Sweet Union Farm Apprentice

Last Updated On: February 18th, 2025 at 08:41AM MST

Contact information

Farm Address:
Rogue Farm Corps, Satellite Farm Location
Klamath Falls, Oregon, 97603

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

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

Website: https://www.sweetunionfarm.com

Internship information

General Farm Description: At Sweet Union Farm, we believe that vegetables are beautiful, land is to be respected and community is our strength. We are passionate about growing the highest quality vegetables for our community and making them accessible to everyone. We seek balance, intentionality and excellence in all we do ecologically, socially and economically. Katie Swanson has been farming for 10 years and just completed her eighth season owning/operating Sweet Union Farm. Sweet Union’s farm Enterprises are diversified vegetables. Our sales outlets include Farmer's market, restaurants, farm-to-school and the local food hub Klamath Grown. Sweet Union is a very intensively managed and productive small farm. Sustainability is a top priority in making this farm healthy for all the species that live here, emphasizing diversity, soil-building, and water saving. Sweet Union Farm sits on the occupied land of the Klamath and Modoc tribes who cared for this beautiful place since time immemorial. Currently, what the community refers to as “The Tribes” are the Klamath, Modoc and Yahooskin tribes which are headquartered about 25 minutes north of the farm. Since federal recognition was restored in the 80s, The Tribes have been doing incredible community-building work, leading public health and environmental efforts that make Klamath Falls a better place to live. I, Katie Swanson, have been farming for 10 years and just completed my eighth season owning/operating Sweet Union Farm. I’ve lived in Oregon her whole life, growing up in Gresham and Boring. My husband and I live in our home on the farm. We just had our first child, John River, born August 2024. The Farm is about 10 minutes southeast of the metro area of Klamath Falls. The property is 7.5 acres total with about 1 acre in vegetable production and the rest is a mix of pasture, outbuildings, a home garden, irrigation pond and riparian habitat along the river. Our property is surrounded by a mix of similar sized hobby farms and a few much larger farm operations with hills in the distance and the Lost River running alongside the north edge. It’s very peaceful with lots of birds but is also very close to town. Klamath Falls is a small city of about 45,000 people and the county seat for Klamath County, which has a population of about 70,000. Klamath has a small town feel, but because it’s the city center for a remote region, it has an energy to it with lots of great small businesses. It’s surrounded partially by wide open spaces of agricultural land (mainly hay, grain, potatoes, cattle, horseradish, garlic, etc.) as well as lakes, mountains and forests which provide endless outdoor recreation. It’s a mountain biking destination and the lakes provide lots of opportunities for canoeing, sailing, kayaking, SUP, etc. Crater Lake National Park is about an hour away to the north and the Lava Beds National Monument is 45 minutes to the south. The wide open skies make for some great sunsets and the high desert climate means lots of dry, sunny days. Klamath Falls is definitely experiencing an increase in population; some people like to say we’re the next Bend, but I like to think our grit gives us our own, unique character. Living in a dry, drought-prone climate, water-saving efficiencies have become more and more of a focus every year on the farm. One of the main focuses is increasing the water-holding capacity of the soil through building organic matter with cover crops and compost and minimal tillage techniques. We use compost, cover crops and natural fertilizers to build the soil and are working to mitigate the compaction that has occurred due to the practices of previous owners. We do a mix of hand work and mechanized with the tractor and BCS. We transplant by hand as well as use the Paperpot transplanter and use a jang seeder for direct seeding. We use tarps to suppress weeds and break down old crops. Drip tape is mostly used for irrigation, plus some overhead (micro sprinklers and handlines) for specific uses. We have one unheated high tunnel and are building another minimally heated tunnel this winter. A few other production methods we use are crop rotation, planting hedgerows and borders of pollinator-friendly flowers and herbs, interplanting, natural fertilizers and various Integrated Pest Management techniques. We are always experimenting and trying new things. Pigs are raised on pasture and get lots of farm scraps. About Katie: Katie believes growing good food and making it accessible while taking care of the land is the best thing she can do for her community. Besides farming, Katie loves to be with her family, paddle on the water (canoe, kayak, SUP), search for wildflowers, camp, cross country ski, drink tea and cuddle with Kitty Ben. Katie did not grow up farming, but always had a garden and some animals. She taught high school for five years, but fell in love with farming thanks to the thriving women-led small farm scene in the Portland area. She worked on a few different farms, including WWOOFing in Peru and working at 47th Avenue Farm in Portland. Katie started Sweet Union Farm in 2016 on one of the busiest roads in Klamath while working at Blue Zones Project as a food systems manager. Starting on about a quarter acre, she grew over 100 varieties of vegetables for CSA and restaurant customers and slowly expanded by leasing land. In the winter between the 2021 and 2022 season, she and Dallas were fortunate enough to move to their current property. During the 2022 season on the new property, Katie scaled down, got to know the land and built infrastructure, then re-started full farm operations again in 2023. Katie also co-founded and is heavily involved in Klamath Grown, a non-profit food hub that aims to build a strong and equitable local and regional food system.

CRAFT Member Farm? No

Internship Starts: May
Internship Ends: November
Number of Internship Available: 2 PART TIME (24-32 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 knowledge and the food system.
7-10 farm tours which showcase practical skills and individual farmers’ stories, as well as 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 farmers. Scholarships are available.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Apprenticeship applications are accepted on the Rogue Farm Corps website on a rolling basis until positions are filled (usually by early-mid March), but early applications are considered first. Approved applications are passed onto the host farmer. Sweet Union will decide which applicants to interview and offer placements to.

Rogue Farm Corps seeks to train an inclusive next generation of farmers and encourages applicants of all backgrounds and identities to apply.
Applications. https://www.roguefarmcorps.org/apprenticeship

Educational Opportunities: For the 2025 season, The crew will mostly consist of myself plus two part-time RFC Apprentices. There may be one other part-time employee that runs the farmers market booth. The Apprentice will gain experience in annual vegetable production in the following ways: flipping and prepping beds (hand tools, tarps & BCS), direct seeding (Jang), transplanting (by hand & Paperpot), greenhouse seeding, cultivation and weed management, season extension techniques, irrigation, harvest, wash & pack. Tractor training can be discussed, although this is typically reserved for one crew member per season who has at least one season on the farm. Apprentices will learn about the various sales outlets and have opportunities to work the farmers market booth. There may also be opportunities to work on other projects around the property, such as managing and expanding the native plant hedgerows and riparian habitat. We will also have a few sheep that they can help take care of. Additionally, there will be opportunities to learn about the back end of farming and how we manage the business. We also typically host a few field trips every year, so the Apprentice can learn how to lead a class field trip on the farm. If the apprentice has another particular area of interest, I will do my best to arrange the schedule so that they can participate in that aspect of the farm. In addition to farm work and farm business management, the Apprentice will have the opportunity to learn about community food systems work and how to develop partnerships in order to increase access to produce. Katie is the co-founder of the local food hub, Klamath Grown, so there is ample opportunity to get involved in that work. The specifics of the schedule for 2025 are still being worked out. The days per week may vary between 3-4. The average day is 8 hours, although it can range from 6-10 hours depending on a variety of factors. All state laws regarding breaks and lunch are observed. The Apprentice is expected to be able to do physical work in all types of weather and be on their feet for the hours described above with the ability to lift 40 pounds repeatedly. Provided training, the ability to operate equipment such as the BCS is important as well as other hand tools used on the farm. More than anything, a positive attitude, willingness to learn and ask questions, and open communication would be expected of the apprentice. Beyond the on-farm communication, the Apprentice would be expected to communicate kindly and clearly to customers. We tend to utilize the “I do, we do, you do” format where we show the mentee how to do a task then do it with them providing feedback and answering questions. Once it feels like they have the hang of it, we give them space and do something else then come back to check in to see if they have any questions. At the beginning of the season we would expect to be doing more tasks side by side and as they learn more and fewer tasks are new, they would work more independently. We typically have a weekly check-in and review the plan with the whole crew once a week, plus daily morning check-ins to clarify who is doing what and to provide any explanations. A lot of discussions and mentoring naturally happen while we are working, but Katie also schedules individual check-ins with each staff member at least 2-3 times per season to discuss how they are doing physically, mentally and emotionally on the farm. These will also be times to touch base on what they are learning to make sure their goals are being met. The Apprentice would have access to the farm library of 20+ farming books. Plus, we will inevitably share online resources with each other, podcasts, watch videos, etc. which would fuel great discussions in the field. I also recognize that people come from a diversity of backgrounds with different communication and learning styles, so I would ask them about their preferences at the beginning of the season and adjust accordingly. The apprentice is also welcome and encouraged to take on a project of their own on the farm. Once they arrive and get a feel for the place, we can talk about their ideas, see how they fit into the existing farm systems and discuss how to best support their project.

Skills Desired: At least one season of agricultural experience is preferred but not required. Most important is experience doing physical labor outdoors. Strong communication skills, ability to self-advocate and communicate needs Ability to work efficiently and consistently with others and independently Ability to follow instructions, open to constructive feedback Positive attitude and ability to have a good time while being productive. Learner mindset, asks questions and shares ideas from own experience. Observant, attention to detail and takes initiative to fill needs or solve problems Strong work ethic, desire to do high quality work Ability to do physical work in all weather Provided training, ability to operate hand tools and equipment, including the BCS. Ability to lift 40 pounds repeatedly Clean drivers license and reliable vehicle to get to work on time An in-person visit is preferable, but if that is not possible, we can work around that.

Meals: Access to lots of farm veggies

Stipend: $17/hr $150 equipment stipend after 60 days, Reimbursement of RFC Apprenticeship distanced fee if/when season completed

Housing: No On-Farm Housing Offered.

Preferred method of Contact: email