Volunteer / Employment

Get Involved

It takes a lot of hands to run a CSA, and if you want to get involved, we’ll be glad to have your help. We’ll have specific volunteer work-days throughout the year where we’ll need a lot of folks to do a job like planting garlic or harvesting winter squash. If you want to volunteer on a regular or occasional basis, just contact Jeff to figure out the best time to come.

Apprenticeships

The Apprenticeship is an intensive, 9-month program for candidates who are interested in pursuing a future in farming or who really want to work a full season on a farm. Apprentices work hard. No two ways about it. They are involved with all aspects of farm work from seeding in the greenhouse to planting beds of lettuce, operating a tractor, tending to the pigs, pulling weeds, running the farmshop and anything and everything else it takes to operate a small, diverse farm!

We find that actually farming is the best way to learn how to farm. And we generally have some fun in the process! In addition, Apprentices have the opportunity to attend workshops, conferences and farm tours to broaden their agricultural knowledge and see how other farms operate. We also take time throughout the course of the season to delve into our farms’ budgeting, marketing, crop planning, soil science and business planning systems with Apprentices receiving copies of all relevant written materials. And we take time every week to tour the farm, observe what’s going on and talk about how we make decisions to prioritize the farm work.

The Apprenticeship begins in March and runs through to Thanksgiving. Apprentices receive compensation, food from the farm and a weeks vacation. If you are interested in learning more about the specifics of the program and the qualifications we’re looking for, please contact Jeff.

Work Shares

Fernbrook Farm CSA offers a “workshare” program to a few shareholders every year. This is basically a trade of labor on the farm for a share. Participants commit to a set schedule and contribute 100 hours of work on the farm – harvesting, weeding, planting, helping with the farm shop and other jobs and tasks to help the farm run smoothly. Candidates should enjoy working hard in all kinds of weather and be able to commit to a set schedule. Please contact Jeff for more information.