Company description

Blue Pepper Farm is a pasture-based sheep dairy milking about 42-48 ewes and making farmstead sheep milk yogurt right here on the farm.  We are certified by Animal Welfare Approved for our high welfare standards for our sheep. We also raise about 150+ laying hens and 15 pigs.  We sell sheep milk yogurt, lamb, yarn, woven wool blankets, tanned sheepskins, eggs, and pork.  We practice regenerative farming techniques and rotational grazing.  Though we are not certified organic, we do feed certified organic grain as needed.  A key goal of our farm is to work with the land and soil in a sustainable and regenerative way that will increase biodiversity, build soil, and sequester carbon.

We also have a busy AirBNB farmstay business on the side renting our farmhouse in the summer months, and both our yurt and tiny house in the off-season.  We live in the yurt during the summer and the off-grid tiny house serves as farm-hand housing.  

Internship description

We're looking for a bright and energetic person (or couple) to  join our farm for the 2022 season, working 5 days a week with 2 consecutive days off.  As a small dairy with a small team, we look for folks that are detail oriented and can show initiative and independence.  Shannon manages flock health and heads up the diary side of things.  Tyler is the grazier, focused on our soils and pastures, as well as the yogurt maker.  We work closely with our farm hand to help them understand our choices and give them the tools and guidance to most effectively accomplish the day's tasks.  We strive hard to manage the health of our flock and keep an eye on our own health - making sure we get up in the mountains or for a dip in the river/lake as often as possible.  Selling points on top of the unique farm operation are a killer view, damn tasty food, nifty little house in the woods, and access to awesome outdoor fun in the high peaks of the Adirondack Mountains!

The very basics of this position include:
1. Daily chores for sheep, chickens, and pigs. 
2. Milking the sheep 5x per week (5am and 4pm).
3. Washing and packing eggs.
4. Farmers market and product deliveries on Saturdays. 
5. Assist in the creamery with yogurt making, labelling, and washing returned jars.
6. Moving lots of fencing for rotational grazing
7. Miscellaneous jobs include fence troubleshooting, stacking hay, compost management, possible construction projects, unloading grain deliveries, weed whacking/mowing fence-lines

For interested applicants, we have a far more detailed description of the experience and a sample schedule from past seasons to share.

Ideal Dates: May 1 - November 1

Compensation target is $15/hr.  This is flexible and can be mixed depending on experience and if you need room/board.  Our housing option is a neat off-grid tiny house tucked in the woods on the farm.  It has its own composting outhouse and shares a big outdoor kitchen and shower with the yurt where we live in the summer.  This is a great educational opportunity (ecology, small business finance, animal husbandry, marketing) to learn first-hand about small-scale, diversified farming in the mountains.  In return, we ask for 5 days of hard farm work, some early morning milkings, and a share in meal prep if you live on farm.  All this while being in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains, where you can spend your days off exploring the many mountains, waterfalls, and swimming holes.  We can arrange work days at nearby farms so you can see other livestock, dairy, veggie operations and connect with other like-minded farmers as well.

Compensation

this position is: salaried, $15/hr +

Application instructions

Deadline

February 28, 2022