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MOFGA Apprenticeship Farm Details:KEN-08 Location: Kennebec Valley - Kennebec County General Description: Long Meadow Farm is a small diverse certified organic farm. We have 1.5 acres of gardens, 20 acres pasture, 6 in woods. We use hand tools to grow vegetables, flowers, and medicinal herbs. We have Icelandic sheep, angora goats, chickens, and will have pigs this spring. We run a small CSA, sell at a Farmer’s Market, and have a farmstand on site. Growing good food for local people is what we like to do. Number of apprentices sought: 1-2 During what time period? April/May to Sept/Oct Describe the physical setting of your farm and the nature of the community in which you live (e.g., acreage, woods/fields, buildings, near town/remote area, recreation available, etc.): The farm is on 28 acres in a rural area of West Gardiner. There are approximately 1.5 acres of gardens, 10 acres of pasture, 10 acres of rough pasture and the rest is mixed hard and soft wood forest. Besides the main house, there is the apprentice house/CSA share room; garage/workshop/hayloft; sheep shed; greenhouses; and chicken house. We are five miles from Gardiner, 12 miles from Augusta, and 20 miles from Lewiston/Auburn. We are located near the Cold Stream and Cobbossee Stream for swimming, canoeing, and fishing. Describe your farm operation (e.g., livestock, crops, bees, herb, forestry work, greenhouse, orchards, building projects, haying, maple sugaring, meat processing, level of mechanization, products made, marketing, dairy, stock dogs, etc.): We have a small flock of Icelandic sheep (for wool, meat, and dairy), and will be adding pigs this spring. We have 48 laying hens for organic egg sales. We have young apple trees, hawthorn, elderberry, willow, and maple trees, which we tap in the winter/spring. Our gardens include strawberries, blueberries, asparagus, flowers, culinary and medicinal herbs, and many varieties of vegetables. Much of the garden is in permanent raised beds, and is drip irrigated. We raise almost all crops from seed. Last fall we constructed a 26’ x 96’ greenhouse for season extension. We use hand tools, including wheel hoes, broadfork, and scythes. We use a rototiller very sparingly and do not own a tractor. We dry flowers and herbs and make teas, salves, oils and tinctures. Other value-added products we sell include pesto, salsa, and dilly beans. We spin, knit, felt, and use natural dyes. We are vendors at the annual Fiber Frolic at the Windsor Fairgrounds. We have a small CSA operation and participate in a local Farmer’s Market. New this year will be a farmstand that we will have open 2 days a week. Also new will be the milking of our sheep for making yogurt and soap. Are all your crops organically grown? Yes Describe the work to be performed and the skills to be learned by an apprentice (e.g., care of livestock, planting, cultivation, harvesting, selling at market, use of equipment, carpentry, food preservation, woods-work, etc.). Please break the season (or months) into 4 major tasks to be performed during each. Watering and feeding livestock; broadforking and wheel hoeing garden areas; scything hay for chickens and mulch; planting and transplanting, watering, pest removal (handpicking); harvesting, preparing for and attending farmers markets, preparing shares for CSA customers; making value-added products such as salsa, pesto, and dilly beans, as well as canning and drying for winter food storage; building new raised beds; cutting, splitting and moving firewood (all living quarters are wood-heated only); putting up permanent fencing; building brush piles; laying of a nature trail, and establishing a permanent primitive camping site. What do you expect of an apprentice? (e.g., hours to be worked in a day, days to be worked in a week, heavy physical labor, time off, etc.): We expect a 5 day work week which would include at least one weekend day. We are willing to be very flexible about schedules. All kinds of work would be needed (see above) including heavy physical labor since we use hand-tools only. Explain how you intend to provide instruction and training to an apprentice (e.g., work along with the apprentice, demonstration, apprentice working alone, training "classes," reading to be done, extent of supervision by yourself or others, etc.): Instruction will be hands on as the tasks are needed. Work is done both alongside the farmer and alone. The apprentices are encouraged to attend MOFGA’s apprentice workshops, and we will bring them to special events such as Herbfest, Wildgatherings, and Common Ground Fair; we feel these events are an important part of the apprenticeship program. We have a good reference library that apprentices are encouraged to read from. We are very willing to teach skills such as spinning, knitting, and breadmaking. Are you a full-time farmer? No If not, describe what other occupation(s) you have: Michele works off the farm 20 hours a week. Denis works at home 20 hours a week. Do you require a prospective apprentices to visit your farm before a final arrangement is made? Yes Do you require a trial period? No Explain the room and board arrangements (e.g., would the apprentice live with the family, live apart but eat with the family, are there young children, what household duties would the apprentice share, are a vegetarian household, would you provide vegetarian meals, are there rules about smoking/drinking/drugs, are there any other important considerations?): Apprentices will live separately from the farmer. The apprentice quarters has electricity, telephone, fridge, and a wood cook stove, but no plumbing. Basic groceries will be provided, and apprentices are encouraged and will be taught to prepare food from what is available on the farm. Laundry facilities are provided. We are hoping to have at least two apprentices work with us this season, and would encourage couples to apply (with 1 child would be fine). We have no children living at home. Smoking is not allowed. No dogs, please. Describe yourself, your family, background, farming experience, philosophy, goals & interests: Denis is 61, Michele is 47, with a daughter, Anna, who is 21 and in college. We are hoping to farm full time within three years. Denis’ background is Catholic Irish-German; Michele’s is Catholic-French. Neither are religious, but we have strong beliefs about caring for the earth, raising healthy food, and not over-consuming. We have been farming/gardening for home use since the 1970s. Michele plays the fiddle in a contradance band, and acoustic instruments of all sorts are very welcome. Additional Info: Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association |