Phone Number
6145303563
I'm Seeking
Apprenticeship
Best Time to be Reached
Late afternoon/evening, email is more reliable
Age
20
Available for Fall Harvest
No
Room & Board
Room and Board
Are you a vegetarian?
No
Available for Winter Work
Yes
Will you eat meat raised at your host farm?
Yes
Time Period for Work
I am currently looking for work for the 2017-2018 winter season, but I am also looking for work in the spring and summer of next year. I prefer longer employment, but can also work seasonally. I can help with the fall harvest after mid-October.
Why are you seeking an apprenticeship or work opportunity on an organic farm in Vermont?
I apprenticed at Bread & Puppet Theater this summer and fell in love with Vermont. I love working with my hands and love being outside, so farm work is a great fit for me. I want to learn more about farming and agriculture so I can eventually start my own farmstead.
I can visit farms to interview for apprentice / farm worker position
Yes
Physical Labor
Many of my previous jobs have required physical labor. I am in decent shape; I can lift 50+ pounds and work on my feet all day. I really enjoy working with my hands and don't mind rough work.
Do You Have Transportation?
Yes
How did you hear about the program?
I found NOFA online while looking for farm jobs.
Three Interesting Things About Me
I used to be the vocalist for a surf band in Columbus Ohio
I can play the bass
I make an excellent chocolate cake
I can play the bass
I make an excellent chocolate cake
Are you a smoker?
No
3 Things People Should Know About Living with Me
I like working with other people, but I am also happy to work by myself.
I can be shy especially when meeting someone new, but I like getting to know people once I warm up to them
My blood sugar tends to get low, so I like to keep snacks around the house
I can be shy especially when meeting someone new, but I like getting to know people once I warm up to them
My blood sugar tends to get low, so I like to keep snacks around the house
Name an experience that changed the course of your life
My time at Bread & Puppet definitely changed my life. Over the course of the summer I gained so much self confidence and really grew into myself. My time there made me realize my life in Ohio wasn't what I wanted, so I packed up my stuff and moved to Vermont. The Northeast has always held a special place in my heart, but I never had the courage to leave my life behind and move to another state before now.
Experience Level
Intermediate
References
April Hoy- Employer, Stratford Ecological Center- [email protected]
Laura Shaffer- Employer, Klamath National Forest- [email protected]
Maria Shumann- Employer, Cate Hill [email protected]
Alex D'amore Braver- Coworker, Cofounder of Walipini Charities, character reference
Laura Shaffer- Employer, Klamath National Forest- [email protected]
Maria Shumann- Employer, Cate Hill [email protected]
Alex D'amore Braver- Coworker, Cofounder of Walipini Charities, character reference
Can You Drive Manual Transmission?
No
Apprentice Goals
I want to learn more about different farming practices and applications. I want to know more about animal care as well. Mostly I want to gain more experience farming so I can be better equipped to eventually start my own farmstead.
Work Experience
Apprentice- Cate Hill Orchard, Craftsbury Common VT- Building pasture, tending sheep, hand and machine milking, farmers markets, harvesting apples, cider making, equipment maintenance, household chores
Apprentice- Bread & Puppet Theater, Glover VT- Splitting wood, maintaining work areas (workshop, paint shop, clay yard), repairing and building puppets, rehearsing and preforming shows each week, harvesting produce, community living
Front Of House- Dough Mama Café & Bakery, Columbus OH- Customer service, serving food, food preparation
Patrol Supervisor- Community Crime Patrol, Columbus OH- Patrolling multiple sites in the greater Columbus area, offering information and assistance to civilians, notifying proper authorities in event of an emergency, training all new hires, leading shifts and supervising other units
Founder- Walipini Charities, Columbus OH- Co-founded non-profit urban farm with a focus on education, community living, small farm development and management, animal care (chickens, ducks, rabbits), construction
Barista- Espressoasis James, Columbus OH- Customer service, opening & closing shop independently, equipment management
Educational Intern, Farm Worker- Stratford Ecological Center, Delaware OH- Nature & field trip guide, animal care (cows, llamas, goats, sheep, pigs, chickens), harvesting produce, garden planning and management, volunteer coordination, apiary experience
Recreation Intern- Klamath National Forest, Happy Camp CA- Trail maintenance, chainsaw and hand tool use & maintenance, public outreach, work in all conditions
Greenhouse Manager- Logos Academy, Deland FL- Greenhouse construction & maintenance, aquaponics system development, seed germination
Apprentice- Bread & Puppet Theater, Glover VT- Splitting wood, maintaining work areas (workshop, paint shop, clay yard), repairing and building puppets, rehearsing and preforming shows each week, harvesting produce, community living
Front Of House- Dough Mama Café & Bakery, Columbus OH- Customer service, serving food, food preparation
Patrol Supervisor- Community Crime Patrol, Columbus OH- Patrolling multiple sites in the greater Columbus area, offering information and assistance to civilians, notifying proper authorities in event of an emergency, training all new hires, leading shifts and supervising other units
Founder- Walipini Charities, Columbus OH- Co-founded non-profit urban farm with a focus on education, community living, small farm development and management, animal care (chickens, ducks, rabbits), construction
Barista- Espressoasis James, Columbus OH- Customer service, opening & closing shop independently, equipment management
Educational Intern, Farm Worker- Stratford Ecological Center, Delaware OH- Nature & field trip guide, animal care (cows, llamas, goats, sheep, pigs, chickens), harvesting produce, garden planning and management, volunteer coordination, apiary experience
Recreation Intern- Klamath National Forest, Happy Camp CA- Trail maintenance, chainsaw and hand tool use & maintenance, public outreach, work in all conditions
Greenhouse Manager- Logos Academy, Deland FL- Greenhouse construction & maintenance, aquaponics system development, seed germination
3 Skills
Power Tool/ Construction Experience- I have worked with most power tools (drills, impact drivers, sanders, table saws, nail guns etc.), and hand tools (saws, axes, McLeods, broadforks etc.) I can use and fix chainsaws (I unfortunately can't fell trees). I learned most of my tool skills working for the forest service in California, but also from personal experience or other farm jobs. I built greenhouses, low houses and aquaponic systems while working for Logos Academy in DeLand, Florida, and have built chicken coops for my own chickens. I like working with tools and can learn how to use new ones quickly.
Growing Experience- All of my growing experience is organic. I have worked with a variety of different crops from lettuce and carrots to beans and corn to green tea and fruit trees. I'm familiar with most crops and their water/ sunlight needs, as well as their diseases.
Animal Experience- My animal experience is all organically minded as well. I have worked with many different kinds of animals, so I am very comfortable around them. I cared for cows, goats, sheep, pigs, llamas, rabbits, chickens, and ducks at Stratford or on my own farm. At Cate Hill I bring the sheep out to pasture every morning after milking. I know how to milk sheep and goats by hand, and can operate a small milking machine. I have also learned how to build electric fences and set up pastures.
Growing Experience- All of my growing experience is organic. I have worked with a variety of different crops from lettuce and carrots to beans and corn to green tea and fruit trees. I'm familiar with most crops and their water/ sunlight needs, as well as their diseases.
Animal Experience- My animal experience is all organically minded as well. I have worked with many different kinds of animals, so I am very comfortable around them. I cared for cows, goats, sheep, pigs, llamas, rabbits, chickens, and ducks at Stratford or on my own farm. At Cate Hill I bring the sheep out to pasture every morning after milking. I know how to milk sheep and goats by hand, and can operate a small milking machine. I have also learned how to build electric fences and set up pastures.
What do you hope to take away from an experience working on an organic farm?
I want to learn more about soil management and crop rotations, vegetable varieties/ breeding, and animal processing. I hope to learn more about the seasonal transitions and how to operate a farm year to year.
Education
Linworth Alternative Program, Worthington, OH- High School Diploma
Ohio State University, Columbus, OH- coursework in Biology, Chemistry, Philosophy and Fine Arts
Ohio State University, Columbus, OH- coursework in Biology, Chemistry, Philosophy and Fine Arts
What do you perceive will be your reaction to living and learning with new and unknown people in a rural area?
I have had to do this for several of my previous jobs. I'm usually shy in the beginning, but I warm up quickly and become a very active community member.
Status
Active