Dormouse Farm Apprentice

Last Updated On: February 27th, 2024 at 08:11AM MST

Contact information

Farm Address:
Rogue Farm Corps, Rogue Valley Chapter
Medford (Southern Oregon), Oregon, 97501

Primary Contact: Kait Crowley
Primary Phone:
    Type: Cell
    Number: 541-588-3551
    Email: training@roguefarmcorps.org

Website: https://www.roguefarmcorps.org/host-farms/dormouse

Website: https://www.dormousefarm.com/

Internship information

General Farm Description: We are a diverse, small family farm enterprise just outside of Medford, Oregon raising poultry for meat and eggs; goats for raw goat milk; a large variety of vegetables, herbs, and cut flowers. Our largest crops are greenhouse tomatoes, peppers, and basil. These crops are sold fresh, but primarily processed for value-added products. We have a tractor, mostly used for its hydraulics to move things; all work is primarily done by hand. Poultry (chickens and ducks) are raised in small, free range flocks. Chickens are processed on the farm. We have two farm sites. Our home farm is 10 acres on a hillside at 2000 ft. Almost 8 acre is silvopasture and an acre for growing vegetables, herbs, and cut flowers. We have a greenhouse, barn, and poultry processing shed. The home farm is 7 min from downtown Jacksonville, 15 min from downtown Medford. Our second farm site at Bigham Knoll in Jacksonville has a slow food restaurant and retail space where we produce value-added products, bakery goods, and meals. We just took over this location in fall of 2023. There is a small tempranillo vineyard, raised bed vegetable and herb garden. We envision having chickens at this site as well. Farmers Cindy, David, and their daughter Morgan, operated a diverse organic farm in Carnation, WA for 17 years before moving to Oregon 6 years ago. Education is at the heart of our operation. Transparency to our customers and excellent quality products and customer service are values that drive our business.

CRAFT Member Farm? No

Internship Starts: March
Internship Ends: November
Number of Internship Available: 1-2 POSITIONS, PART TIME (20 hrs/week) Additional Work Optional For Right Candidate In Post-Production/ Cafe)
Application Deadline: Rolling basis until positions are filled by early-mid March
Minimum Length of Stay: 500 training hours (~3-4 months minimum)

Internship Details:

An Apprenticeship is part of Rogue Farm Corps’ beginning farmer training program. Hands-on field training at the Host Farm is complemented by a series of classes, farm tours, discussions, and networking events organized by Rogue Farm Corps.

EDUCATIONAL EVENTS
Apprentices join other beginning farmers for an Educational Event Series facilitated by Rogue Farm Corps.

The full event series includes:
24 classes focused on foundational sustainable agriculture concepts, skills, and the food system.
7-10 farm tours which showcase practical skills and individual farmers’ stories and provide insight into diverse production and marketing systems.
3-5 discussion circles with topics including Food Justice / Food Sovereignty, and Next Steps for Beginning Farmers.

RFC strives to make all educational events inclusive and welcoming to people from all backgrounds and identities. Classes, tours, and discussions are led by Rogue Farm Corps staff, agricultural professionals, and expert farmworkers/farmers.

APPLICATIONS
Apprenticeship applications are accepted on the Rogue Farm Corps website until positions are filled (usually by early-mid March), but early applications are considered first. Positions are beginning to fill, please apply ASAP if you’re interested! Host Farms decide which applicants to interview and offer placements to. Applicants must be 18 years or older and have authorization to work in the U.S.

Educational Opportunities: We operate year round. Daily chores include egg collection, cleaning, and packaging; feeding and caring for poultry and goats. Beginning in January, we start seeds indoors and winter sow outdoors. By March we are transplanting and direct seeding. In April, we get our first batch of broiler chicks, which are raised in a brooder in the barn for 2-4 weeks, and processed on the farm at 8 weeks. Harvesting of early crops such as greens. We produce and harvest seasonal crops all year. Heavy physical work is limited to mucking barn and spreading compost. We work with apprentices on a daily basis, demonstrating tasks, providing constructive feedback, and giving them the opportunity to demonstrate their skills.

Skills Desired: Passionate about farming and the hard work (no bucolic dreamers), self-driven; not put off by blood, mud, and manure; excellent observation skills of animal behavior; love of goats and poultry. Carpentry and building skills would be a plus but are not required.

Meals: No

Stipend: $15/hr. No benefits offered

Housing: No housing provided. There is limited rental housing in the immediate area, but Medford city center is 15 min away and offers more rental options.

Preferred method of Contact: email / website