Lazy Acres Farm Apprentice

Last Updated On: January 22nd, 2024 at 07:57AM MST

Contact information

Farm Address:
Rogue Farm Corps, Rogue Valley Chapter
Grants Pass , Oregon, 97527

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

Website: https://www.roguefarmcorps.org/host-farms/lazyacres

Website: http://www.lazyacresfarm.org/

Internship information

General Farm Description: Lazy Acres Farm is a 20 acre plot in rural Applegate Valley surrounded by BLM on three sides. Our closest notable neighbors are Schmidt Family Vineyards and Noble Dairy. We are 20 mins from Grants Pass. Our land is a mix of open field/pasture, oak woodland, riparian, and mixed conifer forest. Beth and Casey are the only farm crew. Casey is the primary farmer while Beth helps when she is able, mostly on transplanting, harvesting, washing, packing, and market days. Beth maintains a remote job to help support the cost of the farm enterprise. We are a small-scale, regenerative farm that grows organic produce. We currently farm ¼ of an acre with intensive production. Our farm is no-till and we only use hand tools. We do have a tractor for easier transport of things like compost but it never goes on our beds. Our inspiration and business model is derived from Jean Martin Fortier’s “The Market Gardener”, Curtis Stone’s “The Urban Farmer”, Eliot Coleman’s “The New Organic Grower”, and Jesse Frost’s “The Living Soil Handbook”. Our goal is not to expand and get bigger but to maximize the efficiency of the space that we have. Everything we do is with intention. We care about the health of the soil. We don’t use any synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or spray.

CRAFT Member Farm? No

Internship Starts: April
Internship Ends: October
Number of Internship Available: 1 POSITION, PART TIME (10-16 hrs/wk, Thursday/Friday/Occasional Saturdays)
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.

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: The biggest days are harvest, wash, and pack on Thursdays and Fridays. Occasional help is needed on Saturdays for the market. Main tasks include: -Harvesting -Washing -Packing -Labeling -Market and selling Other tasks listed below will happen on other days of the week, occasionally: -Seed starting (soil mix, soil block composition, etc.) -Transplanting -Direct sowing -Organic fertilizing -Use of market garden specific equipment: soil blocker, gridder, Jang seeder, wire hoes, broadfork, etc. -Indirect farm management and decision making -Knowledge and logic behind seed selection -Knowledge and logic behind bed and walkway sizes, plant spacing, and efficiency -Knowledge and logic behind marketing practices and display

Skills Desired: Commitment to agriculture, strong work ethic, no aversions to dirt/bugs/the natural world, and common sense are desired.

Meals: Apprentices are welcome to take home produce for personal consumption on a weekly basis.

Stipend: We can pay $15/hr

Housing: On-Farm housing is not provided. We are 20 mins from Grants Pass, 30 mins from Jacksonville, 45 mins from Medford which have more housing opportunities. Housing can be difficult to find in the Applegate Valley. A car would be necessary to reach the farm.

Preferred method of Contact: email / website