Bluebird Farm

Last Updated On: marzo 6th, 2023 at 08:11AM MST

Contact information

Farm Address:
4178 Bluebird Dr
Morganton, North Carolina, 28655

Primary Contact: Marie Williamson
Secondary Contact: William Lyons

Primary Phone:
    Type: Cell
    Number: 828-584-7359
    Email: farmer@bluebirdfarmnc.com

Website: http://www.BluebirdFarmNC.com

Website: https://www.bluebirdfarmnc.com/work

Internship information

General Farm Description: General Farm Description: 13 years of growing and improving the same property. 1+ acres in outdoor beds. Nine 120 ft caterpillar tunnels, 2 heated greenhouse with automatic sidewalls, extensive irrigation with drip tape and sprinklers from well and creek pump for southern summers. Permanent raised bed maintenance with BCS and tractors. Jang seeder + waterwheel transplanter. Organic/ecological practices, 50 varieties of vegetables, cover crops, whole farm compost from hoopbarn bedding. 4 sow + 1 boar breeding herd and year round production of 50-75 hogs a year in groups of 10-25 in seasonal pastures and deep bedded hoopbarns. 150 hen laying flock in a mobile wagon coop with livestock guardian dog and 2 sheep. 2 Saturday farmers’ markets, 100+ member customizable CSA, pork and beef CSA, small direct wholesale accounts. Marketing healthy, delicious meat sharing passion for our production methods as well as enthusiasm for cooking and enjoying the food.

CRAFT Member Farm? Yes

Internship Starts: March 1st-ASAP 2023-outdoor field planting ramps up in March
Internship Ends: Multi-year
Number of Internship Available: 4
Application Deadline: open until filled, working interview preferred
Minimum Length of Stay: 1 year

Internship Details:

Does working in a tight crew on a small, ecologically focused, direct market, commercial vegetable and pastured pig operation sound exciting?  We want to hear from you!  At Bluebird Farm we strive for a balanced and smooth workflow.  We use careful record keeping, keen observation, and constant communication to ensure that the right task is getting done at the right time with the right tools. Whether that is catching an insect outbreak early or noticing a fungal problem in a row of tomatoes before it is too late. We work quickly and efficiently to grow tons of nutritious produce-planting, weeding, lots of harvesting, meticulous wash/pack, and fast paced farmers markets.  While we work hard and fast towards goals on the big picture we love noticing and appreciating the small things-beneficial insect eggs here, healthy looking soil there, a perfectly irrigated tomato patch, a pasture where the hogs were moved just at the right time. 

Educational Opportunities: Training: We want people to clearly learn our farm’s production and harvest systems and be confident operating in those systems. When everyone is using the farm’s systems and the same terminology it allows a crew to be confident in their methods and task completion and communicate clearly about those tasks. When things are running smoothly and according to plan everyone has more energy and confidence to enjoy growing good food together. Training of Farm Systems: We are very hands-on in the training of new hires for dangerous tasks like boar moving or feeding and tasks with high costs of mistakes like irrigation and seeding. Over the years we have developed specific workflows and techniques that best suit our equipment, southern growing seasons, land, crops, and crew size.

Skills Desired: Please see full job description and skills required in secondary website listing. Garden Production Manager, Harvest Wash Pack Manager and experienced Vegetable Grower Positions: Must have 24+ months farm experience on for profit farms, including 12 months experience harvesting efficiently on a vegetable farm business.---- Assistant Vegetable Grower: 12-23 months minimum experience working on for profit farms with farmer recommendation, including 6+ months experience harvesting efficiently on a vegetable farm business. Preference to those who have worked 2 seasons on same vegetable farm business.---- Farmers’ market sales or retail sales experience. Vegetable growing and harvest experience. Focus on efficient and fast harvesting with an eye for quality, details, and teamwork. Vegetable wash/pack experience. Ability to meet harvest speed standards, depending on condition of vegetable crop, 40-60 bunches of greens/ hour or 30-60 bunches of herbs/ hour. Clean driving record for past 5 years and a valid drivers’ license. Large vehicle driving experience- This position requires extensive use of several trucks, a loaded 2 axle market trailer on highways, cargo van. Communication is key on a small farm. This position entails daily communication with Marie and William and with the larger crew. We communicate and focus on details around harvest counts, CSA or market packing details, different trellis methods for different vegetables, detailed info on animal health monitoring or mobile hog water systems.

Meals: No

Stipend: Garden Production Manager, Harvest Wash Pack Manager, Experienced Vegetable Grower with 24+ months experience: $400/week stipend. Assistant Grower with 12 months experience: $320/week stipend. Private housing available. No housing or utility costs. Farm food: All you need in vegetables. Dozen eggs and 2 pounds ground sausage/beef per week. $800+ in meat, $300+ in eggs, and over $1000 in vegetable value in a year. Eligible for sick leave, scheduled vacation time, and SIMPLE IRA.

Housing: Yes, housing is available

Preferred method of Contact: email