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Licking Creek Bend Farm
Needmore,
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MESA Notes – Public |
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Website : |
http://www.lickingcreekbendfarm.com | |
Blog, Online Newsletter, etc. : |
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Public Contact Information: |
[email protected] | |
About the Placement:
Detailed Placement Description
Live and Work on the LICKING CREEK BEND FARM in Needmore, PA. LCBF is a WORKER-RUN sustainable farm, operating for over 50 years, growing pesticide-free produce to low and moderate income neighborhoods, food co-ops and universities in the DC/Baltimore area. We are certified through Certified Naturally Growers (CNG), that goes beyond USDA certification requirements.
If you work with us, you’ll have a great opportunity to learn the basics of raising sustainably grown, pesticide-free vegetables, fruit, and Christmas trees in Pennsylvania’s Allegheny Mountains. Located two hours from Washington/Baltimore/Pittsburgh, our beautiful farm sits in a valley, near the C&O Canal. Cool off in our creek, and enjoy biking, hiking, and the Appalachian Trail. Bluegrass, county fairs and folk festivals are nearby, in Berkeley Springs, WV
The farm consists of 60 acres located about 10 miles north of Hancock, MD (where PA, MD and WV join together). We are approximately 100 miles from Washington, DC.
We welcome WIC, local subsidy programs and farmers market food stamp recipients to our markets. We are active in family farm-related issues such as food insecurity, keeping up with pesticide-free techniques and GMO labeling. We have about a 75-family CSA and 3 weekly markets. We also wholesale to food co-ops, small restaurants, several universities and as often as possible donate produce to non-profits helping families in need. While we work hard, we’ve have had amazing people at our farm, musicians, poets, chefs, college professors, serious environmentalists, etc. The team works well together, understands the work and have fun.
Our farm is worker-run with a philosophy of growing pesticide-free produce at affordable prices. Staff live on the farm and together make decisions about hiring and how to accomplish the work. We have several rooms in the main house and three cabins. All utilities are covered. The food provided on the farm comes from the farm, from lots of canning and freezing along with the fresh harvests. We maintain a vegetarian kitchen. We supply essentials, flour, grains, rice, pasta, eggs, milk, etc., but for specialty items, staff provides themselves. There is plenty of food and amazing cooking on the farm.
Staff meets every morning to go over what needs to be done that day, and together figure out how to accomplish the short-term and long-term tasks.
The season you spend on our farm gaining hands-on experience should easily exceed or compliment the education you’d receive at a decent college or university. A farm experience is an opportunity to apply and expand existing knowledge as well learn and integrate new skills into your life. We also work with universities and colleges to accept as credits, your work on the farm.
Generally, people who work on the Licking Creek Bend Farm are college graduates and 21-45 years old. Farm work, at least on our farm, should give you an opportunity to fully use all of your resources – intellectual, physical and creative. It all depends on how seriously you take the challenge, and how ready you are for it. The opportunity gives many people a chance to refocus their life’s direction. It also opens the door for employment in an environmentally-connected occupation. (Farm experience also usually registers as a positive addition on resume).
Primary Production :
Bees/Honey, Berries, Farm Education & Community, Herbs, Tree fruits, Vegetables
About the Internship
Training Hours:
range from 40 – 50 hours/week during the high season; 40 or less during low season
Training Expectations :
FARM PHILOSOPHY AND ACTIVISM
We emphasize food justice and make every effort to provide low and moderate income communities and non-profits with affordable or donated produce. We also encourage and offer the option of engaging in local social justice issues, for example anti-CAFO (cruel industrial animal raising) organizing, banning harmful chemicals in our drinking water and increasing awareness of gender and racism issues in our area.
* Preparing the fields for planting, starter seeds in our greenhouse, transplanting, weeding, harvesting and preparing for markets and CSA, fruit tree pruning, maintaining of farm equipment and many more tasks.
*We provide guidance to staff to the basics of apple, pear and other fruit and vegetable production without the use of chemicals
*Subtilties of pest management, specific issues related to different plants, pesticide-free techniques.
*You will get exposure to what it really takes to start and sustain a small farm. The business end as well as the many many aspects of how to grow enough pesticide-free produce to, at minimum, break even and work towards a sustainable farm. It is amazing what goes into this kind of business! The cost of equipment and their maintenance, staffing, dealing with what Mother Nature hands us (drought, too much rain, blight, etc.), deer, groundhog and other critters, finding market outlets and building a customer and wholesale base, etc.
*Bee keeping (but you need your own gear – we can discuss)
*For staff that stay through the winter, we offer paid participation in various farm conferences held during the winter and early spring.
*And many other skills.
On-Site Training, Steward’s primary activities :
* Preparing the fields for planting, starter seeds in our greenhouse, transplanting, weeding, harvesting and preparing for markets and CSA, fruit tree pruning, maintaining of farm equipment and many more tasks.
*We provide guidance to staff to the basics of apple, pear and other fruit and vegetable production without the use of chemicals
*Subtilties of pest management, specific issues related to different plants, pesticide-free techniques.
*You will get exposure to what it really takes to start and sustain a small farm. The business end as well as the many many aspects of how to grow enough pesticide-free produce to, at minimum, break even and work towards a sustainable farm. It is amazing what goes into this kind of business! The cost of equipment and their maintenance, staffing, dealing with what Mother Nature hands us (drought, too much rain, blight, etc.), deer, groundhog and other critters, finding market outlets and building a customer and wholesale base, etc.
*Bee keeping (but you need your own gear – we can discuss)
*For staff that stay through the winter, we offer paid participation in various farm conferences held during the winter and early spring.
*And many other skills.
Climate and Location Description
Pennsylvania gets hot during the summer, cooling off a bit in the evenings, in the fall it is very pleasant. The DC markets experience similar weather.
Compensation :
We provide room and board (food) plus all utilities
Accommodations and amenities provided :
Staff live on the farm and together make decisions about hiring and how to accomplish the work. We have several rooms in the main house and three cabins. All utilities are covered. The food provided on the farm comes from the farm, from lots of canning and freezing along with the fresh harvests. We maintain a vegetarian kitchen. We supply essentials, flour, grains, rice, pasta, eggs, milk, etc., but for specialty items, staff provides themselves. There is plenty of food and amazing cooking on the farm
Preferred start date :
April
Preferred length of internship :
6-12 months; April – December and beyond
