown at Claymont. However, the person who fills this role will be expected to dedicate a minimum of 25 hours per week to the permaculture work.

Application Process:

To apply for this Permaculture Design Entrepreneur Work Stay Position, please fill out and submit this online form. Upon review of your application, you will go through a series of interviews, and final decisions will be made in December 2018. Questions? Reach out to emilychiapp@gmail.com.

 

Learn more about farming and food jobs and internships, or how to post a job or an internship opportunity on beginningfarmers.org at https://www.beginningfarmers.org/internship-and-employment-opportunities/   

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