Polyculture farm worker – Aurora Farms

Last Updated On: November 1st, 2023 at 01:46PM MST

Contact information
Farm Address:
652 No2 Schoolhouse Road
Friday Harbor , Washington, 98250

Primary Contact: Lori Ann David
Primary Phone:
    Type: Cell
    Number: 805-452-1397
    Email: farm@aurorafarms.org

Website: https://www.aurorafarms.org

Internship information
General Farm Description: Our 31 acre and 75 ac polyculture farms are set just outside the town of Friday Harbor, WA, on spectacular San Juan Island, in the Pacific Northwest, focusing on education and restorative agriculture, including: mixed vegetable production, flowers, orchards, sheep, poultry, cattle, goats and pigs; greenhouse growing year around. We also produce value-added products, teach agricultural business plan development and host farm-stays. The owner has over 4 decades of agricultural experience in all operations (and starting farming on Lopez Island in the 70's) and currently produces, inspires, and educates (travels thru the year) in other parts of the US, as well as lives on the land and oversees activities. She is a well known artist, designer, farmer, and educator, and is an integral part of the daily routine and education, and is partially retiring. Come and learn about different types of rotational grazing and fencing, multi-species grazing, our purebred, registered Boer goats, and Katahdin sheep, Berkshire pigs, and Wagyu and Angus cattle, as well at Scottish Highland-we love to creatively prepare our own and locally grown first source food and hope you do too.

CRAFT Member Farm? No

Internship Starts: anytime
Internship Ends: minimum commitment 6 months, refer 12 months
Number of Internship Available: 2-3
Application Deadline: until filled
Minimum Length of Stay: 6 mo

Internship Details:

40/week starting stipend based on experience level, plus furnished shared housing, utilities + internet and weekly food share of seasonal products;

Internship Curriculum The Internship Curriculum is based strongly on experiential in-the-field learning with the farm owners or experienced employees. There will also be time when you will be working on your own after showing proficiency at a task. Depending on the season the following topics will be covered, and not limited to:

the below is a sampling, but not limited to:

Compost

  • Basic components of compost
  • Benefits of compost for soil and plant health

Livestock

  • Rotational grazing of cattle
  • Electric fencing set up and maintenance
  • Fencing maintenance
  • Low stress stockmanship
  • Haylage production 
  • Benefits of overwintering off pasture
  • Pig handling and feeding
  • Beef and pork sales
  • On farm slaughter 
  • sheep/lambing/meat production

Market Garden

  • Seeding
  • Transplanting
  • Weed control
  • Drip irrigation
  • Harvesting
  • Strategies for low till, till, weed prevention 
  • Cover crops
  • Season extension/greenhouses/year around production

Marketing and Sales

  • Website management
  • Social Media
  • Invoicing 
  • Telling our story

Infrastructure and Maintenance  

  • Construction basics
  • Safe use of power tools including
    • Table saw
    • Chop saw
    • Skill saw

General Activity Calendar of the year: 

May-June

  • Compost production
  • Rotational grazing
  • Haylage production
  • seeding, transplanting, harvesting and weed control

June-October

  • Rotational grazing
  • On Farm slaughter
  • seeding, transplanting, harvesting and weed control; field and greenhouse production; marketing and sales

November-May

  • Compost production
  • Management of cattle in overwinter confinement
  • Winter garden management
  • Infrastructure maintenance and improvement projects
  • Pruning
  • Forestry

Intern Project:

Interns will be expected to engage in some kind of independent project. We will work with them to identify an interest that addresses a farm need. They will take on the research and implementation of the idea.  It could be anything from researching biochar kiln designs to taking a crop from seed to harvest, to implementing a tracking system, researching and implementing a pest management strategy, to engaging a new marketing strategy. 

Resources for study

The resources below are available to augment experiential learning.  There is an expectation that interns will watch a webinar, read a book or explore a resource page weekly.  We will engage them in discussion. Three of the starred books need to be read depending on the area of interest of the intern. suggestions below, but not limited to:

Books available in farm library

  • Add your favorite books here
  • Funding and policy
  • Marketing and business
  • Pasture based systems
  • Poultry Production 
  • Pork Production
  • Small Ruminants
  • Eorganic links to webinars, youtubes and conferences covering:

Candidate will also have a live video interview, fill out an employment application , and appropriate employment forms; have a valid drivers license; be or get in good physical shape and able to lift 40 lbs; have personal health insurance; sign an employment contract. 40/week work schedule includes 2, 1/2 days off and 1 full day; scheduled a week in advance coordinated with farm team. This is a committed work and educational experience.


Educational Opportunities: stated above

Skills Desired: communicative, honest, hard-working, genuinely interested in agricultural learning, committed to personal growth, willing to learn, willing to push thru to finish a task that is time sensitive, understanding the importance of food safety, understanding the importance of cleanliness, tidiness, and beauty, interested in nutrition and health. Willing to do the work that must be done.

Meals: no but weekly food share

Stipend: yes

Housing: yes

Preferred method of Contact: cell and email

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