We require a commitment for the full season, April 1 to Thanksgiving. We may have winter opportunities for those who have worked the full season.

Frith Farm is on 5 open acres on a quiet road in Scarborough. We also have 35 acres of forest, with another 35 acres of protected woods abutting. Scarborough is a rapidly growing area, with easy access to urban amenities while still bordering rural communities. We are fifteen minutes from downtown Portland, five minutes from the beach, and less than an hour from New Hampshire, though it is easy to forget all this while on the farm.

We sell through a 250-member CSA, three local natural food stores, an on-farm Saturday market, and an on-farm store. We grow 3 acres of mixed vegetables, herbs, flowers, and perennials. We focus on the life of the soil as the basis of health in our plants, animals, and ourselves. As of 2020, we are no longer raising livestock commercially. We grow vegetables without tillage and do almost all field work by hand. We recently built a timber frame building that includes a farm store and commercial kitchen where we are experimenting with value added products. We believe the farm’s economic health is part and parcel with its ecological integrity and its active role in the community.

Yes, we are certified Organic by MOFGA, and we exceed the organic standards in a number of ways, such as engaging in no-till farming and avoiding all organic pesticides.

April-May: 

• Gathering/cutting/splitting/stacking firewood and clearing brush
• Seed starting in soil blocks
• Field preparation, including raking mulch, broadforking, and crimping cover crop
• Transplanting by hand

June-September:

• Trellising cucumbers and tomatoes
• Weeding, by hand and with a variety of hand tools
• Harvesting, washing, and packing of vegetables
• Attending farmers market

October-November:

• Harvesting and storing of root crops for winter
• Planting garlic
• Mulching beds for winter

At least six consecutive months of outdoor physical work experience.

Daily work varies with the season, but averages 40 hours a week or less. Apprentices work 5 days per week, taking turns with weekends on to harvest and help out at market. We do almost all work by hand, so physical labor can be heavy and frequent. Each apprentice gets an extra three days off for the season, after which any additional days will reduce the monthly stipend proportionately. We look for a level of interest and enthusiasm that makes work on the farm fun for all involved.

Training is generally done by demonstration followed by working alongside each other. Once a farm job is learned and understood, apprentices rotate through management roles throughout the season, so are responsible for training and managing each other, with Daniel present for support as needed. This horizontal management model has been a unifying and empowering labor structure so far at Frith. One afternoon a week is devoted to apprentice education that does not include any farm productivity. Topics vary according to the season and the interests of apprentices.  Participation in MOFGA’s Farm Training Projects and other events is strongly encouraged, and time off is given as needed.

Yes

Daniel works full-time covering the planning, ordering, marketing, and administrative duties of the farm, and also help with all other aspects of farm work as time allows. After the initial training period, Daniel rarely works entire days with the crew as he often gets called away by his other duties.

Housing and food from the farm are provided, along with a monthly stipend of $1,000 per month. In addition, each apprentice gets $200/month credit to spend in our on-farm store, and unlimited produce that isn’t earmarked for sale.

Yes, On-farm

Apprentices each have their own bedroom, with shared kitchens and bathrooms. Some live in the 200-year-old farmhouse and some in canvas wall tents on wooden platforms at the edge of our woods. Apprentices eat as many cosmetically-imperfect vegetables as they please, and can use their $200 monthly farm credit to buy eggs, dairy, meat, and grocery items from our on-farm store. Smoking is not allowed anywhere on the farm. There are also no pets allowed. Apprentices are asked to be respectful of the space and each other when it comes to alcohol, noise, and use of profanity in the house and on the farm. There is one official community meal each week that we take turns preparing, and often apprentices choose to cook communally more often throughout the week.

We strongly prefer a farm visit, but are flexible in cases where travel is not feasible. We do not offer or require a trial period, as we hope each apprentice understands the arrangement and the conditions on the farm before committing to a season. We do our best to get to know everyone during the application process to ensure a good fit.

Training happens through verbal and written description and through physical demonstration. Work is usually done in pairs or groups, so quick and easy feedback is the norm. Daily crew meetings and weekly educational sessions provide regular opportunity for feedback and improvement. Disciplinary action has never been necessary, but if it were it would be surrounded by lots of communication.

I (Daniel) grew up in Chester County, Pennsylvania, where I attended Waldorf and Quaker schools. I studied math and physics in college, taught at a boarding school in California, bicycled through Mexico, and earned a graduate degree in environmental engineering before getting serious about farming. I believe good farmers are stewards of the land, not miners of its resources, and that farms can be hubs of the community, not distant sources of its calories. I also believe that economic sustainability need not be sacrificed, but rather can come directly from the union of environmental stewardship and community involvement. I started Frith Farm in November of 2010.

Yes

• Soil health
• No-till vegetable production
• Alternative labor models
• Designing and building farm infrastructure
• Developing efficient farm systems
• Farming without tractors
• Cover cropping on small acreage

Emma | 2021 apprentice | [email protected]

Mary | 2021 apprentice | [email protected] 

Joey | 2021 apprentice | [email protected] 

Conor | 2021 apprentice | [email protected] 

Josh Girard, Friend, mentee, former apprentice | Personal reference
[email protected]