Company description We began as a homestead with one cow, making cheese in our kitchen for our own consumption. When friends in the food industry wanted to purchase our cheese, we decided to become a licensed creamery. Building the needed facility required buying a small farm and expanding our herd. We moved to Ryegate, Vt. in July 2013 and have spent this time transitioning from homestead to farm and creamery, reestablishing dairying on the farm, establish our brand and developing products and markets.

We specialize in hard and semi-hard raw (cow) milk "farmstead-style" cheeses using European guidelines: customers report that our flavors are much closer to what they experience in Europe than in the US. At present, we have 18 cows, heifers and calves and produce 8 cheeses: Karim Nordic (a Jarlesberg-style Swiss), Piora (an Alpine “berg-kase”), Gruyere, Hispanico (a Manchgo style), Green Mountain Melody (a Morbier), an English Farmhouse Cheddar, Gouda, and our our own Italian-style “Vertalia.” All milk is produced on the farm and we use organic, vegetable rennet and sea salt. "Makes" are small, ~40 Lb., made by hand with careful attention to each cheese. Cheeses are aged on the farm in our own "cave" where we can monitor conditions and turn, spray and wash as needed. Internship description

As an intern you will be involved in all aspects of our farmstead approach.  Your days will vary and balance barn and outside work as the seasons demand. As a “farm intern” your focus will be on the animals. You will gain experience with all aspects of organic cow care, milking and pasturing, learn to drive a tractor and use a wide range of tools in building (this summer it will be an addition to our cheese cave) and maintenance work.

You will participate in the care of sheep and poultry, gardening and putting food by, and cutting firewood that round out our small farm. At the same time we invite you to participate in cheese making and you will learn food safety protocols as laid out in our food safety plan and standard operating procedures.  Your internship will be a focused educational time--with work , a chance to read our small library, and lots of conversation--but you are helping us and will be compensated with a $120 a week stipend as well as room and board.

 

Farm work--and cheese making--take up lots of time.  We expect about 40 hours of work a week--sometimes more, sometimes less as work ebbs and flows.    However, we will make sure you have time for your own endeavors.  We have had interns involve themselves in raising our chicks, spending time with our sheep, swimming in the pond, participating in gardening and wood splitting, and gaining expertise with tractor driving and carpentry.  This is a rural area so we encourage, and make room for, all sorts of hobbies (our cows have come home serenaded by live bagpipe music).  A day off a week provides opportunities to kayak on the Connecticut River, or in area lakes, hike in the Green or White Mountains or visit area towns and cities and participate in cultural events.  While we can’t guarantee the same day off each week, we are pretty flexible and put people first.
 

Our General Requirements for a farm intern include:

• Interest in dairying and farm-based production as part of a sustainable approach to the environment
• Willingness to work hard at jobs that may be outside in all sorts of weather, and involve working with large animals and all aspects of barn cleaning.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively, willingness to think on your feet and to communicate in an on-going way.
• Ability to lift 50-60 lbs multiple times a day.
• Commitment to food safety and ability to carry out detailed cleaning and sanitizing protocols.
• Interest in farm level building (carpentry, cement work, etc) a plus

Compensation this position is : stipend / non-monetary compensation
Details: $120 a week stipend room and "basic" (family style meals, farm produced and staple foods)board Application instructions Deadlineno deadline