Company description

Old School Farm is a small bio diverse farm that utilizes organic practices to grow high quality fruits and vegetables.   We also have a small flock of Icelandic sheep, about 20 laying hens, a few turkeys and bees.

Last year the farm decided to start an on farm food business utilizing our hand-built wood-fired earthen oven to bake pizzas every other Friday night throughout the summer and into the fall.  On the last night of the season, we made over 215 pizzas.  This year the pizza nights will be held every Friday night.

We make our own sauce from tomatoes, onions, garlic and herbs grown on the farm.  The weekly menu consists of three different pizzas and are based upon what produce is available on the farm that week.

We also offer three different crust options:  a classic wheat crust made from "OO" pizzeria four, a whole white spelt crust made of certified organic spelt from Small Valley Milling, located in Halifax, Pennsylvania.

The cheeses for our pizzas are sourced from Calkin's Creamery, a small on farm creamery located only 14 miles away.

In addition, to growing produce for the pizza nights, we also grow a few crops for the wholesale and CSA customers of the Lackawaxen Farm Company, a local business connecting small family farms with food conscious consumers in the community.

Overall, the farm is a total of 50 acres. There are a variety of terrains including: river bottom, pasture, wetlands, woods, moss glades, and two small orchards. The sound of a small creek’s falls flowing behind the barn can be heard throughout the year. The view from the farmhouse kitchen and upstairs bedroom overlooks 15 acres of floodplain pasture ending along the meandering Dyberry Creek. The surrounding area is a mixture of wooded hillsides and rolling pastures, populated by: local farms, vacation homes, local homes, and summer camps.

Internship description

Old School Farm is looking for two or three English speaking interns who can start work sometime between early May or early June and stay through the summer (at least to August 10th), preferably through the September harvest season.  Interns will stay in a newly erected hemlock cabin finished with pine paneling; or, the second floor of the barn, will have their own outdoor showers, and their own kitchen and lounge area in the barn with WiFi and telephone access. Work day lengths and tasks will vary and include but are not limited to: planting, harvesting, and cleaning vegetables; weeding; preparing orders for delivery; processing vegetables and fruits for storage (making jams, pickles, etc.) helping to cut and haul firewood; property maintenance (weedwacking fence lines, mowing fields, etc.).

The farm also has a weekly Friday night pizza event where they make between 100 to 225 farm to table pizzas from scratch, utilizing ingredients from the farm and other local farms in the area.  The pizzas are cooked in our 4 foot internal diameter wood-fired earthen oven.  A large part an intern's responsibilities will be preparing for and working the pizza nights.  Half the day on Thursdays will be dedicated to prepping the food for Friday night.  Work on Fridays will be finishing prepping the food for the pizzas, making pizzas during the event and/or taking orders.  Interns will also help with testing new pizza ideas and create the weekly menu. 

Interns will be expected to work 40 hours per week maximum in exchange for being taught farming skills, how to run an on farm food business, how to make artisan pizzas, and how to bake in a wood-fired earthen oven.  Room and board is also provided in exchange for the work performed by the interns.  Meals are generally based upon what produce is available on the farm; however, we also provide interns with other food not available on the farm such as cheese, milk, etc.  Further, a stipend is available for the right candidates, which can be discussed during the interview process depending on experience and skill sets.

Interns will be working closely with the farm manager and head pizza maker David Campeau.  From time to time they will also work with Roger Hill, a veteran organic farmer and soil expert with 30 years experience in organic farming.

No experience is necessary for this position; however, a strong work ethic and the willingness and flexibility to help with various projects on the farm is a must. The farm embraces the work hard – play hard/have fun credo.

The ability to work in a fast paced environment is also a must for the pizza nights.  Lastly, interns should be passionate about providing local communities with delicious, high quality food.

Compensation

this position is: room & board

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline