Company description

Two Creek Farm is a regenerative USDA-certified organic farm in Lakewood, PA. Our farming approach prioritizes animal welfare and ecology. We are a diversified farm including poultry, cattle, sheep, hogs and a commercial market garden. We use biological processes without chemical inputs to produce delicious nutrient-dense food that is good for you and for the planet.

Internship description

2024 APPRENTICE TESTIMONIALS

“This place is the real deal. A tremendous wealth of available knowledge and experience from considerate and caring hosts. It is incredibly satisfying and leaves me feeling better physically and mentally.”

“This farm is an excellent choice for anyone interested in learning about contemporary, ‘progressive’ farming methods, how a small farm runs in a real commercial setting, and how to farm under sustainable / regenerative models.”

“I especially enjoyed working to transform raw land into pasture. It was fascinating to see how different animals changed the terrain noticeably even in the space of a few weeks/months.”

“I learned what I set out to learn, and more. I totally destroyed a pair of boots. There were ups, downs, and everything in between — it was a good summer.”

PROGRAM SUMMARY

Two Creek is a regenerative USDA-organic farm in Northeast Pennsylvania. We raise pastured poultry including layers broilers, and turkeys. We breed and raise forested pigs and grass-fed cattle and sheep. We also have a 1/4 acre market garden and early-stage fruit and nut orchards. We manage holistically following the work of Alan Savory. Our holistic context includes operating a profitable commercial farm while offering education to new farmers in support of a larger transition to a regenerative food system.

Two Creek’s Regenerative Apprenticeship Program is a full-season residential program that provides both practical experience and theoretical understating of regenerative and organic agriculture to aspiring farmers. The core of the program is a customized learning agenda including skill development through supporting daily operations and through implementing special projects.

Apprentice compensation is $15 per hour including housing in the historical farm house on the property. In addition, apprentices received an end-of-season bonus, surplus veg, eggs and meat, and a 25% discount on farm purchases.

Come and learn how to become a regenerative organic farmer!

PROGRAM CONTENT AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Apprentices rotate across our major work areas (e.g. livestock, orchards, market garden, marketing, business management). This hands-on work is informed by relevant frameworks such as Allan Savory's Holistic Management, P.A. Yeomans' Scale of Permanence and Keyline Design, and Bill Mollison's 12 Principles of Permaculture.

We work with each apprentice to develop a personalized learning plan including daily tasks (e.g. pasture moves) and special projects (e.g. water system set-up). Expect a 40 to 50 hour work week that may include early starts and late nights according to the demands of the season.

While the overarching goal is learning, the day-to-day priority is running the farm. A typical day includes morning and evening animal care (e.g. animal moves) with much of the day focused on special projects (e.g. silvopasture). The weekly heartbeat is our weekend farmers' markets, so we will generally harvest and pack up for those the day before and attend markets on weekends. We also offer public farm tours throughout the season.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Our apprenticeship program season runs from April 1 through November 15. It is expected that apprentices stay the entire season, but shorter stays may be approved by special request (e.g. to accommodate university class schedules).

Apprentices must have a demonstrated commitment to becoming a regenerative farmer. Apprentices must demonstrate the ability to put in hard work in the outdoors, the flexibility to complete a wide range of tasks, a positive track-record of taking initiative, and the ability to work well in a small team. A full season of hands-on experience on a farm is preferred.

LIFE ON THE FARM

Apprentices stay in the historic farmhouse on the property, which is equipped with a kitchen, bedrooms, full bath, washing machine and wood stoves with access to a private gym. On farm, we have a 1/2 acre spring-fed pond for swimming and fishing and woodlands for forest bathing, foraging and hiking. Just a mile away, apprentices have access to 50 acre private lake. We are close to the Delaware river and there are rail-trails nearby, so there are plenty of opportunities for recreation. Life is quiet and opportunities to socialize off the farm are limited.

ABOUT THE FARMER / TRAINER

Two Creek is owned and managed by Brent Habig. Brent spent most of his career as an environmental executive in Africa and Asia, supporting governments and global corporations to build inclusive and sustainable supply chains. Since 2019, he has been operating Two Creek Farm as demonstration regenerative organic farm to accelerate our transition to regenerative agriculture. Brent is an Accredited Professional with the Savory Institute and is certified to conduct trainings on their behalf.

Compensation

this position is: hourly, $15-20/hr

Application instructions

Deadline

March 20, 2025