Chinese Medicinal Herb Farm Internship at Still Moon Farm with Rogue Farm Corps

Last Updated On: enero 26th, 2022 at 10:08AM MST

Contact information

Farm Address:
Rogue Farm Corps, Rogue Valley Chapter
Jacksonville, Oregon , 97530

Primary Contact: Rogue Farm Corps
Primary Phone:
    Type: Cell
    Number: 541-588-3550
    Email: training@roguefarmcorps.org

Website: https://www.roguefarmcorps.org/host-farms/still-moon-farm

Internship information

General Farm Description: Still Moon Farm is a family run farm & homestead nestled in the mountainous Applegate Valley. Still Moon Farm is located 45 minutes drive to Ashland, and a 20 minute drive to the nearest small town of Ruch. The land is surrounded by national forest, rolling hills, year long creeks, a pond, and abundant hiking trails. Adjacent to the land is an intentional community that produces artisan breads. Nearby entertainment includes: The Britt Music Festival, The Oregon Shakespeare Festival, paragliding, wine tasting, Applegate lake, river adventures, Pacific Crest Trail, and 2.5 hrs from the Pacific Ocean. Still Moon is an LGBTQ BIPOC friendly farm and live within a community that is actively learning and pushing the norms of our cultural blind spots. Still Moon Farm is Certified Organic with Wild Harvest certification as well. The main focus is on East Asian medicinal plants, which include many perennial plants, row crops, vines, bushes, and trees used in Chinese and Ayurvedic Medicine. They actively cultivate around 3/4 of an acre of the 114 acre property. They sell directly to practitioners, a distributor, to tea purveyors, and apothecaries. Additionally, they have a homestead garden that grows some vegetables, fruits, and berries for personal consumption. They do annual forestry work to support the ecosystem of the surrounding property. Marketing is primarily through word of mouth and through a small nonprofit that brings together over 10 West Coast farmers to bulk supplies for larger orders. At Still Moon Farm they plant, weed, harvest, wash and process all by hand. Jonathan is the main medicine plant farmer and Andrew is the main gardener and orchard tender. Both contribute to logistics and maintenance of the farmstead and will be engaging in mentorship of interns.

CRAFT Member Farm? No

Internship Starts: 4/15/22
Internship Ends: 11/15/22
Number of Internship Available: 1 full or part time position
Application Deadline: Priority consideration 1/27/22, applications open until positions are filled
Minimum Length of Stay: 6-8 months

Internship Details:

Still Moon is one of many host farms in the Rogue Farm Corps Internship Program. RFC’s Internship Program provides connections to existing farm operations for aspiring farmers who want to gain significant farming or ranching production experience and don’t have a lot of previous exposure. The Internship Program is an entry/intermediate-level, immersive program that combines hands-on training with skills-based education. No experience is required to apply, however some host farms do prefer applicants have some previous outdoor or physical work experience.

RFC Internship programs are based in two distinct geographic chapter locations in Oregon: Rogue Valley and Portland Metro.

Weekly hours and start/end dates vary by host farm (please see host farm descriptions for details). In addition to the on-farm training experience, participants engage in a series of farm tours, classes, and discussions (~3-5 events / month) focused on a broad array of sustainable agriculture and food system topics organized by Rogue Farm Corps (see a sample Internship Program events schedule here). Internship Program participants are exposed to farm knowledge, skills, and networks, through their experience with their host farm and Rogue Farm Corps.

Full season positions generally run spring through fall. Short season Internships run for 8-15 weeks and are perfect for students or others who want to dip their toe in into farming and attend the concurrent Internship classes, farm tours, and discussion events.

APPLICATIONS / SCHOLARSHIPS
Applications are accepted on our website on a rolling basis until positions are filled, but early applications are considered first. Apply by January 27th, 2022 for priority consideration. RFC has limited tuition scholarships available for BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, veteran, and low-income applicants.

RFC has developed COVID-19 safety protocols according to state and federal guidance and will adjust them as needed to protect the health and safety of our participants, staff, host farmers, and communities. In-person educational events are held outside with social distancing in place.

TYPES OF AGRICULTURE
Rogue Farm Corps partners with dedicated mentor host farms and ranches that focus on sustainable, regenerative, ecological, and/or organic approaches in their production methods. Host farm enterprises vary by farm and include animal (meat, dairy, eggs, etc) and plant-based production (vegetables, herbs, fruit, seeds, etc). Host farms are commercial, small-to-mid scale operations marketing to their local and regional community via a range of sales channels including farmers market, CSA, wholesale, and more. RFC participants are exposed to various farm production and marketing systems via RFC’s farm tour events.

COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND INCLUSION
Rogue Farm Corps is committed to an ongoing learning process around privilege, power, inequality and systems of oppression. RFC has a goal of making our programs welcoming to, inclusive of, and accessible to communities who are under-represented as farm operators in Oregon, including women, Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC), LGBTQIA+ individuals, low-income individuals and immigrants. Our desire to create a more equitable food system is reflected in RFC’s programs and collaborations.

Learn more and apply: http://roguefarmcorps.org/training

Educational Opportunities: On-farm training will include seeding, nursery care, planting, cultivation, and harvesting. Additionally food preparation & preservation, forestry, basic medicinal uses of plants, small scale tincture making, and other herb processing is possible. April & May - Introduction to the land at Still Moon Farm; greenhouse and nursery overview; potting up; emergence of perennial shoots; making potting soil; seeding; prepping the fields; tillage; weeding; transplanting to field; irrigation set up; Organic certification audit; trellising; and more. June - settling in and taking a breath; spring weeding; weed whacking; mowing; compost making; mulching; soil nourishment; and more. July, Aug, Sept - aerial parts harvest, daily for some plants or every 2-3 weeks; drying processing and bagging; weeding; weed whacking; compost maintenance; and more. End of Sept, Oct, Nov - prepping for winter; irrigation take down; fall seeding; seed harvesting and processing; compost maintaining; cover crops; designing for the following season; and more. In addition to the on-farm training, interns will participate in Rogue Farm Corps' educational event series, which includes farm tours, classes, and discussion groups. More details are available on the website.

Skills Desired: Cultivating plants for food or medicine is labor intensive as well as deeply rewarding. Andrew and Jonathon hope to find mutual benefit in sharing the deep healing knowledge of the plants through the process of tending them for harvest and use as medicine. To make this farm viable they recognize the importance of offering their knowledge and experience in exchange for the help and support of other enthusiastic people who are interested in learning to cultivate plants for food and medicine. Expectations include a strong work ethics, which is essential along with healthy curiosity, and eagerness to be a part of the process. Andrew and Jonathan believe that the health of the plant-tenders affects the health of the plants, so it is important to work hard and work smart. Being able to lift at least 60-80lbs is important, as well as knowing how to move your body in smart ways, which Andrew and Jonathon will model and teach throughout the season, especially as new tasks are introduced

Meals: We provide locally grown vegetables from our land when possible. Andrew and Jonathan are omnivores and like to share community meals with RFC participants and other farm crew members occasionally throughout the season as time and schedules allow. Other meals are prepared individually, and the intern is expected to maintain the communal kitchen area and other community spaces in clean condition.

Stipend: Stipend amounts depend on a full or part-time position: Full time - $ 1200/ month. Intern is expected to live on farm Part time - $ 500-1000/ month, depending on training schedule

Housing: Housing is provided in a spacious trailer, with multiple beds, ample storage, air purifier, heater, and beautiful views. We ask that all cooking happens in our outdoor kitchen. We also provide an outhouse to use instead of the toilet in the trailer.

Preferred method of Contact: email