Hazelnut Hearth
Last Updated On: November 1st, 2023 at 01:41PM MST
Contact information
Farm Address:State Route 20
Concrete, Washington , 98237
Primary Contact: Terri
Primary Phone:
Type: Cell
Number: 510 926-0468
Email: saukmountainfarmhouse@gmail.com
Website:
Internship information
General Farm Description: Hazelnut Hearth is a forming permaculture community in the beautiful Skagit River Valley near the North Cascade Mountains in Western WA state. We are on 12 acres of stunning land, at the base of Sauk Mountain. The property has a creek, annual and perennial gardens, poultry, beginning food forests, woods and fields. In addition we grow food on near by farm land in the Skagit flood plain.CRAFT Member Farm? No
Internship Starts: flexible, we host interns spring through fall
Internship Ends: flexible, we host interns spring through fall
Number of Internship Available: 1 maybe 2
Application Deadline: n/a
Minimum Length of Stay: 3 weeks
Internship Details:
Update: We have decided to only host covid vaccinated interns at this time.
We are looking for independent, hard working people interested in permaculture and ecological stewardship. Activities here include continuing to plant and maintain a food forest, care of animals and gardens, mulching and weeding, berry picking, harvesting, foraging, preservation of food including drying, canning and freezing, splitting and moving firewood, invasive plant abatement, researching and planning, assisting in classes and gatherings, cooking with weeds and locally sourced food, alternative building projects, working on a nearby organic vegetable farm, making music and collectively learning how to be better stewards of the earth.
Interns are expected to work 4.5 real hours a day, 5 days a week (or 22.5 hours/week) and are encouraged to take their days off traveling this beautiful area. Much of the work will be with a knowledgeable botanist, forager, gardener, herbalist, mycologist and permaculturalist who loves to share her knowledge. Projects will be varied. We do expect good self motivation and work ethic, proactively coordinating and tracking your own work times (usually between 10am-6pm). Interns are also expected to clean-up after themselves and help in meal prep and clean-up in addition to the work hours.
We take our time sharing our knowledge with interns seriously and prefer folks who have embarked on active earth relationship (have you grown a tomato plant on your porch?) and who intend to use the knowledge they gain here for future earth repair. If you are mostly hoping to have a working vacation in a nice place, and sustainable agriculture is not your passion, this is not a good fit.
Housing would be you camping on the property, in your own tent or vehicle. (Indoor rooms may be available in winter time). There is a small roofed bed hut that might be available as well. We poop in outdoor composting pooping facilities. Interns will have access to an outdoor kitchen and a solar shower on sunny days. We provide meals or food for 2 meals a day and breakfast supplies, including many locally grown organic and foraged ingredients. We usually have a dinner meal together, sometimes lunch together, but breakfasts are often prepared independently. We are mostly vegetarian and can accommodate vegans and gluten free with some help from you.
Also please note, that there are people here with chemical sensitivities so we ask that personal products with synthetic fragrances or toxic ingredients not be brought or used here. We can supply some alternatives.
The farm is near a mossy old growth forest at a State Park, the blue watered Skagit River and hiking in the rugged North Cascade Mountains. There are many opportunities for outdoor adventures; backpacking, rafting, fishing, foraging, hiking, birding. We are 4 miles from a small town. A bus runs to it, Concrete, and we could pick you up from there.
The property also has a rental house on it, opening opportunities to meet others, but also requiring cleanliness and respect of their space.
We appreciate sharing stories, music and wisdom and living in community. The land here has a hiking trail and a beautiful view of Sauk Mountain. We are interested in the skills and wisdom you bring. Pets are negotiable. Please no excessive drinking, tobacco smoking or drug use. Occasional pot smoking is fine. Come help launch another branch of our collective permaculture experiment and enjoy living in a most beautiful place.
Organic methods: We are big on mulching. We compost and use cover crops, cardboard, manure, leaves, duff and wood chips to build fertility. We are experimenting with “compost teas”. We strive to create “guilds” that provide for various needs of the biological community. We favor diversity. We try to learn from the natural processes that are constantly unfolding.
Certifications: We follow organic practices. We don’t use chemical fertilizers or pesticides. We are conscious of avoiding toxic chemicals in our home and personal products as well as on the land.
Internet access available
Educational Opportunities: We can share knowledge according to your interests. Here are some things you could learn about here. Basic permaculture and organic gardening, plant id, herbal medicine, foraging, poultry care, info about genetically engineered food, info about common products toxicity, pond building, phenology, food forests, cooking, food preservation etc...
Skills Desired: We appreciate knowledge and skills that you bring, but can accommodate folks starting to learn provided you are careful listeners, hard workers and self motivated. After getting the swing of things, we often have work crews or folks can work independently.
Meals: Yes.
Stipend: No, but we can be flexible and creative with room and board exchanges and longer stays. In summer there is often some part time work available off farm.
Housing: We only offer campsites and access to the kitchen and shower, though there are possibilities for other covered or indoor spaces, depending on who is here. We can discuss this with potential interns.
Preferred method of Contact: email