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Stone & Thistle Farm

New York

MESA Notes – Public
Website :
http://www.stoneandthistlefarm.com
Blog, Online Newsletter, etc. :
Public Contact Information:
[email protected]
 

About the Placement:

Detailed Placement Description

We’ve hosted interns for many years and enjoy sharing our philosophy and skills with young and beginning farmers. We are experienced at communicating and educating. Our interns become our family and we maintain relationships with them long after the internship is completed. Because our farm has a Farm Stay, and and certified kitchen, the farm is very active with tourists and students for workshops, events, tours. We do 5 farmers markets in the metro New York area and the steward would have an opportunity to engage in marketing and sales and travel with us to the farmers markets. We work hard but take breaks to enjoy our community and to take hikes, attend concerts, events and dinners at friends. Family members include our 26 year old son who works on the farm and are active with the Greater Catskills Young Farmers Coalition and work and interact with vegetable and sheep farms in the area.
Special Note: we have 10 dogs (livestock guardian, border collies for herding and one pet) Nine of the dogs live outside and one lives inside as a pet. The dogs are very friendly with our family and anyone who works on the farm but liking and being comfortable with dogs is a must.

Primary Production :

Cattle, Dairy, Goats, Pork/Swine, Poultry, Sheep, Rabbits


About the Internship:

Training Hours:

48

Training Expectations :

Six day work week. On and off site training with family and farmhands. Able to speak English reasonably well. Physically fit – able to lift at least 50 lbs. Desired skills are enthusiasm, creative thinking, problem solving, carpentry, veterinary

On-Site Training, Steward’s primary activities :

Working with a team of seasoned farmers, the intern will have the opportunity to learn all aspects of the farm’s operations including livestock care, on-farm poultry slaughter, farmers markets sales, agri-tourism and value-added food processing.. For 25+ years, the farm has raised 100% grass-fed beef, lamb and goat as well as pastured pork, poultry and rabbits. Poultry raised on the farm includes chickens for eggs and meat, ducks, and turkeys. While the goat herd is principally meat, the farm maintains two dairy goats to milk and for the consumption of goat dairy products. Retail cuts of the farm’s meat and value-added products are sold at local and New York Metro area farmers markets. The farm operates a successful farm stay operation and hosts guests from all over the world who come to experience a working farm and enjoy meals prepared with the farm’s bounty. The farm has an on-site, certified kitchen and hosts private events and food workshops such as cheese making, sausage making and cooking. Fable’s Kitchen, the farm’s line of value-added food, produces soups, pates, spreads, meat pies, and sausages which are sold via the farmers markets. The farm also conducts farm tours and field workshops such as slaughtering and butchering and hosts the Northeast Sheep Shearing School in March.

Climate and Location Description

The farm is located in a valley in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains. Rural. 20 minute drive to town. Mountain temperatures. During our busy season – May to October – day temperatures are 40 to 80 degrees F. Night temperatures are rarely above 65 degrees F. From October to April temperatures range from 45 to 10 below zero. Moderate snow – up to three feet of snow during the winter. Moderate rainfall.

Compensation :

tree house yurt, Free, daily food, M

Accommodations and amenities provided :

Two tree house yurts located at Harmony Hill Retreat are 1/2 mile from the farm.

Preferred start date :

May 1

Preferred length of internship :

May 1 to November 30