Music Festival, Farming & More!
Last Updated On: March 21st, 2024 at 09:31AM MST
Contact information
Farm Address:363 Durgintown Road
Hiram, Maine, 04041
Primary Contact: Molly Griffin McKenna
Primary Phone:
Type: Cell
Number: 2077108322
Email: musicfarmer1991@gmail.com
Website:
Internship information
General Farm Description: Music Festival, Agriculture, Woods Work, Ecology, and Trail Building, and So much More!! A unique multidisciplinary, creative experience over six months.CRAFT Member Farm? No
Internship Starts: 05/01/2024
Internship Ends: 11/1/2024
Number of Internship Available: 2
Application Deadline: 4/1/2024
Minimum Length of Stay: 5 months
Internship Details:
A unique blend of running a music festival for 5,000 guests/agriculture/biological research/woodsman skills/carpentry and event planning! Join our family for an extended stay in beautiful rural Maine and learn a wide variety of skills. We own and have operated an organic apple farm for ten years. However, now our ‘second’ job –running a music festival and nonprofit arts organization–is getting on the front burner instead, and the farm has been closed to the public. As we determine what the next phase of life will be for our 200 year old farm, (we still go there every month to tend apple trees, repair and maintain fences and irrigation, mow, fertilize, maintain buildings, pick available fruit, deal with brush and pests, etc), we maintain this property, while putting our focus on our new woodland property and festival. You will live on the farm in a rustic studio apartment for two with a gorgeous view of the mountains and orchards. You will work on the farm with us.
However–your primary work will be elsewhere. Our nonprofit arts organization recently purchased a gorgeous 30 acre riverfront property that we are transforming into campsites, trails, and rental cabins. Be there for year 1 where you will be an integral part of the system design. You will help us be creative to make the most of the space, building trails, clearing campsites, and researching the soil, plant life, and how to prevent erosion while maintaining riverfront access.
You will work with us throughout the year at both sites, and then in June, July and early August we will put together our biggest event of the year–The Ossipee Valley Music Festival–this 5,000 attendee festival is full of music, art, good food, yoga, and even has a well-tipped spot for you as a bartender! Build stages, write programs, organize volunteers, and be part of the ‘backbone’ of our 100+ person team that puts this event on each year. Afterwards we’ll take a well deserved break and then return in September for a smaller, agricultural focused festival featuring music, food trucks, and farmers (on the same property). You will learn a little bit about everything and get to be a vocal contributor to decision making!
Our long term plan is also to construct an apprentice cabin on the riverfront site for 2025 apprentices, you will get to be part of this process.
A large, multigenerational family and close group of friends ages from their 20s to their 70s, lots of big-personality animals, and a once in a lifetime experience await you in southern Maine, rural enough to feel like you’re in the woods, but only 5 min from a grocery store, and 45 minutes to Portland or North Conway, airports, etc.
You will do fun stuff, educational stuff, and ‘grunt work’, just like any job. 5 days a week to start, up to 6 days in June. From mid July to early August we work 7 days a week, and during our big festival we work 12 hours per day (four days), with a long break after the event is all cleaned up! We like to go to the river, get Thai food or see a show with the gang. You will be invited to family gatherings, craft nights, music jams, etc. or allowed to just walk in the woods or do yoga on the hilltop tent platform, up to you!
No prior experience is necessary, but we do have a questionnaire for you to fill out! Please email us to get one.
Estimated allocation of time:
Event planning/running of 5,000 person event: 50%
Carpentry & Woods Skills/Trail Building: 30%
Actual Orchard Work: 10%
Other: 10%
Educational Opportunities: You will learn a wide array of skills: learn about organic agriculture and taking care of young trees, soil biology etc. learn how to build a cabin, learn how to think about and design/install systems such as water, electric, and woods trails. Research how to prevent erosion on riverfront sites. Learn business skills, marketing skills, and how to run events for 5,000+ people, learn music!
Skills Desired: No specific experience is required. If you have experience working on a farm, volunteering for a festival, working on trail crew with a mountaineering club, or doing carpentry, that is a bonus. Physical fitness (ability to lift 50 lbs, or use a shovel and dig continuously) is required. We have a strong history of teaching women carpentry!
Meals: organic CSA
Stipend: yes--we offer $6,000 ($1,000/month), housing, and a CSA which provides enough vegetables and eggs for two people, plus bulk foods such as beans, rice, flour, etc. There are also several opportunities to bartend at events and make up to $250 per day at these events. You can pretty much bankroll all of your income which can be upwards of 7k.
Housing: yes--please note this is a studio loft (one open room plus a bathroom) you will be sharing with another person. Like a college dorm with a kitchen. You will need to be able to work with someone every day and then go home and hang with them at night and get along. We are a tight nit community.
Preferred method of Contact: email