Hancock Family Farm

The Hancock Family Farm is a 10 acre certified organic farm with a small grass fed beef herd. The farm grows mixed vegetables and cut flowers. The farm moves its vegetable through a very active farm stand, a good sized CSA and a farmer’s market. 

May 1st to October 8th.  No minimum.

The Hancock Family Farm is located in Casco Maine, 45 minutes north of Portland.  The farm sits on 45 acres and abuts hundreds of acres of woods with trails and lakes and ponds… It’s in the Western Lakes Region… It’s really nice.

The Hancock Family Farm is a 10 acre certified organic farm with a small grass fed beef herd. The farm grows mixed vegetables and cut flowers. The farm moves its vegetables through a very active farm stand, a good sized CSA and a farmer’s market. 

Apprentices learn every aspect of our 10 acre certified organic farm operation. There are elements of record keeping, weed management, harvest care, food distribution and customer service wrapped into the education.

Farmers are expected to be ready to work every morning and work hard throughout the day. The schedule typically changes throughout the season. Work days average 6 to 7 hours, depending on the day and season. Sundays are always an off day.  We are most interested in folks who are eager to learn, work fast and efficiently, are self motivated, curious and show pride in their work. No experience required or expected, positive attitudes and eagerness to learn are both a must.

Education is central to our farm operation. We tour many other farms, access MOFGA’s (www.mofga.org) educational opportunities, and take extra time to teach at our farm. Education is central to our mission.

We do have a Farm Employment manual that is provided upon hiring. We work closely with our apprentices, have a graduated and increasing responsibilities and expectations framework.

In the first two weeks we have private check-ins with each apprentice at the end of each week. After that we have private check-ins at the end of each month. Above and beyond that, we are committed to ensuring the overall wellbeing of our apprentices and keep a continuing dialog open.

We do not discipline our apprentices, but we do work with them to make sure they are getting their needs met, and are meeting the expectations of the farm. If an apprentice is continually struggling, we always offer the option of leaving the apprenticeship, if they decide they can’t continue.
We’ve farmed with a super wide range of apprentices and feel that anyone who wants a role in our farm, can find a role in our farm. We also know that sometimes the farm doesn’t meet the needs of the apprentice, and we work super hard to ensure the apprentices know our primary goal is their overall well-being.

We work hard to acknowledge the existence of our own blind biases spots, actively practice personal growth and inclusivity, and work hard to cultivate a culture where difficult conversations are respectfully encouraged.

We do not require hegemony of thought, we do require that farmers and apprentices respect, support and keep each other safe.

We do not tolerate intentional bigotry.

I work directly with the farmers. Farmers are encouraged to take on solo responsibilities to the level they are comfortable and interested.

$300 per week. Three prepared meals daily, housing, education and amenities.

Yes, On-Farm.

Apprentices each live in their 12×16 cabin. There is also a common building for the farm team that has couches, power for charging devices, a fridge, tea kettle, toaster oven and wifi. There are also laundry machines, showers and many canoes, kayaks, paddle boards and bikes available.

Typically the farmhouse is open to the crew from breakfast through dinner, for showering and laundry, and there is more than enough time in the day to accommodate the whole staff’s needs each day.

Once weekly we clean the common spaces as a team.

We ask that our apprentices are mindful while around our middle school aged daughters.

We require that apprentices represent themselves and our farm responsibly while in the community.

This is our 18th season. I believe in community, inclusion and equal access to quality food. We work hard to remove as many barriers (economic, political, ideological) as we can to our food.

I believe that it takes a team to make a farm, and that no one member of the team carries any more importance than another.

We believe in the power of diversity.

We believe in the power of listening, respect, and laughing at ourselves.

We welcome diversity in all forms and navigate differences by continually adhering to our belief that providing gracious amounts of understanding, giving others the benefit of the doubt, and speaking from one’s point of view often disarms hostility.

We don’t tolerate intentional bigotry, and directly, compassionately, address unintentional harmful language and actions.

Kaitlyn Feely | Former apprentice reference

[email protected]

Tate Beech| Former apprentice reference

[email protected]

Noelle Koch | former employee

[email protected]

Hancock Family Farm

Scroll to Top