This job expired on February 19, 2019

Farm Apprentice

Browder's Birds

Date Posted December 21, 2018
Location Mattituck, NY
Category Agriculture
Job type Internship/Apprentice

Company description

Browder's Birds is located in Mattituck, NY on the scenic and agriculturally diverse North Fork of Long Island, 100 miles east of New York City. We are a diversified 16-acre, certified organic, pastured livestock farm located steps from the Long Island Sound.

In 2019, we will maintain approximately 1000 egg laying hens of 4 breeds, grow and process on farm 3000 broilers of 3 breeds and 100 turkeys, maintain a flock of 20 Cotswold sheep, 35 Pekin and Khaki Campbell ducks and 10 honey bee hives. Our animals live on our 16-acre pasture and are rotationally grazed in a highly orchestrated and intensely managed manner. We process our poultry on farm in our certified organic, NYS Licensed Mobile Poultry Processing Unit, and our processing waste is composted on farm in our composting facility and when mature, recycled to our pasture and grounds.

We sell hen and duck eggs, fresh and frozen whole and cut up broilers, a gorgeous line of wool products made in New York from our sheep's wool, honey and bee pollen from our hives, and lots of "value added" products (some made from our eggs), including quiches, mayonnaise and pickled eggs. We sell our products through our own CSA, 4 East End farmers markets, our onsite farm stand, and a select variety of restaurants, small retailers and other East End farm stands.

Holly and Chris Browder founded Browder’s Birds in 2009 after successful finance and consulting careers in Manhattan. We have a passion for providing a healthy, organic, local, and pasture raised alternative to the traditional variety provided by our industrial agricultural system. We work hard and have a solid track record of training apprentices in the various aspects of organic, small livestock, family farming. In fact, most of our former apprentices have either started their own farms or gone on to further their career in agriculture. In addition, Chris is currently serving as Treasurer on the Board of Directors at NOFA-NY (Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York).

Please visit us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrowdersBirds/
Please visit us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/browdersbirds/

Internship description

We are seeking two Apprentices for the 2019 season. Candidates will be highly motivated, detail-oriented self-starters who have a passion for organic and sustainable small livestock farming. They will possess a strong work ethic, a high level of energy, enthusiasm and integrity. In exchange, these candidates will earn a significant level of farm responsibility and will enjoy valuable experience learning the operations of a small, organic livestock farm. We prefer candidates with farming experience, but will train novice farmers. Candidates who possess creative construction experience are a plus.

In addition to the above, candidates are required to adhere to the following:

Must possess a valid and current U.S. driver's license
Must have a personal vehicle, or ability to obtain one before start date
Must be available to work 5 days per week, without restriction as to the specific days of the week worked (i.e., you will be working at least part of the weekend, if not both, weekend days)

The apprenticeship begins April 1, 2019 and ends October 31, 2019. Each apprentice will:

Be actively involved in all aspects of the poultry operation working side by side with Chris and Holly. Responsibilities include maintaining and managing our rotational grazing system, actively managing all brooding activities, and daily feeding/watering.

Be actively involved in our broiler processing which we handle on farm in our Mobile Processing Unit. Each apprentice will learn all aspects of poultry processing.

Learn about and manage our composting system we use to handle our processing waste.

Manage our flock of Cotswold sheep including rotational grazing, lambing, shearing, deworming and anything else that comes up.

Manage our flock of Pekin/Khaki Campbell ducks and assist with the management of our 10 honey bee hives.

Be involved in marketing/promotion of our farm at our farm stand and/or farmers’ markets.

Engage in tractor work, irrigation system operation and pasture housing construction (among other creative construction projects.)

Be responsible for certain administrative duties required to keep the farm operations going.

Off farm housing is available at apprentices’ cost for one or two apprentices at a private home located about 15 minutes by car from our farm. Hours vary greatly, but typically run 5 days per week and begin at 7:30 and end at 5. Processing and market days are exceptions to this.

Salary is $2000/month.

Compensation

this position is: stipend / non-monetary compensation

Application instructions