Shakefork Community Farm
Last Updated On: November 25th, 2025 at 11:00AM MST
Contact information
Farm Address:7914 State Hwy 36
Carlotta, California, 95528
Primary Contact: Melanie Cunningham
Secondary Contact: Kevin Cunningham; please cc on all email correspondence, thank you!
Primary Phone:
Type: Cell
Number: 707-7498-3546
Email: shakeforkcommunityfarm@gmail.com
Secondary Phone
Type: Cell
Number: 707-834-5001
Email: kecunningham@gmail.com
Email: kecunningham@gmail.com
Website: http://www.shakeforkcommunityfarm.com
Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shakefork-Community-Farm/313956013611
Internship information
General Farm Description: Shakefork Community Farm is a regenerative, oxen-powered family farm in Humboldt County, California, closer to the Oregon border than to San Francisco. On our 85 acres along the Van Duzen River, we care for the land with intention, humility, and a genuine love of good food.About 6 acres are dedicated to intensive, low-till vegetable and berry production, including four high tunnels. We blend market-garden principles with thoughtful ecological design to grow high yields with a light footprint. Our cattle, laying hens, broilers, and turkeys rotate across 30 acres of pasture, guided by Holistic Management practices inspired by Allan Savory, UVE Hub, the Savory Institute, and other regenerative land stewards. Our work has been EOV-verified for five years.
The remaining acreage forms a wild riparian corridor along the Van Duzen, a tributary of the Eel River, California’s third-largest river system. Though we’re only 16 miles from the Pacific Ocean, our spot in Carlotta usually sits just beyond the reach of the coastal fog, giving us a unique microclimate for growing a diverse spread of crops.
We direct-market everything within 50 miles of the farm: CSA shares for up to 160 households (June–October), two farmers’ markets (one year-round), and deliveries to our local food hub, schools, food bank, and favorite restaurants. A defining feature of our farm is our hybrid human-and-oxen draft system. Our oxen shape and aerate beds, move all mobile livestock infrastructure, and serve as steady partners in much of our daily work. Apprentices spend significant time learning to work safely and confidently with our teams.
Self-reliance is woven into our farm culture. We raise much of our own food, mill our own lumber, make our own compost, and cherish the abundance from our family dairy. The skim and creamery by-products feed our poultry and pigs; the milk feeds our family and crew. Producing nutrient-dense food for ourselves, our farm-ily, and our wider community is core to why we farm.
At the same time, we are very much a production farm, earning our entire living from what we grow. The work is often fast-paced, dynamic, and demanding. A focused, observant, and reliable team is essential, and apprentices should expect days that are full, physical, and sometimes stressful, alongside moments of deep satisfaction and joy.
We farm with strictly organic practices and are currently transitioning to certified organic. Our approach prioritizes low-till methods, minimal soil disturbance, and building soil fertility from within the farm system itself. Our dairy animals and oxen play a major role in this closed-loop fertility cycle; we’re oxen-powered in more ways than one!
CRAFT Member Farm? No
Internship Starts: March 15th through December 14th. Please email with a brief letter of introduction, a bit about your farming journey and to request an application. We encourage an in person, 3 day working interview whenever possible. If doing so presents a hardship, we can discuss using multiple video calls as an alternative. If unable to visit in person, we will lean heavily on your professional references.
Internship Ends: Negotiable, but usually mid-December. Many folks stay on for multiple seasons. We encourage all apprentices / employees to take personal time during the OFF SEASON, December-February.
Number of Internship Available: 3 or 4. Applicants must demonstrate previous meaningful farming experience and at least 2 excellent references.
Application Deadline: Applications accepted until the final open position is filled. Please contact us for details. Applicants must be 20 years or older and have authorization to work in the U.S.
Minimum Length of Stay: 9-month, full season commitment preferred. Shorter term stays negotiable. We're open to a summer intern.
Internship Details:
Overview
Our apprenticeship is a hands-on, intensive training program for future farmers, regenerative land stewards, and aspiring land-based entrepreneurs. Through close daily mentoring, apprentices gain real-world skills across vegetable production, animal husbandry, oxen-powered draft work, and the business side of running a regenerative, diversified farm.
Let us be clear:
You will work harder than you have ever worked before (they all tell us that!).
AND—you will learn deeply, laugh often, grow immensely, and leave with skills and confidence that form a strong foundation for your farming journey.
Schedule & Workload
Expect to work 35–50 hours per week, averaging around 45 hours over the season.
- Lighter days in early spring and late fall
- Longer days under the bright sun of high summer
Main-season hours: Usually 8am–5pm, 5 days a week, with a one-hour lunch. Apprentices typically work weekends.
This is a production farm. Our work is dynamic, physical, fast-paced, and at times stressful. It is also incredibly rewarding. We value high-performing individuals with true passion. We hold ourselves and our crew to high standards and we take pride in producing excellent food for our community.
What Apprentices Do
Livestock & Pasture Work
Apprentices work closely with all our livestock, including oxen teams, cattle, layers, broilers, turkeys, livestock guardian dogs, and occasionally pigs. Training includes:
- Daily livestock care: feeding, watering, bedding, and daily pasture moves
- Setting up and maintaining electric fencing for cattle and poultry
- Learning safe handling and basic teamster skills with the oxen
- Participating in chicken slaughter, butchering, and packaging for sale
- Collecting and packing eggs
- Irrigation management for pastures and livestock areas
- Observing grassland dynamics and learning principles of planned grazing
Vegetable, Berry & High-Tunnel Production
Apprentices participate in the full cycle of crop production, including:
- Sowing seeds in the propagation house and up-potting as needed
- Succession planting strategies and crop planning
- Bed amending and preparation (often with oxen-powered equipment)
- Transplanting and direct seeding
- Irrigation setup, monitoring, and maintenance
- Weeding, cultivation, and general crop care
- Trellising and pruning high tunnel crops
- Harvesting and high-quality wash/pack procedures
- Packing CSA boxes and preparing for markets
- Customer service and occasional direct customer interactions
- Cleaning, organizing, and maintaining farm facilities
- Practicing low-till and regenerative techniques, including occultation
- Using and maintaining hand tools and farm equipment, including our BCS walk-behind tractor and Red Dragon flame weeder
Oxen & Draft Power Work
Working with our oxen teams is central to this apprenticeship. Apprentices learn:
- Safe, respectful handling around large draft animals
- Fundamentals of working with a team
- Assisting with bed shaping, aeration, and other field tasks
- Using oxen to move mobile livestock structures
- Integrating draft power into a regenerative farming system with minimal tractor use
Education & Mentorship
Throughout the season, apprentices receive structured and informal training in:
- Regenerative vegetable and berry production
- Pasture-based livestock systems
- Holistic Management and decision-making frameworks
- Low-till and soil-building practices
- Composting, fertility management, and closed-loop systems
- Oxen handling and draft power techniques
- CSA management and communications
- Farm business fundamentals:
- profit & loss statement
- enterprise budgeting
- record keeping
- financial management
- marketing and customer relationships
- production planning
- writing CSA newsletters and member updates
Past apprentices consistently praise the thoroughness of our training and the professionalism of our operation. If you’re committed, curious, and ready to work hard, you will leave with highly transferable skills for your own farming future.
What We’re Looking For
- Strong work ethic and reliability
- Physical fitness and healthy lifestyle
- A cheerful disposition and great attitude
- Ability to lift 40–50 lbs regularly
- Comfort working with large animals and poultry
- Capacity to work in all weather
- Willingness to do repetitive tasks with care
- Openness to feedback, learning, and high standards
- Ability to work both independently and on a team
TESTIMONIALS:
From Christopher, a 2023 apprentice: “I will never forget my apprenticeship at Shakefork. A peak life experience for sure – never felt healthier, stronger or more at peace. It also stands out as one of the most mentally and physically demanding experiences I’ve ever faced.
Not only did I leave with a well rounded set of hard farm skills, but more importantly the unanticipated soft skills of observation, independent problem solving, positive attitude, conflict resolution and commitment, which will have a ripple effect on every aspect of my life. I also left with a clearer vision of what kind of farming lifestyle I hope to cultivate in the future.
And best of all, I forged livelong connections with people I will never forget.”
From Colleen, 2018 apprentice: “I speak very highly of my time at Shakefork, and y’all as incredible mentors! So much of what I learned from you has shaped and informed my dreams for my future farm and plans to steward whatever piece land I will be blessed to work.”
From Gregg, a 2018 apprentice: “This year has been so transformative for me in many, many ways. I learned so much, not only about farming but how to live in and contribute to a community and what it means for me to live a good life, to feel at home somewhere. I’ve given a lot of myself to the farm, but I am grateful, so grateful, for how much you give back to the community and to the crew in teaching and growing a group of younger farmers. It’s been a life altering experience for certain. I know I will draw on this experience for a lot of years.” (Gregg is now farming @ Red Cedar Farm and attends the Arcata Plaza Market in Humboldt County.)
From Ashley, a 2013 apprentice: “One of my best years of living in my life.”
Educational Opportunities: Apprentices are exposed to farm knowledge, our network and expertise through engaging in the daily life of our farming community. We regularly host workshops and gatherings, farm tours and educational opportunities, all of which apprentices are invited to participate in. The work at Shakefork Community Farm is incredibly diverse due to the wide scope of our operation. There is a seasonal rhythm to our work and you can expect daily tasks to vary from day to day, week to week and throughout the season. Lively lunchtime discussions cover a range of topics, from the philosophical to the practical. Opportunities for group readings and outings to other area farms are available and encouraged, depending on the interests and initiative shown by each year’s crew. In recent years we have toured a mushroom facility, commercial regenerative dairies, other CSA farms, and more. In the slower winter months we offer workshops on the behind the scenes of farming: production planning, enterprise budgeting, financial review, Quickbooks, email marketing and more. Bring your enthusiasm and questions... we love to share what we know!
Skills Desired: Who This Apprenticeship Is For? This program is a great fit for people who: -Want to farm for real, not just try it, but build the skills and stamina for a future in agriculture, land stewardship, or land-based entrepreneurship. -Love working hard and find satisfaction in physical, outdoor, full-body work. -Are excited about livestock, draft animals, regenerative systems, soil health, and good food. -Are comfortable working with large animals (or are eager to learn with humility and caution). -Want honest feedback, hands-on learning, and clear standards to grow their skills. -Value professionalism, reliability, and learning to do things well, not just getting them done. -Are comfortable being uncomfortable. -Can handle long days, early mornings, repetition, and the demands of a production farm. -Have a genuine desire to work as part of a team and contribute meaningfully to a shared mission. -Are curious, observant, and interested in the why behind farming decisions. -Thrive in environments where initiative and communication matter. -Want access to a deeply educational experience that includes business training, draft-power exposure, livestock processing, CSA management, and regenerative crop production. If you dream of running your own farm one day - or playing a strong role in someone else’s - this program gives you a solid, real-world foundation. Who This Apprenticeship Is Not For? This program is not a good fit for people who: -Want a light, romantic, or hobby-style farm experience. -Are more interested in "just being" than doing. -Are primarily seeking a rural lifestyle getaway or a back-to-the-land retreat. -Are not ready for physically demanding work in all weather (rain, heat, mud, cold). -Are uncomfortable with livestock processing, including chicken slaughter and butchering. -Prefer slow, quiet, or low-intensity work environments. -Struggle with early mornings, repetitive tasks, or days that require stamina and focus. -Are resistant to feedback or uncomfortable with high expectations. -Do not want to work with large animals (oxen, cattle) or are not willing to learn safe handling. -Have difficulty working within a team structure where communication and reliability matter. -Are not sure whether they want to farm; this program is intensive and best suited for those who are committed or seriously exploring a farming career.
Meals: We eat primarily from the foods that we grow on the farm and provide for almost all of our own meat, vegetable, dairy and fat needs. We encourage apprentices to truly embrace what it means to eat what’s in season, from the farm. Apprentices will participate in our communal lunch rotation, cooking for a group that often includes volunteers, employees and visitors. Apprentices prepare their own breakfasts and dinners. We purchase INGREDIENTS not grown on the farm at our local Co-op or from other local farmers. This includes things like coffee, tea, spices, olive oil, condiments, grains & legumes; flours, lemons, coconut milk, etc. Non-staples and processed foods must be purchased independently. Your enthusiasm for the kitchen arts and real food will serve you well here. The enjoyment of food is central to our vision of a sustainable farm life, so we make time to prepare good food, by hand, fresh from the farm. Apprentices are encouraged to use their cooking time to develop skills working with farm-based, nutrient-dense ingredients. We make kraut, pickles, bone broth, sausage, jerky, bacon, butter and ghee, among other things, for use on the farm. Farmers Melanie and Kevin are advocates of an ancestral diet, and Kevin is strictly gluten free. While we respect all food choices, we cannot accommodate vegetarians or vegans on our regenerative farm.
Stipend: $1500 at successful completion of 8 week training & onboarding program. After that, $17 hourly for the remainder of the season with a full season commitment. 8 hour weekly work trade for food & housing (1 of 5 days). Our application process includes the following: brief letter of introduction; completed application (request by email); current resume; at least one professional reference, preferably farm related (more welcome); follow up interview via Google Meet; review job description; a 3-day working interview. It's a time consuming process, and we appreciate serious applicants only. Thank you for engaging this process thoughtfully and professionally. $500 security deposit retained from first stipend and returned in full in cash when your housing is fully cleaned at the end of the season.
Housing: Expect clean, simple, and rustic. Apprentices each have a 200 sq. ft. yome (a cross between a yurt and a dome – see redskyshelters.com or our website for details) to call home for the season. They are beautiful structures - like glamping - and fully furnished except bedding (you bring your own!). Solar power feeds one light and one outlet per yome. Each yome has a small wood stove, and apprentices are expected to participate in the work of preparing their own wood supply. An outdoor communal kitchen space is equipped with a sink, gas range, and fridge & freezer, as well as all the basic kitchen stuff – cast iron pots, stainless steel pans, baking pans, food processor, plates, bowls, knives, etc. We even have an ice cream maker! Other amenities include a composting toilet, outdoor shower house and shared laundry facilities (inside the farmers’ home). Cell phone reception can be spotty depending on your carrier, but we have a landline for daytime use. Wi-Fi is available. A personal vehicle is required. We are a strictly non-smoking farm and do not permit tobacco or cannabis use of any kind on the farm property. Full refundable $500 security deposit required. Proof of health insurance is required.
Preferred method of Contact: Email
