Millerton, Pennsylvania USA

Good Farming Apprenticeship Network logo
 Andy Lyon
 RR 2 Box 57,
 Millerton, PA 16936
 570-537-2128
do.what.works@gmail.com
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, maple syrup, and forestry, all with an eye on making them additional products
for sale.
Spring Meadows Farm
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 of livestock. I have worked with livestock since I was four; trained hunting dogs since I was 15. In 2003 I quit 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.

I offer hands on learning experiences for the inspiration of interacting with engaged learners. Though the individual will do much helpful work and I am grateful for this help, having your help is not my motive for offering these experiences. All applicants are screened for learning skill level and openness to improving ones learning skills. Options for hands on learning are offered to an individual based on a letter of introduction and telephone conversation. The applicant is welcome to visit the farm and stay over for one night as well to get to know the farm but this is not required.
Overview
  • Source of power: oxen.
  • Oxen are used to: logging, blue stone quarrying, manure spreading, general farm chores.
  • Other livestock: 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
  • Skills offered in: Farmers’ market experience, experiential learning skills, work place communication habits, organic vegetable production, grass-fed dairying and beef, pastured pork and poultry, ox driving, low stress animal handling, homeopathics, herbal medicine. Also occcurring on the farm but not related to work; wild crafting, hunting, full vigor forestry, how to apply management tools to troubleshoot sustainability and health problems, and many other in depth farm management topics. The more you are focused on contributing instead of what you get out of it, the more you will learn though contributing. The more one gives, in a healthy way, the more one will receive as will all things in life.
  • Work hours: Hours 7-9am Dinner/midday meal, 11-3pm, rest break,
    4-6pm, some livestock chores before bed. 8 1/2 - 10 hour work day with 12+ hour days on market days. You work 5 days a week. Must help with chores on day off if here. Apprentice also gets vacation days and days to visit other farms or go to workshops or other learning experiences.
  • Terms: Options for hands on learning; all have room and board provided.
  • Applications: Applicants must write a letter of introduction (contact farm for instructions), that shows a willingness to engage and be comfortable to interact with when communicating with the farm, has an interest in learning about farming though does not need to be experienced with farming and the experiential learning situations found in the sustainable farming movement.
  • Visits: Anyone may come and visit the farm for one night after writing a letter of introduction (contact farm for instructions) showing serious interest in the farm. No special time will be set aside for answering visitor's question but you will be invited to join in the work and at the midday meal I am free to talk some. Gifts of home made food or tools or special skills will be encouraged but no cash payment.
  • Lessons: For those wanting in depth knowledge about a particular topic. Instruction will be at least 3 hour/day with what will be covered agreed to before the individual comes. This costs $100/day plus help with jobs needing done to keep up with the business of the farm while here. Particularly individual will take responsibility for routine tasks that are easy to show a person who is here for a short stay.
  • Internship: Two nights up to a five week stay. Must stay a week to get the stipend. All internships end at 5 weeks.Intern expected to work on whatever jobs need to be done, dedicated to doing good work and reaching stated goal for a good stopping point for each work period. One afternoon a week time will be taken to give intern a taste of a specific experience, or overview of a particular part of the operation. These topics will be agreed to before the internship and will be covered as part of work that is in season but with openness to intern asking questions and giving intern enough instruction to introduce the topic not just get the job done.
  • Advanced Internship: five week stays. All internships end at 5 weeks. Advanced Internship is for individual wishing to improve experiential learning skills and communication habits to the level where they can apprentice. Must do 25 weeks total with 2 week breaks between each 5 week internship. Each week intern will have an afternoon to reflect on progress with experiential learning skill and communication habits then a brief talk with me that evening for 1/2 hour or less on these topics. Intern expected to work on whatever job needs to be done, dedicated to doing good work and reaching stated goal for a good stopping point for each work period. No time will be set a side for lessons, as experiential learning skills are all about how to learn while working.
  • Apprenticeship: full season, at least 4/1 till 11/1. Apprentice acts as an assistant managing sales as I coach them and steps up to lead in many other roles. Applicants having written a letter of introduction (contact farm for instructions), having 2 years of positive references showing that they have good experiential learning skills or having done 5 advanced internships at this farm are given the chance at the position or having done one internship and have one year positive reference showing good experiential learning skills. Individual must have experienced most of the tasks involved in the work and have a desire to become skilled at all tasks.
  • Expectations: The expectations with experiential learning skills and communication habits will be clearly stated before the apprenticeship begins. The experiential learning skills make the individual able to learn while working, without them the individual will get little from the apprenticeship experience. The communication habits are essential to the apprentice being a contribution to the farm. Both experiential learning skills and communication habits are the skills of farming. Anyone who farms for a living must continually improve these skills and deal with the consequences that come from any area where these skills are lacking. During two evenings each week, apprentice will meet with the farmer about scheduling the week's work and planning work with marketing for the week. Also apprentice is free at the midday meal to ask questions about farming beyond what needs clarified to do specific tasks, otherwise apprentice in not to ask questions about farming as it interferes with the farmer's personal space and the business of the farm.
  • 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
  • Stipend: $90/week for intern or apprentice.
  • Apprenticeship Bonuses: 8% of sales; on completing season up to $1500 reimbursement for receipts showing spending by the apprentice for education in the 12 months before the last day of apprenticeship; Any expenses or use of car related to work; 10% of income from forestry, on farm sales, and meat sales; 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 veggies and fruit, homemade wine, local/homemade bread, wild teas, wild game, and wild plants.
  • Visit first: If you wish but not required. Those interested please contact the farm for directions on writing a letter of introduction.
  • Trial period: Very serious trial period for apprentice only;
    1. Apprentice first day of work must show desire to learn to farm and show they have moved past the learning about farming stage by showing experiential learning skills and hustle as well as demonstrating effort at improving in these areas while staying relaxed and comfortable to work around.
    2. By end of 5th week communication habits must be well developed and consistency at continuing to improve experiential learning skills and communication habits must be demonstrated while showing one presence to be relax and comfortable to work with.



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