Apprenticeship Westport, MA – The Neighborhood Farm

Last Updated On: febrero 28th, 2024 at 08:06AM MST

Contact information

Farm Address:
310 Drift Rd
Westport, Massachusetts, 02790

Primary Contact: Kate Canney
Primary Phone:
    Type: Cell
    Number: 3392250255
    Email: theneighborhoodfarm@gmail.com

Website: https://www.theneighborhoodfarm.com

Internship information

General Farm Description: The Neighborhood Farm is a small, all natural vegetable farm growing about 6 acres of vegetables, herbs, and seedlings on multiple sites in Westport, on the beautiful South Coast of Massachusetts. We’re about 10 minutes from Horseneck Beach, and we enjoy a temperate climate which makes for excellent growing conditions. We grow a lot of vegetables and herbs for farmers markets, our online farmstand, a small CSA, and a local food hub. We grow and market our produce year round, and often have work available in the winter for current crew members. In the spring and summer we also grow thousands of plants which we sell at farmers markets and through our online farmstand. Over the course of the growing season we grow several hundred varieties of vegetables, herbs, cut flowers and native plants. Recently we began experimenting with seed production for use on the farm and for sale. In 2024 we plan to save seed from half a dozen crops. We also maintain our own seed stock of garlic and have been stewarding over 20 garlic varieties for many years. We grow at least a little bit of almost everything, but we're best known for our many varieties of specialty garlic, endless heirloom tomatoes, and thousands of seedlings. We grow organically - we don’t use synthetic fertilizers, GMO seeds, herbicides, or pesticides - but we aren’t certified organic. Our mission has always been to grow healthy, local, all natural food, to demonstrate the practicality of intensive growing in small spaces, and to encourage, educate, and support people in growing their own food. We are a caring, friendly, hard working farm. Many of our crew members return year after year, but we need a few more sets of hands this season. We welcome people with no prior farming experience. We enjoy teaching people about farming and gardening and look for team mates who are enthusiastic to learn and to work hard. We are a woman owned farm, and have been farming since 2008, but have moved the farm to various leased parcels over the years. 2024 will be our first season growing entirely in Westport. We farmed in the greater Boston area for 16 years, and for the last 3 years we farmed in Westport and in Greater Boston simultaneously. We are excited to focus our efforts on the South Coast this season, and we have many interesting projects underway as we continue to improve upon our sites in Westport.

CRAFT Member Farm? Yes

Internship Starts: 5/15/24 or earlier
Internship Ends: 12/20/24 or later
Number of Internship Available: 2
Application Deadline: 5/1/24
Minimum Length of Stay: 3 months

Internship Details:

We are looking for apprentices to join us full time and help on the farm and/or at our farmers markets. Depending on their availability and interest, apprentices might work on various aspects of vegetable, herb and seedling production, including planting, weeding, irrigation, greenhouse work, harvesting, washing, packing, selling at farmers’ markets and seed saving. Apprentices will work with farm managers and other crew members, and occasionally independently if comfortable with a task. We try to simplify and streamline our work whenever possible.  We have some tractors and other equipment, but the bulk of our work is done by hand.  

Over the course of the year, the focus of our work changes with the season.  As a result apprentices who are with us for the whole year, or for multiple years, will learn quite a lot about many different aspects of farming.  In spring we spend most of our time in the greenhouse or planting in the fields.  In the summers our time is spent planting, tending crops and harvesting.  In the fall we are often harvesting and putting produce into storage for the winter while we continue to plant crops that will be harvested in the winter and in the following season.  We go to farmers markets year round.  We try to make sure that all apprentices experience a wide range of farming tasks.

Qualifications

Previous farm experience is great, but not as important as listening skills, dependability, enthusiasm, and a willingness to work hard and learn. We are happy to train people who are new to farming. 

Working on a farm has many rewards, but it has its challenges too. We look for people with a positive attitude, who enjoy being part of a team, and who can remain upbeat even when it’s raining, or hot, or when you just wish you were at the beach. Weather conditions often alter our plans, so ideal candidates are flexible and are able to change direction easily.  Farming has some repetitive physical tasks, and requires us to work outside in all weather conditions. We expect all team members to work quickly and carefully.

Candidates must have, or obtain, local housing (there is no housing on this land) and must have reliable transportation (we are not easily accessible by public transportation.)

Preference is given to candidates able to work the full season from spring through late December. Part time winter work in January, February and early March may be available for those interested.

Educational Opportunities: We encourage apprentices to attend workshops offered through local farming organizations including SEMAP, CRAFT and Young Farmers. We will arrange for apprentices to have time off if they would like to attend workshops. We also encourage apprentices to ask a lot of questions of the farm owners/managers and the rest of the team. This is a learning while doing type of position - there is no formal educational component. We encourage apprentices to consider what they want to learn/experience most, and we'll try to provide as much experience in that area as possible.

Skills Desired: We are happy to teach people new to farming

Meals: No. All team members get $40/week of produce or plants.

Stipend: This is an hourly paid position.

Housing: No. Many other team members find housing in nearby New Bedford, Dartmouth or Fall River, MA or in Providence, RI.

Preferred method of Contact: Email