Summer Farm Worker – Chewonki Foundation
Last Updated On: January 31st, 2024 at 07:17AM MST
Contact information
Farm Address:485 Chewonki Neck Road
Wiscasset, Maine, 04578
Primary Contact: Jeremy Aines
Primary Phone:
Type: Cell
Number: (207) 656-5865
Email: jaines@chewonki.org
Website: https://www.chewonki.org
Internship information
General Farm Description: The Chewonki Farm, on Chewonki’s Wiscasset property, is a small and diversified saltmarsh farm; its primary goal is to educate program participants while producing food, firewood, and fiber for our campus community. There are approximately 26 acres of open land; one acre is cultivated for vegetable gardens, and 25 acres are pasture and hay fields. The managed woodlot is approximately 150 acres. We raise livestock for meat, eggs, and fiber. The farm keeps a small herd of beef cows and a flock breeding ewes that produces lambs for meat each spring. We raise around 100 laying hens, free-ranging most of the year. Up to four hundred broilers and 12 turkeys are pasture-pen raised in the late summer/fall. Two batches of two to eight pigs are raised annually for meat. Education is central to Chewonki’s mission statement and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) statement: any individual that works on the farm must consider themselves a teacher as well as a farmer. Because our working farm is the context for our education rather than a traditional classroom setting, the farm crew needs to be comfortable and adept with teaching as they work alongside students and program staff. Education about farm and food systems happens both formally and informally at Chewonki and may be grounded in a work experience, a classroom experience, and/or a food preparation and dining experience. Our primary approach to education on the farm is to integrate young people into meaningful production systems. Additionally, we articulate the “why” behind our systems and build context for how our approach to work and land management fits into the broader scope of farm and food systems nationally and globally. Because the farm acts as a support department to all Chewonki programs, farmers work with young people ages 7 to 18, creating developmentally appropriate and program-specific farm intersections that complement and further a participant’s broader Chewonki experience.CRAFT Member Farm? No
Internship Starts: Monday 6/3/2024
Internship Ends: Friday 8/16/2024
Number of Internship Available: 4
Application Deadline: Monday 2/16/2024
Minimum Length of Stay: n/a
Internship Details:
Chewonki Foundation is seeking Summer Farm Workers to support the overall farm operations and help integrate summer Camp Chewonki participants into the daily functions of the farm! If you’re passionate about education, leadership, animals and making a difference in the lives of all ages, especially children, this seasonal opportunity awaits you!
Summer Farm Workers support the overall farm operations at Chewonki, including garden and pasture management and animal husbandry. Summer Farm Workers help to integrate summer Camp Chewonki participants into the daily functions of the farm.
- Location: Wiscasset, Maine (On Campus, in-person)
- Reports to: Farm and Woodlot Manager
- Permanent/Temporary: Temporary (Seasonal)
Summer Farm Workers:
- Help with tasks necessary for the production of crops and care of livestock
- Help with maintenance and care of pasture and harvesting of hay
- During the Camp Chewonki season, integrate campers into various work projects and tasks on the farm
All Chewonki Farm Crew:
- Thoughtfully prioritize within interconnected systems and a full, physical season
- Recognize and celebrate the farm’s historical context and have the flexibility to grow and adapt systems based in that context
- Act as facilitators of Chewonki’s food system
- Make mission-driven decisions
- Share the workload and responsibilities equitably
- Balance production and education within the farm context
- Work with intention to build a thriving crew culture
- Community Responsibilities
- Work to honor and uphold the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and a lens of anti-racism in the best interest of participants, constituents, and staff across the organization
- A willingness to work as a team member among the Farm and Camp Program and the greater Chewonki community.
- Work on the Chewonki campus and share meals with the community.
- Contribute to and collaborate with the Chewonki community through committees and foundation wide events.
- Share the collective responsibility within risk management (physical, behavioral, institutional, etc.) by:
- Using sound judgment.
- Operating within your skill set and Chewonki protocols.
- Responding to and/ or alerting the appropriate person(s) when you see something that may compromise safety.
- Assume other responsibilities as needed
Daily Farm Schedule:
Chores to care for livestock are done at the beginning and end of every day throughout the year. Farmers (year-round and seasonal crew members) are expected to be present for morning chores beginning around 6:00 am through afternoon chores beginning at approximately 4:00 pm. We alternate holding morning chore responsibilities; if an individual is not assigned to morning chores on a given day, their workday starts at 8:00 am. The bulk of the summer work day (between morning and afternoon chores) is spent working in gardens and on pasture, sometimes with Camp Chewonki participants. Usually, our workday is between nine to ten hours daily, five days a week, and can be more during certain seasons. Each farmer is responsible for weekend chore responsibilities in a regular and scheduled rotation; generally, an individual farm crew member works one weekend per month.
Required Skills/Experience/Abilities of the Summer Farm Workers:
- At least 17 years of age
- Interest in education-based, diversified farming
- Ability to work long hours in a physically demanding setting
- Good communication skills
- Willingness to responsibly live and work in a small community
- Ability to lift up to 50 pounds
- Must pass a criminal background check
IMPORTANT DATES AND COMPENSATION
Arrive at Chewonki: Sunday, June 2
Orientation: Monday, June 3
Last day of work: Friday, August 16
Move out deadline: Sunday, August 18
Incentives include: travel stipend, room & board (shared housing with other Summer Farm Workers), and a $200 Refer-a-Friend bonus. Academic internship credit is possible.
TO APPLY
All applications are due by 11:59 pm on Monday, February 26. Please include a resume and cover letter with your application. The hiring committee will begin to assess the applicant pool in late February.
Educational Opportunities: Yes! Educational opportunities abound here on our farm and within the greater community.
Skills Desired: No
Meals: Yes
Stipend: Yes
Housing: Yes, there is shared housing for all four summer farm workers
Preferred method of Contact: Email