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Black Dog Farm

Willits, California

	MESA Notes – Public
	Website :	https://blackdogfarmcatering.wordpress.com/about/
	Blog, Online Newsletter, etc. :	https://www.instagram.com/blackdogfarmcatering/
	Public Contact Information:	[email protected]

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About the Placement:

Detailed Placement Description

I have been farming in Mendocino County since 2003, and my farm has evolved a lot over the years. Right now we grow diversified produce and sell to a handful of local wholesale customers and have a well-established farm-to-table catering business that keeps us very busy during the summer. We have 1-2 acres in cultivation throughout the year and specialize in salad greens, mixed culinary herbs, and unique and specialty produce. While we are a for-profit small business, we are closely connected with many nonprofit food projects, including the School of Adaptive Agriculture, which offers a range of educational opportunities for farmers of all levels; the Golden Rule Garden, which grows food for donations to local food banks and for the community where we live; and the Good Farm Fund, a nonprofit project which I co-founded which provides capacity-building grants for food producers in Mendocino County and has fundraised and awarded over $400,000 since our inception.

Primary Production :

Berries, Farm Education & Community, Herbs, Tree fruits, Vegetables

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About the Internship

Training Hours:

32-40

Training Expectations :

Our weekly schedule is Monday – Friday 10-5 and then only chores on the weekends. The way our farm is structured involves a substantial amount of independent work, where we talk together for team meetings and then split off to do projects. Like many farms, the work is weather dependent and our hours can be influenced heavily by the weather – in the winter if it’s rainy, we work in the greenhouses or do planning work on the computer, or we just take the time off because winter is great like that! In the summer, it can be very hot so we sometimes split the day into an early morning/evening shift.

On-Site Training, Steward’s primary activities :

This could change substantially depending on the time of the year. In the early part of the season, it could involve all portions of starting a garden/farm, from soil preparation to seeding and transplanting. We do a lot of greenhouse work during the winter and early spring. In the summer it could involve more harvest and post-harvest work. In 2024 we have a goal of establishing some perennial beds and hedgerows, and that will likely be part of what a steward would help us with.

Climate and Location Description

We are in Northern California, in a very rural area two hours north of San Francisco. The climate is Mediterranean, with hot, dry summers, and lush, rainy winters. We do have some public transportation with a bus system but it’s pretty minimal.

Compensation :

My farm is located at Ridgewood Ranch, where there are a lot of different housing options for temporary guests ranging from off-the-grid cabins to rooms in a shared house., Free, daily food, My farm is one of the farms in the School of Adaptive Agriculture’s Incubator Farm Program, and I help organize and host lots of educational trainings throughout the year.

Accommodations and amenities provided :

We have a range of accommodations, with the primary options being off-the-grid cabins or rooms in a shared house. Both options have wi-fi. Amenities would include the option of participating in community dinners and plenty of fresh vegetables.

Preferred start date :

Flexible

Preferred length of internship :

Flexible

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