We have been offering farm apprenticeships since 2008. We are currently not working with apprentices but may offer apprenticeships again in the future.
We were both trained as apprentices on a number of MOFGA certified organic farms in the Northeast. We have experienced the rewards that a hands-on, “labor for learning” exchange can provide, and we feel committed to this model. We enjoy our roles as mentors and teachers, as we continue to develop our own farm. We feel our apprenticeship can offer a very comprehensive training due to the scale and diversity of the farm, as well as our commitment to train future farmers. For us, farming is both a challenging and viable means to make a living, and we enjoy sharing that enthusiasm.
We aim to share with apprentices all aspects of managing our farm. These skills include
reading a soil test and a soil map
managing covercrops as part of a vegetable rotation
integrating livestock into a vegetable rotation
reading farm financial statements, using Quickbooks and developing enterprise budgets
tractor maintenance and operation
tracking labor hours across multiple crops/tasks
harvesting firewood
greenhouse operations
transplanting, weeding and scouting for pests and diseases in vegetable crops
post harvest handling of all vegetable crops
marketing vegetables through various market streams
general animal husbandry (milking a cow, tending poultry for meat and eggs)
repairing and maintaining farm buildings/general carpentry skills
There is a lot to it! Our aim is to provide an experience to apprentices that will help them pursue their interests and answer questions about their farming path…wherever it may lead!
We were interviewed by farmer, author and podcast host, Chris Blanchard in 2017. You can listen to that interview here.
We are part of Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association's (MOFGA) well established apprenticeship program. If you are interested, please contact us directly or apply through MOFGA's Apprenticeship program.