Apply for a Summer 2024
Farm Collaborative Apprenticeship Today!
Farm Collaborative Apprenticeship
The Farm Collaborative has served Aspen and the greater Roaring Fork Valley with education programs, community events and a Farm Park for 15 years. In 2019, after receiving 14 additional acres from the City of Aspen, we started over an acre of vegetable production beds. With the help of two greenhouses we are able to push the potential of our harsh climate at 7,400 ft elevation. We rotationally graze sheep, hogs, and laying hens to increase the fertility and health of our pastures and produce meat and eggs.
In the production garden our season will primarly include 1) growing nursery starts for transplanting into production beds, 2) building/maintaining soil fertility for optimal growth of production crops, 3) propagating/transplanting/seeding annual row crops for market sale, 4) harvesting and packing annual row crops for market sale. Other activities may include helping with daily farm chores (including care of livestock), supporting education programming, and helping complete site wide projects. We will sell our produce and meat at the Aspen Farmers’ Market, and also through programs to Lift-Up food banks and Seniors Matters (for food insecure seniors).
Please check out our website at: thefarmcollaborative.org or on facebook at @farmcollaborativeaspen or instagram: @thefarmcollaborative
The Farm Collaborative Apprenticeship
Location: Cozy Point, Aspen, Colorado
Time Commitment: May/June through late October/early November, 4 days/week
Compensation: The stipend for this apprenticeship will be $900/month. A room & utilities at the farm, farm produce & some staple pantry foods are also provided. The farm housing is located on the farm at 220 Juniper Hill Rd, Aspen CO 81611
Application Deadline: Positions are open until filled.
Requirements:
No previous farming experience necessary
Strong, demonstrable work ethic
Curiosity, commitment to treating internship as learning experience
Flexibility, patience, and a positive attitude
Ability to safely and successfully perform manual labor in varying weather conditions at an altitude over 7,000ft
Interest in organic agriculture
Flexibility to do multiple on-farm tasks.
The apprentice must arrange their own transportation to the apprenticeship if not living in provided housing on-site.
The apprentice(s) will help the Agricultural Programs Manager and Campus Manager in all aspects of the garden including plant starting, garden planning, irrigation maintenance, trellis construction, plant care, weeding, harvesting, washing produce and preparing for storage, keeping updated records, public events and tours, helping to organize and facilitate volunteer days, preparing produce for markets, and staffing market booths. Apprentices are expected to learn quickly and perform work in a thorough and efficient manner. The work will be hard and some days will be long, apprentices will need to be team players in accomplishing daily tasks. Apprentices will also have the opportunity to learn animal husbandry, can take part in optional butchering days, daily chores feeding animals, as well as farm maintenance. If apprentices have specific interests we are able to tailor work sessions and discussions to those areas, including but not limited to business planning, crop planning, setting-up a farm, etc.
Application Instructions
Please attach a copy of your current resume which includes your education and employment history, as well as two references - one that can vouch for your positive attitude, work ethic, or any prior farming experience (an advisor or prior employer).
Additionally, please answer the following questions included below.
Please email completed applications to francesca@thefarmcollaborative.org. After receiving your completed application, if it is determined that you may be a good fit for the position, we will schedule a phone interview.
The Farm Collaborative - Apprentice Questions
Along with answering briefly the following questions, please send two references from jobs/internships in the last two years.
What would be your tentative start and end dates? What other obligations will you have during the growing season?
What inspired you to pursue a career in farming?
Why did you choose The Farm Collaborative/Seed Peace as a farming mentor and what do you expect to learn while you are with us?
What is your financial stability for the season? The apprenticeship provides a monthly stipend, farm grown and bulk food, housing, internet, and is designed as a learning exchange. Will you be financially stressed with this arrangement? How do you view the mentor and apprenticeship agreement?
At The Farm Collaborative/Seed Peace we know that every task on the farm, no matter how menial, tedious, or exhausting, must be done for our success. What mindset do you see as important to being effective at farming tasks?
Do you have any physical limitations or moral limits that would keep you from doing jobs such changing the oil in the tractor, building a shed, squatting, digging, hoeing, smashing bugs, weed eating, lifting, shoveling for sometimes hours at a time? Please disclose any physical or constitutional condition that would hinder your ability to do so.
What do you enjoy for recreation? What do you do in your spare time? We have functional cell service and wifi (with varying reliability), are these connections necessary in daily life for your happiness?
Do you partake in alcohol, cannabis or tobacco consumption and at what frequency? Please be honest. If you are of legal age then you are definitely not prevented from doing these things in your free time. That said, you are applying both for the apprenticeship and housing, and we’d like to avoid any major co-housing issues in advance.
What do you think is the hardest thing about a career and life of farming?
Please list any questions you may have about our farm and organization?
Thank you in advance for your time and thoughtful consideration to our application process. We look forward to learning about you as a potential agricultural apprentice.