Moondog’s Farm Apprentice

Last Updated On: January 22nd, 2024 at 08:25AM MST

Contact information

Farm Address:
Rogue Farm Corps, South Willamette
Eugene (Willamette Valley), Oregon, 97404

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

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

Website: http://www.moondogsfarm.com/

Internship information

General Farm Description: We have two locations, one is a beautiful, remote half-wooded 40 acres along the Mohawk River near Marcola. We have 8 fenced acres that we primarily dry farm apples, Asian pears, peaches, and other tree fruits. Staff have access to recreational camping and swimming. Our home and business headquarters are located in Santa Clara near Eugene. We are establishing a new farm field on site including culinary and medicinal herbs and annual vegetables for kitchen production. This is a 5 acre location in a semi-rural area that includes a food facility where we are starting up kitchen processing and also doing food hubbing activities under our DBA Lane County Bounty. We have a small staff, but see many different farmers coming through because of our utilization of shared infrastructure & resources. There are many farmers in our neighborhood. We have several enterprises and a small team, so people are generally trained across the board and are integrated into our operation as a whole. Once familiar with our systems and a staff member’s strengths, we may designate more specialized roles. However, we require staff members to be flexible and able to step into any task as needed. Fresh Produce enterprise: We grow organic, dry farmed fruit, and herbs, plus vegetable crops specifically for our value added products. Soil prep is mechanized. Planting and harvest are hand work in a lean system. Our annual vegetable production has been significantly reduced as we are transitioning into perennial tree fruit. Farm Kitchen enterprise: Our value added products currently represent more than 50% of our sales. We produce salsas, pestos, sauces, jam, and dried seasoning blends. Staff pay a role in processing produce for preservation, assisting in kitchen production, and packaging and label products.

CRAFT Member Farm? No

Internship Starts: May
Internship Ends: December
Number of Internship Available: 2 APPRENTICESHIPS, PART TIME (16-35 hrs/week)
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.

For more information on these events, please visit our event series page and sample schedule.

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: An Apprentices time will be split between the following activities, weekly, with some seasonal variation: Propagation + planting + crop care, 0 to 16 hours Harvest, from 8 - 12 hours Post-harvest wash + processing, up to 12 hours Kitchen production, 0 to 16 hours We are “listen to your body” people and have planned a farm system that is ergonomic and dynamic, so that we don’t get worn out in a singular way. We train on the job by working directly with staff members. We are happy to answer questions and provide educational opportunities as we go. This is usually built into our relationships with our staff members. Our goal is to provide staff with an awareness of our systems and a conceptual understanding of the work that they feel comfortable with an amount of independent problem solving. Farmer’s Market/Admin/Packing/Delivery, up to 8 hours This is a part time position that will include reduced hours in the spring and late fall, but may flex up to full time in the summer months. We provide on the job training and work in tandem with staff until competence is achieved. Work will be split between team activities and solo tasks. We are approachable managers and expect trained staff to demonstrate independence, problem solving, and self-motivation when not in a team setting. Field work and harvest is hard physical labor. Our team can expect to work hard and also to find balance with more gentle productivity. A team member may finish a harvest shift and spend the afternoon applying labels to jars or peeling garlic for the next ferment.

Skills Desired: Folks who work with us will learn about dry farming, orchard systems, and value added kitchen production. We are not a market farm and grow a limited number of crops. Folks interested in experience with diversified vegetable operations will prefer a different We are looking for enthusiastic and engaging individuals who are ready to work hard and love food to join our team. Our team culture is a critical part of why we want to come to work every day. Great listening skills, positive attitude, and a love of the process of food production is ideal. Previous 8 hour physical work experience is preferred. Kitchen experience would be fantastic! Potential hires could include: Food service professionals interested in the farming side of the industry. Landscape or forest crew members looking to learn about a different field. Post-graduation individuals in learning mode who are ready to stretch their physicality and experience the gamut of farming activities.

Meals: Farm-produced food is available on occasion to staff members.

Stipend: Our entry level wage is $15/hr.

Housing: No housing offered. Rental housing is available through the Eugene/Springfield area. We’re also not far from Junction City. A staff member could choose a seasonal camp at our farm in Marcola. It is possible that we could arrange to house a staff member in a modern RV at our farmsite in Marcola if desired.

Preferred method of Contact: email / website