Harlem Valley Homestead is an education-focused diversified vegetable, flower and livestock farm on 250 acres in Wingdale, NY. Our mission is to deepen our connections to place, to each other, and to ourselves, through hands on learning and experience in rural and agrarian living. We maintain 50 acres in pasture and 5 acres in cover crop for future production. Current enterprises include beef cattle, layer chickens, feeder pigs, vegetables, fruit, cut flowers, mushrooms, and a modest apiary. While we are not certified, we adhere to organic practices.

We have plans to grow and expand in 2020 and beyond. In 2020, we are scaling up our vegetable and flower production, growing our apiary, and adding sheep to our pasture rotations. We also plan to continue restoring and building out our farm infrastructure including: barns, a propagation greenhouse, hoop houses, wells and irrigation. This is a dynamic phase of growth as we establish the foundation of our farm and work towards our future of becoming an agritourism operation capable of hosting overnight guests. To learn more about our future goals, please visit our website: www.harlemvalleyhomestead.com.

We are seeking a livestock apprentice to join our team immediately for the 2020 growing season. We have four other apprentices, split between two specialized focuses: livestock and intensive produce production. While apprenticeships will focus on a particular track, this is a multidisciplinary opportunity. Education and hospitality are key pillars of HVH and all apprentices will be partially guest-focused (if COVID-19 protocols change and we open back up to the public during the season): leading tours, staffing events, answering questions, and teaching about the land, our products and farming practices. In addition, apprentices will also walk away with basic competencies in the other track and hands-on learning across all areas of our operations. If you like to ask questions, love to learn on the job and are excited to work with a dynamic team in a startup environment, then join us! Previous farming experience is helpful, but we are willing to train the right candidate. 

Positive attitude, flexibility, self-motivation, a sense of humor and a collaborative spirit are a must. Team members must love physical labor and hustling, be able to safely lift 50 lbs regularly, and be willing to work in all weather conditions. Weekly tasks may include fence work, water line repair, soil preparation, planting, weeding, irrigating, trellising, seeding, harvesting, washing and packing produce, pest management, mushroom cultivation, farmer’s market sales, animal husbandry, cooking and food-processing. Apprentices will receive proper safety training. 

Apprentices will gain working knowledge of:

• Multi-species intensive rotational grazing and pasture management
• Animal husbandry (cattle, pigs, sheep, layer chickens)
• Intensive vegetable, herb and cut flower production
• Hospitality and how to communicate with guests 
• Selling product at market and potentially to restaurants/wholesale accounts 
• Additional duties may include  work in honey production, mushroom cultivation and kitchen processing

REQUIREMENTS

• Availability through October 
• Hours will average 40-45 hours per week, though may vary week to week and seasonally
• Availability and willingness to work weekends for chores, markets and/or events (some weekend work required)
• Clean driving record and valid driver’s license for farmers markets and deliveries
• Willingness to drive vehicles (large pick up, box truck, and/or van) to and from markets
• Respect for safety guidelines and willing to follow safety procedures
• Ability to lift 50 lbs safely and repeatedly 

COMPENSATION + BENEFITS

• On-site housing available along the beautiful Ten Mile River 
• $12 / hour with housing, $15 / hour without housing 
• Surplus produce (availability varies) and 30% off meat
• CRAFT membership with the opportunity to visit regional farms
• Work with a dynamic team of educators, farmers, cooks, conservationists and naturalists
• 90 minute train ride from NYC on Metro-North (5 min from train station)
• Participation in on-farm educational workshops and community events
• Training on equipment including, but not limited to: hand tools developed for intensive vegetable production, tractor, skid steer, livestock trailer, BCS and other small engine equipment