Job Descriptions
Some, but not all, of the training interns at Indian Ridge will acquire will be in livestock management, vegetable production, CSA’s, food preparation and preservation, hoophouses and season extension, irrigation, farmers markets and marketing.
At Indian Ridge Farm, interns are involved in all aspects of the farm and work closely with each other and the farmers, Tony and Barclay. Farm work offers an incredibly rewarding and demanding work environment and life experience. Anyone with a serious interest in agriculture and the physical ability work long hours of a farming schedule will be considered. Please consider this commitment before applying. A typical weekly schedule follows:
Everyday Chores (Monday-Sunday): Morning and evening livestock chores including feeding and watering of pigs, layer hens and goats, moving pastured poultry pens, feeding and watering chicks in brooder, feeding and watering pastured birds, collecting and cleaning eggs, setting irrigation water, greenhouse watering and management, and garden work. Lock up and secure animals after dark.
Note: While housed in the main farm house, the bakery is run somewhat separably from the farm and bakers are hired, “off farm” employees. Interns may have some limited opportunities to work in the bakery.
Day-specific duties in addition to daily chores and garden work
Monday: field work including harvesting for Tuesday CSA distribution.
Tuesday: finish harvesting and set up for CSA distribution. Catch pastured birds in late afternoon for Wednesday processing.
Wednesday: After morning chores, all interns participate in butchering and packaging pastured poultry. Move new batch of chickens from brooder to pasture, prep brooder for next batch of baby chicks. We try to have a campfire/BBQ in the evening.
Thursday: garden and greenhouse work. Harvest for Friday CSA delivery boxes. Prep for Telluride Farmer’s market.
Friday: Depart for Telluride Farmer’s Market at 8:00. Deliveries to grocers and restaurants. Interns will rotate going to the market with Tony and Barclay once every three weeks. Those not going to market will finish chores, take in new baby chicks and prep for Saturday farm stand day and CSA distribution.
Saturday: CSA distribution and farm-stand day. Day ends at 12:30pm Everyone off until Monday morning. Livestock and irrigation chores are the responsibility of the farmers and interns once every five weekends (Saturday afternoon through Sunday evening.)
EMPLOYMENT DETAILS
Interns work full-time (40- 65 hours a week depending on the time of year and the weather) with our staff, for a six-month period beginning in April and ending in October.
Monday-Friday: 6:30 am – 6 pm, with 45 min. break for breakfast; and a lunch break/siesta from 1-3.
Saturday: 6:30-12:30 with a 45 min breakfast break.
MEALS
Responsibility for meals is shared Monday-Friday, with all the the interns taking a lunch to cook/clean up. The cook has one hour of preparation time for lunch on their cook day. The communal lunch is prepared and served in the farm house. Although most of our lunches are vegetarian, we cannot make special accommodations for strict vegetarian or vegan diets. Breakfast and dinner are the responsibility of the individual and is prepared in the interns communal kitchen inside the teepee. Interns are free to eat from the farm but may need to purchase their own grains, oil, cheese, etc. Some of the foods available to you are: eggs, vegetables, bread, chicken, granola and other baked goods and goats milk.
HOUSING
Interns each have their own living/sleeping area inside one of three furnished trailers. The kitchen and communal living room are inside a 24′ teepee equipped with a full fridge, gas burner, kitchen table, sofas etc. Interns have their own composting toilet and shower. Interns are asked to keep their living spaces clean and organized.
STIPEND
$600.00 per month ($150/week)
QUALIFICATIONS
Farming is a challenging pursuit. The successful candidates must be able to work hard, enjoy physical labor and be accustomed to early mornings. Previous experience with gardening and/or livestock a plus. We look for candidates who can take responsibility and be accountable for their actions. Following through and completing tasks essential. Clear-headedness and common sense are important. A sense of humor and willingness to have fun also doesn’t hurt. Applicants must have a valid driver’s license and be able to operate a stick shift, be able to lift 50 lbs, and must be comfortable butchering chickens and turkeys. The internship begins mid April and ends mid October.
Unfortunately, we cannot house partners or pets of interns on the farm.
THE HIRING PROCESS
Please fill out the online application. Also, one of your references MUST be a work-related former employer. If your qualifications meet our standards we will contact you to schedule a phone or on farm (preferred but almost always impossible) interview.
After 2 weeks we will meet with each intern to “check in” as to expectations on both the part of the farmers and the intern. The farm or the intern may end the employment at this time, or commit to the full season.
We hope to have the positions filled by March 1, 2011.
