Company description

Living Roots is a farm, sustainable living center, and farm school.  Our passion is food (growing it, processing it, cooking it, and distributing it to others).  We are looking for others that share this same mission.  We also focus on healing arts, natural building, off-the-grid living, and generally growth and learning.

Job description

Living Roots Farm and Sustainable Living Center's Work Exchange Program

This is similar to an apprenticeship program, but it is quite different. The work exchange is only 3 farm work days a week, giving the work exchanger 4 days of flexibility and more freedom to choose what they are interested in learning.  During these 4 days, it's a possibility for the work exchanger to do more farm work (if they want a fuller experience), focus on sustainable living skills (off-the-grid/homesteading skills, culinary arts, healing arts, etc.), personal growth/reflection, or do whatever they like (such as work another job). See below for more info.

The Living Roots Farm and Sustainable Living Center's Work Exchange program is for those wanting to experience farm life, farm work, and learn more about farming and sustainable living.

We have two options for you: a Long Term Work Exchange and a Short Term Work Exchange. Long Term Work Exchangers can become long term residents at Living Roots and hold significant roles and responsibilities. Short Term Work Exchangers are those that are looking for a shorter learning experience. Typically our minimum length of stay for Short Term Work Exchangers is 1 month; however, sometimes (especially during the summer), we take people for shorter amounts of time. Please email to confirm availability of short term work exchanges.

All Work Exchangers will work 3 full farm days a week (approx. 21 - 28 hours/week depending on need and season). This is in exchange for housing and food.

Housing will be bunkspace in a shared off-the-grid cabin in our tiny house village, camper, campground spot, or a private cabin - depending on availability.

Food includes produce from the gardens, eggs from the farm, and other bulk staples. The food supplied is predominately vegetarian; however, meat is sometimes available from our farm animals. All residents always get discounts on our grass-fed beef.

Other perks for staff include: individual garden plot in shared garden space, use of wood fired cob hot tub, limited free wi-fi, and use of arts center (healing arts, creative arts, culinary arts).

Educational Opportunities in this Program Could Include (Based on Season, Current Happenings at Living Roots, and Work Exchanger Interest):-

• The Farm Process - Seed Starting, Season Extension, Soil Preparation, Planting, Tending, Harvesting, and Farmers Market Sales
• Animal Farming - Humane caretaking for cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and chickens, including butchering skills.
• Permaculture Gardening in our perennial gardens.
• Healing Arts - massage and yoga training to better balance the farming process - intended for beginners to both massage and yoga.
• Sustainable Living Skills - we often make cheese, yogurt, and bread. Lots of cooking and creativity in the kitchen! Fermentation!. There are many opportunities for experiences in Sustainable Living, which depend on the season. They include: off-the-grid living, using a solar oven, drying herbs and produce in a solar dehydrator, herbal medicine making, food preservation/fermentation (canning, freezing, kimchi, sauerkraut), beer/wine/mead making, natural building, etc.

The 3 days of farm work (or other organizational work) and some light resident shared domestic chores are the only requirements to being a work exchanger here. Other learning aspects, such as healing arts, or culinary arts, are optional.

The farm owner and director of the farm school, Michael Hicks, has been organic gardening and farming since 2002. He has been operating educational aspects within the farm since since 2006! Over 100 people have worked with him in a work exchange or educational capacity during these years. Many have taken away countless skills and have had many life changing experiences that have helped them live the life they want to live. We welcome you to join our team!

Our market farm produces just about any vegetable you can imagine for our 110 family CSA, Farmers Markets, local coops/natural foods stores, and restaurants. Main crops are garlic/onions, brassicas and hardy greens, tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, peppers,and beans. Other crops include: figs (in Hoophouse), stawberries, blackberries, melons, Jerusalem artichokes, yacon, eggplant, okra, other roots, etc.  We grow over 300 varieties of produce each year.  Also winter production in 3 hoop houses. And the farm now has chickens, pigs, sheep, goats, and grass-fed cows which you will also get to work with.

The Farm is within walking distance of Tucker Lake (Springs Valley State Recreation Area) and the Hoosier National Forest (lots of trails), and biking distance from Patoka Lake, French Lick, and Paoli.

We welcome you to join us in sharing the abundance of this land!

Compensation

this position is: room & board

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline