Pennsylvania

Spring Meadows Farm, Andy Lyon, RR 2 Box 57, Millerton, PA 16936, 570-537-2128, . Farm markets to restaurants, two farmers markets, and CSA-like farm supporters program. More than a dozen farmer’s markets are in the area, and the farm is less than an hour from Ithaca and the Finger Lakes. Farm sales are mostly vegetables and pasture raised eggs—and also a strong application of pasture management, grassfed livestock, raw milk, fermented vegetables, wines, maple syrup, forestry and cheese, all with an eye on making them additional products for sale.

My farm design adapts traditions I grew up with to modern materials, technology, and markets. Variety of management tools used to trouble shoot sustainability of farm and health care livestock. I have worked with livestock since I was four; trained hunting dogs since I was 15. In 2003 I quite the hobby of dog training and took up oxen as a serious work animal. Each team I have trained has had children working with them.

Apprenticeship is structured for apprentice to share in the work and responsibility of farming. An apprentice is not an employee but ready to experience the responsibilities of farming with the farmer, keeping a positive attitude, and working at a commitment to contribute to open communication. We take 2 1/2 days off each week. One of those days the apprentice does all the chores. Apprentice gets days off ofr educational reasons and earns vacation days.

The ideal candidate is an experienced person ready for responsibility who is not ready to manage a farm on their own. Aprentice is coached half the time into market management in training position. Other half of the time apprentice learns ox driving and other hands on skills. I am open to a second year apprenticeship where apprentice takes on learning production management. This will free me up for more budgeting and monitoring of financial and natural resources.

Farming is a high-skilled profession needing deep understanding. Come and start on a path to world class food production and husbandry of natural resources.

• Source of power: oxen.
• Oxen are used for: haying, logging, gardening, manuring, and anything needing to be hauled around the farm.
• Acreage: 255; 1.5 in intensive high yielding garden, 32 in pasture, 41.5 in pasture/hay field, 180 woodlot.
• Other livestock: milk cows, hogs, and laying hens.
• Skills offered in: grassfed dairying, grassfed meat, pastured pork and poultry, organic vegetables, full vigor forestry, wild crafting/hunting, and effective health care with nutrition and homeopathy; talks on 14 topics dealing with sustainable management skills. Covering all these topics in one year completely is not possible, apprentice must take some responsibility in making clear their interests and making learning enjoyable for both of us.
• Work hours: 6-9.5/day; 43/wk.
• Terms: room and board provided; 1 apprentice or couple at a time, any time of year, any length; an apprentice who finishes a full year earns the bonus of a bred dairy heifer, or side of beef, or pork of one hog, or pair of started 6-12 month old oxen.
• Stipend: 10% of income from forestry, on farm sales, and meat sales with 15% of vegetable sales at farmer's market.
• Accommodations: room in my home (renting in the nearby hamlet at apprentice’s expense is another option); meals consist of simple but good eating of grassfed milk, meat, butter and milk products, eggs, grains, seasonal vegies and fruit, homemade wine, local/homemade bread, wild teas, wild game, and wild plants.
• Apprentice must: have experience at farmer’s markets. Be a team player. Be mindful of excellence. Be able to deal with all difficulties in away that creates positivity. View apprenticeship as a serious career path..
• Visit first: Best to apply August and September as I usually do visits by October then I usually have next year's apprentice lined up by Thanksgiving. I also enjoy short term visits to introduce a person to oxen in exchange for work. Two weeks maximum. These can be informal learning as jobs need to be done with oxen. Or if you discuss it fully with me before the visit, I can have 2 to 3 short lessons per week planned out and catered to you in exchange for work.
• Trial period: one month, during which we’ll cover basic skills to be helpful and safe, including low stress animal handling, milking, ox driving, basic livestock and garden chores and equipment, marksmenship and gun safety.