Little Wings Farm Apprentice

Last Updated On: January 22nd, 2024 at 08:26AM MST

Contact information

Farm Address:
Rogue Farm Corps, South Willamette
Eugene (Southern Willamette Valley), Oregon, 97404

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

Website: https://www.roguefarmcorps.org/host-farms/little-wings

Website: http://www.littlewingsfarm.com/

Internship information

General Farm Description: Little Wings Farm has been thriving for 6 years and is operated by partners Rosie and Adam. The farm is Certified Organic and grows a wide range of vegetables and fruit for two primary market channels. These include a 200 member CSA (Cropshare) and a vibrant Wholesale market consisting of natural food stores, restaurants and local food hubs. There is a mix of both tractors (gas and electric) and hand work for cultivation and the farmers take care during soil prep to minimize tillage to what is necessary while using alternative and creative means in the process. The farm does not use single-use plastic mulch in its production.The crew consists of 7 folks with half of them part-time. The farm is located 6 miles North of Downtown Eugene just outside of the Urban Growth Boundary at the end of a gravel road. It is bordered by the Willamette River where they swim almost every day of the Summer. Little Wings grows on about 12 acres on 3 different pieces of property all adjacent to one another leasing ground from two of their neighbors who have grown to become like family. The area around the farm offers easy access to hiking, boating, fishing, biking, etcetera. It is a convenient commute for employees who want to live in town while working on the farm.

CRAFT Member Farm? No

Internship Starts: April
Internship Ends: October/November
Number of Internship Available: 2 APPRENTICESHIPS, FULL TIME (32-40 hrs/week)
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.

For more information on these events, please visit our event series page and sample schedule.

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 are a highly diversified vegetable and fruit farm which means the work is always changing. Because of our smaller crew size each person on our crew ends up doing and learning a little bit about everything going on. We approach each job as a learned skill and have proper and efficient techniques for each job on the farm. It is exceptionally important that our crew maintains an openness and curiosity for learning and mastering each skill we teach. The job entails sowing seeds and caring for plants in the propagation house, preparing beds for planting, fertilizing, planting beds, weeding and plant care (like trellising or pruning), irrigation (drip and overhead), harvest, and washing, packing wholesale orders and personalized CSA boxes, sharpening tools, general tool care, and organization and storage of materials on farm. There will be opportunities for Apprentices to learn how to use some crucial equipment on our farm as well. This includes: BCS walk behind Tractor, Kubota 50 HP Tractor, Flame Weeder, Jang Seeder, and Vacuum Seeder. Each week brings new crops harvested, new tasks to be performed and new challenges based on weather conditions. The work can be physically difficult at times but in general it is more about building stamina and the ability to move quickly. It is important that an Apprentice is able to stay alert and be mentally present with the task at hand, the rest of the crew and their general surroundings.

Skills Desired: We are seeking a motivated, positive, and hardworking person. They should have the following: 1. A basic understanding of vegetable crops and have a familiarity with growing them. Although formal farm experience is not required, it is preferred. 2. Has experience with and has thrived when doing physical activity in both a work setting and in recreation. 3. Openly communicates and maintains a curiosity when receiving constructive feedback or directions. Our farm has a culture of clear and consistent communication. Each crew member gets a hand held radio to use throughout the day to ask questions, make decisions, and clarify directions. 4. Has experience and loves working in a team setting. This means having an awareness of others around them and seeking to assist others with tasks when appropriate as well as knowing when there are “too many cooks in the kitchen” and it’s time to personally move on from a task.

Meals: Farm produce

Stipend: $15-17/hr. Paid Time Off - Accrual Rate of 1 hr for every 40 hrs worked Other Perks for Fun: Themed Dress-Up Days Mid- Season Crew River Float End of Season Pizza Party and Awards

Housing: No housing offered. We are located very close to Downtown Eugene. There are a lot of rental options in and around Eugene.

Preferred method of Contact: email / website