Sustainable Food and Building Internship for 2012 at Soul Fire Farm in Grafton NY.
Who We Are: We are a mixed race family of 4 living rurally in a natural straw bale, solar house that we built. Soul Fire Farm is our small, hand scale farm and homestead that feeds our family plus 25+ families in the nearby cities of Troy and Albany, NY. We have ½ acre in vegetables and fruits and 5 acres of pasture for egg and meat chickens. Hudson Valley Natural Building is our business that designs and builds homes, using natural techniques such as straw bale, timber frame, and natural finishes, as well as teaching workshops.
What to Expect: Interns work 30 hours per week in exchange for room and board. Day length will vary. Farm projects include expanding the gardens through large scale sheet mulching, digging beds, planting, weeding, harvesting, packing, delivering, chopping firewood, doing media, caring for animals, and preserving food. Natural building projects include general carpentry, assisting in workshops, working on straw bale house projects, designing, and building earth ovens, sauna, and outdoor kitchen. (Some natural building work may be paid.) We wake up at dawn and work hard even in bad weather. Participants have the option to live in our house, barn, or tent, and are part of our family and community. Room and board is included. We have lots of fun gatherings with trapeze, music, food, laughter, and kids.
What You Bring: The ideal applicant has general carpentry knowledge and is comfortable using power and hand tools. Being an independent hard worker is a must. Also useful would be someone computer/media savvy and comfortable in the kitchen. Having a car is recommended but not necessary, as we take regular trips to the cities nearby. Please contact us to schedule a phone interview. We would like you to visit the farm before committing to participate. You are welcome anytime from April-October 2012, ideally for a 3 week minimum.
For more information visit the farm’s website. Here are some general contact information:
Address: 972 Route 2, Petersburg, NY 12138 Home Phone: 518-658-3221 E-mail: soulfirefarm AT gmail.com Website: www.soulfirefarm.com
