Beginning Farmer Training Program - Unadilla Community Farm

Beginning Farmer Training

All spots have been filled and applications are now closed for the 2023 Food Access Fellowship. Please subscribe to our email list here to receive notifications about future opportunities.

2023 Food Access Fellowship

2023 will be our 10th season at Unadilla Community Farm! This season, we are offering a paid Food Access Fellowship, a selective 22-week program for up to 4 fellows.

Time Commitment: 22-week program from May 1-September 30, 2023. Fellows must be able to commit to the full season.
Schedule: 25 hrs a week, usually from 8:00am-12:00pm Mondays-Saturdays, with some flexibility for occasional community volunteer days on Saturdays and Sundays. On weeks when we have community volunteer days planned on the weekend, our weekday schedule will be adjusted so it does not exceed 25 hrs a week.
Stipend: $10,000 stipend per fellow for the season ($18/hr). Must be authorized to work in the U.S. We cannot offer work visas.
Required Experience: Applicants must have 1 season of paid farming experience (at a homestead/production farm/nonprofit farm or other farm type), OR must have completed Unadilla Community Farm’s Permaculture Internship.
Work Environment: Fellows should be able to carry 40 pounds and be on their feet walking, standing, moving, or squatting for up to 4 hours a day, 6 days a week. Fellows should feel comfortable with a variety of outdoor working conditions, including full sun, light rain, or light frost.
COVID Safety: Masks are required while working because we handle food items and work with vulnerable populations.
Room & Board: Fellows may commute to the farm, or apply to live on-site. For fellows who live on-site, room and board are provided at no charge.

The Food Access Fellowship offers a paid season-long opportunity for beginning farmers with at least one season of farming experience under their belt to skill up and deepen their farming knowledge. Fellows will learn the day-to-day operations of a non-profit farm focused on increasing food access through partnerships with local food pantries.

Under the mentorship of Unadilla Community Farm’s Project Manager, fellows will learn how to:

manage a food forest by applying principles of no-till organic farming, regenerative agroforestry, and permaculture design, with a focus on tending perennial fruits & herbs, cover crops, and garlic
run the farm’s Veggie Box Program, with a focus on harvesting and delivering crops to food pantries in the region
manage volunteer days by leading crews of volunteers from the surrounding community in tasks such as harvesting and wash & pack

Day-to-day tasks will include: seeding; transplanting; irrigation; holistic pest management; no-till cover crop management; weeding; mulching; trellising; pruning; harvesting, wash & pack; landscaping including lawn mowing and weed whacking; and no-till bed preparation.

Off-Grid Accommodations

Our farm is entirely off-grid and is transitioning off of fossil fuels. We now rely 100% on off-grid solar for all of our lighting, charging electronics, landscaping tools, irrigation, and some power tools. For fellows who apply to live on-site, sleeping accommodations include 2 double bedrooms in the skoolie (converted school bus) or camping (bring your own camper, tent, or other camping gear). For fellows who live on-site, all organic vegetarian/vegan meals and snacks are provided. The farm is a substance-free space (we do not allow alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, or other drugs on-site). We have both indoor and outdoor kitchens, indoor and outdoor compost toilets, and a gravity-fed unheated shower as well as access to the Unadilla River. We don’t have wifi, but do have good cell phone reception with Verizon.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

Unadilla Community Farm is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity and to providing a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All hiring decisions are based on organizational needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race/color, religion or belief, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations where we operate. We encourage fellows of all backgrounds to apply to our program. For the past 9 seasons, our beginning farmer training program has welcomed participants from a diversity of backgrounds and racial, ethnic, gender, and sexual identities from across 6 continents.

As first-generation farmers who met through the WWOOF network, accessibility to us also means that the practices we teach are intentionally designed to be easily replicable and financially accessible for fellow young and beginning farmers. Our interns, fellows, staff, and board members come from all walks of life and apply these practices in a variety of ways — from market gardening and garden therapy, to environmental advocacy and natural resource conservation, to plant-based cooking, intentional living, and so much more — but what unites us is a shared desire for sustainability in all its forms.

Beyond our community on-site, making our work accessible extends outward by providing access to fresh produce for low-income, low-access rural and urban communities across Central New York through our free and sliding-scale veggie box delivery program — grown, cared for, harvested, and packed by the beginning farmer training program participants.

History of Our Education Work

For the past 9 seasons, Unadilla Community Farm has run a variety of permaculture education programs, offering an immersion into a rural, off-grid sustainable way of life. Through a mix of hands-on experience and classroom hours, participants have learned skills related to no-till organic farming, regenerative agroforestry, permaculture design, natural building, foraging, herbalism, plant-based cooking, food preservation, food safety, conscious communication, fundraising, and more.

Seasons

Internship Program Graduates

"This was my first official WWOOF experience and I would recommend it to everyone regardless of experience level. Ben and Greta were outstanding hosts who created such a comfortable and fun work environment. They both have such a wealth of knowledge in organizing, sustainable agriculture, construction, activism.. (the list goes on) and are always willing to impart some wisdom on us. I honestly feel like I learned more from Ben and Greta's classes than I have in most of my university courses. The farm was always full of activity, laughter and new learning opportunities. The food was colorful and healthy, the river was perfect to bathe in, and we had so many options for where we wanted to sleep. It is a dynamic and beautiful farm with tons of room for mushroom foraging and other adventures. They also take COVID safety very seriously and ensured that both the WWOOFers and surrounding community was safe."

"If you’re looking for a place where you can learn more about self sufficiency, sustainable living and permaculture... look no further - this is THE place. We have been lucky enough to travel around North America in our journey to learn more about organic farming/permaculture, and this has by far been one of our best experiences."

"My experience as an intern at Unadilla Community Farm was amazing! I was there for one month and I learned a lot about permaculture, organic farming, natural building, food preservation, homesteading, & much more. My tasks included watering, harvesting, weeding, mulching, helping in the kitchen or with CSA, sanding wood, window restoration, and food preservation. The other interns were such a fun & great team to work with everyday. We had bonfires at night, played board games and sometimes went to the town. Ben’s vegan food was heavenly: fresh, healthy and a lot of variety. Their land is beautiful, especially in the morning and at night!! Staying in the schoolie was also a pretty cool experience. They have a small community library with lots of very interesting books. Greta and Ben are truly amazing and nice people with a lot of knowledge and kindness! They help their community and are engaged and passionate people. I definitely recommend being an intern at Unadilla."

"Living and working at Unadilla Community Farm was a wonderful experience! I learned a huge amount about natural building techniques, farming and homesteading. Work was hands on and educational -- exactly as described -- and interns had lots of free time as well for hiking, reading, etc. It was absolutely beautiful; Greta & Ben were both very knowledgeable; all in all an amazing month."

"I will never forget the time spent here, as it was one of the most positive, gratifying and unifying experiences I’ve had in my life thus far. I spent only two months here, but learned so much about organic farming, natural building, permaculture, and living communally - and that’s just to name a few of the topics covered by their internship program. I am eternally grateful for this experience and for Ben and Greta’s overwhelming generosity towards me and all of the interns on the farm. I will miss living in a tent by the river, cooking, eating, and working together. I hope to carry the lessons learned during my time here with me forever. My simple review doesn’t really do it justice - I would have stayed much longer if I had the chance!"

“This internship changed the way I view life and the true meaning of sustainability. Ben and Greta are inspirational, hardworking, and foster a loving community. I learned something new everyday and I have never felt more free in my life.”