Foothill Farm
Last Updated On: February 21st, 2024 at 08:25AM MST
Contact information
Farm Address:Foothill Road
Saint Ignatius, Montana, 59865
Primary Contact: Julie Pavlock
Primary Phone:
Type: Cell
Number: N/A
Email: foothillfarm@gmail.com
Website: https://foothillfarmmontana.com/
Internship information
General Farm Description: Foothill Farm is a certified organic, diverse vegetable and grass-fed beef farm located on 70 acres in the Mission Valley of Western Montana. The farm was started and is owned by Julie Pavlock and the farm crew consists seasonally of 4-6 employees. This will be our 20th year in business, and our goal is to provide healthy food to our community and a sustainable environment that is positive and productive. We like to work hard, laugh a lot, and provide a great learning opportunity for our farm crew.CRAFT Member Farm? No
Internship Starts: Late April / Early May
Internship Ends: End of October
Number of Internship Available: 2-3
Application Deadline: ASAP
Minimum Length of Stay: Ideally full season with some flexibility
Internship Details:
About Foothill Farm
The gardens are 7 acres of vegetables with 3 hoophouses, a heated greenhouse for starting plants and outdoor field production. The rest of our farm is dedicated to pasture and hay ground with cows, a small flock laying hens, and a few pigs rotated through the system. Our mixed, fresh vegetables are sold through the Western Montana Growers Cooperative, with three sales and delivery days/week. We sell our meat through the Cooperative’s CSA, and direct to consumers. We also have online sales of our farm products, and sell seed garlic and other seeds to several seed companies. We grow a large assortment of herbs, fruits, and vegetables with our main emphasis on these crops: heirloom tomatoes, cherry and slicing tomatoes, shallots, onions, garlic, lettuce, beets, potatoes, summer squash, and winter squash, thyme, lavender, plums and apples. We utilize mainly tractors as well as horse power on the farm.
Job Summary
We are looking to hire farm crew members who have a strong desire to learn, work hard, communicate effectively, think ahead, enjoy working in a fast-paced environment, and potentially have an interest in a farming career. Full-time employees will assist with all aspects of fresh vegetable, herb, and fruit production: greenhouse work, field preparation, direct seeding, transplanting, weeding, harvesting, washing, packing, drying vegetable seed, cleaning seed, fence repair, trellising, pruning, some animal care and field irrigation which includes moving irrigation wheel lines and handlines. Each employee is responsible for weekend chores once a month which may include field and garden irrigation, closing and opening hoophouses and gates, feeding and animal care, etc. Employees are also expected to be able to work efficiently by themselves and also with the crew. Farming is physically demanding and applicants must be prepared for the rigors of farm work and be able to lift at least 60 lbs repeatedly. Farm crew members will report directly to our two garden managers.
Compensation
We will provide a starting salary of $1600 /month. Crew are responsible for their own meals although we will occasionally share farm lunch or dinner. There will be lots of produce available for personal consumption, as well as seconds for preservation. A bonus is given to all employees who stay the entire season.
Housing
On-site housing is available for farm crew, depending on the applicant. There are individual rooms and a communal kitchen and shower with a composting toilet. The kitchen has hot water and is stocked with dishes, pots and pans, etc.
Schedule and Hours
On average we strive to have employees work 40-45 hours a week Monday-Friday, but this is farming, and we do expect people to work until the job is complete. The position starts in late-April or early May through the end of October (date can change slightly depending on the season).
To Apply
Please send resume, cover letter and three references, and answers to the following questions to foothillfarm@gmail.com. Please be specific when answering these questions. It is a helpful way for us to get to know you and find out if we are compatible.
- Why do you want to work at Foothill Farm?
- What skill sets are you hoping to acquire from this position?
- How do you think we as a farm will benefit from having you as a member of our crew?
Educational Opportunities: For those interested, we host a Friday "Lunch and Learn" each week, discussing different farming topics and answering farm-related questions. There are also some opportunities to connect with different farms participating in the Western Montana Growers Cooperative (tours, meeting other farm crews, etc.)
Skills Desired: Farm experience is a plus but not essential!
Meals: Occasional farm meals
Stipend: Starting pay $1600/month
Housing: Yes
Preferred method of Contact: Email