Job description

We are a small family farm of 72 acres. The farm is a true polyculture farm - a sustainable, diverse enterprise, and we serve Tucson and the surrounding area. Our goal is to enhance the fertility of our soils and the health of the farm ecosystem with the help of our animals. We subscribe to a "beyond organic" philosophy for raising our natural, grassfed beef, pasture-raised poultry and pork. We are currently expanding the vegetable garden following organic desert gardening techniques. We are Certified Naturally Grown.  We direct market our meat products and produce through local farmer's markets, our CSA shares(community supported agriculture)and a farm stand on the property.

Interns might be asked to assist in sales or set up at farmer's markets. The work never ends on our farm. Expect to work an average of 10 plus hours a day, 4 days on, one day off. It is hard, physical work and you will be tired at the end of the day. There are chores to do twice a day related to the care of our livestock. We have wire fences to maintain as well as electric fences to be moved for the cattle. We raise our laying hens, pigs, and cattle in the pasture and some shelters and fences are moved daily. Chores consist of feeding and watering the chickens, pigs, goats, and milking. Interns are expected to help with the odd chicken or goat butcher.  Maintenance and construction projects might include yard work, landscaping, tree trimming, carpentry, painting, plumbing, welding, fence building, irrigating, and other tasks such as cheese making and food preservation. The 1.25 acre garden is a daily commitment and takes up 90% of our time with watering, weeding, bed preparation, planting, composting and harvesting tasks. This is most likely where you will spend most of your time.

The homes on our farm date back to 1897. This was the sight of the original Sopori School, one of the oldest schools in Arizona. There are two adobe homes here, surrounded by 100 year old trees, creating an oasis in the Sonoran desert. We are 1 hour south of Tucson and 40 minutes north of Nogales, Mexico.

We are willing to share our farm with enthusiastic individuals interested in pursuing their own sustainable, diverse farm, or wanting to learn more about organic, sustainable, arid land gardening techniques, or just looking for a change and new experiences. We accept a minimum of 3 month stays due to the training involved and the responsibility given to interns.  There may be opportunities for longer stays after the initial 3 month stay. We accept interns year round. Individuals share a co-ed bunkhouse - a small but warm and cozy space. No pets please. We will also provide you with a weekly meat and vegetables, cheese (when available), milk (when available), and eggs all raised on the farm. We have no special diets here except that we try to eat local and in season, and only the meat that we raise. Vegetarians keep in mind that this is is a meat farm. We eat healthy omnivorous food that we grow or raise, for the most part. There is farm yoga if enough interns are interested! We look forward to working with you!

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