Marble Mountain Farm a small-scale diversified certified organic family operation centered around a 4 acre vegetable farm located on 27 beautiful acres surrounded by National Forest. We are offering a full-time educational internship for the 2020 season from March-November. This is a hands on experience with opportunities to learn a multitude of skills, ranging from greenhouse propagation, pruning, and seed saving to field prep, harvesting, and retailing, to small motor and chainsaw experience.
We are focused on producing high-quality, delicious, vibrant food from seed to table. Interns work closely with the farmers to maintain a complex and dynamic farm. This is a full-time immersive experience in every step of maintaining an annual vegetable farm, from tilling the field in the spring through sowing cover crop in the fall, growing the starts in the greenhouse to selling the resulting vegetables at market. This internship opportunity is aimed at people who are looking to build the foundational skills necessary to operate a diverse small-scale organic farm. Ideal candidates will have integrity, great attention to detail, stamina and strength, and problem-solving abilities.
Our operation hinges on annual vegetable sales. We sell retail at farmer's markets and wholesale to local grocery stores and restaurants. One aspect of the internship will be focused on harvesting, packing and transporting produce to farmer's markets and stores. You will learn to set up, run, and break down a farmer's market booth, interact with customers, price produce, and keep invoices.
Another large aspect of the internship deals with planting and field maintenance. Tasks range from seed-sowing in the greenhouse to field preparation, bed-making, transplanting and cultivating. Interns should expect to perform a full range of jobs required to provide an abundance of food for farmers markets and retail locations. We teach the importance of record-keeping and encourage interns to keep their own journals. They can prove invaluable in future years.
On a smaller scale we prune our own fruit trees and maintain perennial gardens. We manage wooded areas of the property to select for certain tree-types and woodland plants. These permaculture-based aspects factor into our farming and the education an intern receives. We also produce value-added products. We are rurally located and off-the-grid so there will be opportunities to see and learn about alternative power sources and waterline maintenance.
The farm is located on a major tributary of the Klamath River with beautiful swimming holes and waterfalls. We're in the foothills of the Marble Mountains and the PCT is accessible from many trailheads. This is an idea area for hiking, swimming, rafting, fishing and Bigfoot sightings. The local town is about 20 minutes away and has basic services, including a grocery store, library, auto-parts store and mechanic. It's also home to a non-profit art center that hosts events.
We are looking for self-motivated individuals able to work independently and with others.
Interns need to show an attention to detail, care with plants and animals, flexibility and patience, and an ability to work efficiently.
A family-friendly environment is maintained at all times.
You must be able to work full days in all weather and lift at least 50lbs to waist level.
A valid drivers license is necessary and independent transportation is usually necessary as well.
Interns must be able to commit fully to the farm for an agreed upon time period and preference will be given to people willing to commit for the full season.
Experience doing manual labor, especially working with wheel barrows and hand tools like hoes and shovels, small machines like weed wackers and leaf blowers is preferred.
Knowledge and experience with organic and natural farming, permaculture techniques, market farming and/or food security are not essential but provide a strong base to build from.
To apply, send an email to marblemountainfarm@gmail.com and include a current resume with relevant details about yourself, your work experience and education, and any training or relevant skills.