PG191016TM

11ASO1572

Temporary

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS), EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems Food and Farm Apprenticeship Program, is seeking highly-motivated individuals from a variety of different backgrounds to participate in a hands-on work and study apprenticeship program. The apprenticeship program trains participants in many aspects of sustainable agriculture, value-added production, and local food and beverage small business expansion, marketing and business support.
Apprenticeship appointments are for 8 – 12 weeks and are located in Jackson, Cherokee, Graham, Clay, Swain, Macon, and Haywood Counties, including the Qualla Boundary of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Positions require on site work.

Eligibility
Eligible students include:
Students enrolled in Southwestern Community College, Tri County Community College, Haywood Community college curriculum or continuing education programs. Students enrolled in Western Carolina University (including rising Freshman). Students enrolled in any secondary institution and living in the program region during the apprenticeship period.

Payment:
Apprentices are paid through the NCSU payroll system at a rate of $12 per hour

Brief Program Overview
During the 8-12 weeks, apprentice will have the opportunity to:

Immerse oneself in agricultural and value-added production, spending up to twenty hours a week as an integral part of a team.
Assist business and nonprofits with expanding their marketing and outreach.
Interact with other apprentices at the various mentor sites. Develop production and marketing skills.

For additional Information about the EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems Food & Farm Apprenticeship Program visit:

https://cefs.ncsu.edu/food-system-initiatives/emfs-empowering-mountain-food-systems/emfs-food-farm-apprenticeship-program/

7 Available Fall Apprenticeship Opportunities:

1 – Wehrloom Honey (Graham Co., Robbinsville, NC)

Apprentices will assist with mead production, including cleaning and sanitizing of vessels, brewing, fermentation monitoring, record keeping, kegging, bottling, labeling, etc. Duties also include honey production: bottling, labeling, shipping, etc. Apprentices will assist with skincare production, general cleaning, maintenance and upkeep of equipment. Storefront and retail work are included in daily operations. Apprentices must have good time management skills, be self-motivated, and be willing to learn new things while assisting with scaling-up production of our products, to increase sales potential.

Learning Objectives/Job Duties
-Food safety regulations and processes for brewing – bottling, equipment cleaning, product labeling, and record keeping.
-Food Safety Regulations and Processes for Honey – bottling, equipment cleaning, product labeling, and record keeping.
-The fermentation process and product creation.
-How increasing production along with marketing strategies will increase sales and profitability.
-Direct-to-Consumer Marketing.
-Customer Service/Storefront/Tasting Room Sales.
-Time Management.
-Understanding Product Pricing.
-Agritourism Business Model.

Experience
-Brewing experience is a plus.

Apprenticeship Duration
-(8 weeks) for 15-20 hrs a week

Working Business Hours
Monday-Thursday 9 am – 6pm
Friday – Saturday 9 am – 7 pm

Estimated Number of People per visit
6-25

2 – Taylor’s Greenhouse (Graham Co, Robbinsville, NC)

Taylor’s Greenhouse is a family business that offers a wide variety of plants including heirloom vegetables, flowers, herbs, perennials and natives. A nursery apprentice will work hands-on to grow plants from seed to maturity. The focus is on nurturing the plants until they can be purchased. Duties will include planting, transplanting, cultivating, tending, pruning, watering, fertilizing, weeding, watching the plants for pests and diseases, customer service and maintaining nursery infrastructure.

Learning Objectives/Job Duties
-Native plant propagation.
-Vegetables, including heirloom variety, transplant production.
-Herb and flower transplant production.
-High tunnel/greenhouse production.
-Nursery plant fertilization.
-Integrated Pest Management (IPM).
-Direct to consumer marketing/ nursery customer assistance.
-Time management.
-Understanding product pricing.

Apprentice Duration
(8 weeks) for 15-20 hrs a week

Working Business Hours
Mon.-Thursday 9 am – 6pm
Friday – Sat. 9 am – 7 pm

Estimated Number of People Per Visit
4-25

3 – Shaka Alpaca Farm (Cherokee Co., Murphy NC)

Shaka Alpaca farm is looking for an apprentice to help expand their Agritourism based business specializing in Alpaca Treks, and educational tours, offering informative discussions about how small livestock farms are operated. The apprentice will work side by side with farm owners to learn day-to-day animal care and farm operations. Additionally, the apprentice will work to expand social media marketing to promote farm awareness to increase farm tours.

Learning Objectives/Job Duties
-Overall care for small ruminates (goats and alpacas).
-Animal husbandry and herd health, including vaccination and deworming protocols, disease prevention measures, nutritional and feed requirements based on animal use and condition.
-Small farm animal care (chickens, rabbits, bees and any other new additions).
-Farm cleaning/maintenance and pre-farm tour preparation.
-Farm land conservation practices including rotational grazing, fence maintenance, maintaining heavy use areas, and water quality.
-Predator prevention measures.
-Interaction with farm visitors with a focus on small farm education.
-Prepare Alpacas for Treks.
-Learn how to guide Alpaca Treks.
-Retail sales.
-Agritourism business growth and visitation expansion. Including accommodating larger group tours and making accommodations with individuals with special needs.
-Improve social media presence, including real-time posts during tours and farm activities.
-Marketing material development, i.e. digital newsletters, event flyers, etc.
-Small Farm Business Management.

Experience
-Some social media platform experience (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, etc.).

Apprenticeship Duration
(10 weeks) for 15-20 hrs a week

Working Business Hours
Monday – Sunday 8 am – 5 pm

Estimated Number of People Per Visit
3-12

4 – Candy Mountain Farm (Cherokee Co., Murphy NC)

Candy Mountain Farm is a 365 day a year vegetable farm using sustainable organic farm practices. The apprentice will learn how to grow in high tunnels, season extension practices, how to maximize growing space and yields, and expand market and sales through crop diversity. The apprentice will assist farm owners in maintaining market diversification by supporting Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), farmers market and restaurant sales.

Duties include manually planting, cultivating, and harvesting of fresh produce, tilling soil, applying fertilizers and pesticides, transplanting, weeding, thinning, cleaning, packing, and loading harvested products. Additionally, the apprentice will construct trellises and raised beds and repair farm infrastructure and participate in irrigation activities.

Learning Objectives/Job Duties
-High tunnel production and season extension.
-Seed/Crop Selection.
-Crop Cultivation.
-High tunnel and field irrigation.
-Farming practices which adapt to climate variations.
-Product Pricing.
-Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and Market Grower Operations.
-Product reliability and quality.
-Proper record keeping for overhead and inventory.
-Organic Integrated Pest Management Techniques (IPM).
-Good Agricultural Practices for fresh produce including harvesting and post-harvest handling.
-Bee Keeping.
-Small farm business management.

Experience
- Able bodied with some basic farming skills.

Apprenticeship Duration
(12 weeks) for 20 hrs a week

Working Business Hours
Monday – Sunday 8 am – 8 pm

Estimated Number of People Per Visit
3-6

5 – High Mountain Meadows Farm and Creamery (Clay Co., Hayesville NC)

High Mountain Meadows Farm and Creamery is looking for an apprentice to help expand their Agritourism based business specializing in artisan cheeses, educational tours offering informative discussions about how small goat dairy farms are operated, how-to workshops on garden season extension, building pollinator gardens, cheese making classes including overnight farm stays, and Goat Yoga events. The apprentice will work side by side with the farmer to learn day to day animal care/maintenance and farm operations including milking and cheese making. Additionally, the apprentice with work to expand social media marketing to promote and increase farm tours, special classes and event offerings.

Learning Objectives/Job Duties
-Food Safety Regulations and Processes for Dairy/Creamery – Bottling, Equipment Cleaning, Product Labeling, Record Keeping.
-How increasing production along with marketing strategies will increase sales and profitability.
-Dairy goat milking.
-Artisan cheese making skills.
-Small farm business management.
-Direct to consumer marketing at farm store and also at farmers markets and restaurants.
-Time management.
-Understanding product pricing.
-Agritourism business model development.
-Dairy goat husbandry and herd health, including vaccination and deworming protocols, disease prevention measures, nutritional and feed requirements based on animal use and condition.
-Small farm animal care (chickens, rabbits, bees and any other new additions).
-Farm cleaning/maintenance and pre farm tour preparation.
-Farm land conservation practices including rotational grazing, fence maintenance, maintaining heavy use areas, and water quality.
-Predator prevention measures.
-Interaction with farm visitors with a focus on small farm education.
-Marketing material distribution and community outreach.

Experience
-Social media platform experience (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, etc.).
-Willingness to get your hands dirty

Apprenticeship Duration
(10 weeks) for 15-20 hrs a week

Working Business Hours
Monday – Sunday 9 am- 4 pm

Estimated Number of People Per Visit
4-25

6 – Three Oaks Farm (Haywood Co., Clyde NC)

Three Oaks Farm is a registered North Carolina Century Farm (over 100 years of operation) and a Member of the Farmland Preservation District. They are a beef cattle cow-calf operation focused on animal welfare, farmland preservation and conservation land management practices.

Apprenticeship activities will include work to make farm improvements such as; upgrading loading chutes, stocks, adding culverts, road maintenance, implementing conservation practices, such as fencing for rotational grazing and stream exclusion, forestry management including invasive species control and removal, and nutrient management including field fertilizing and understanding soil types. Tasks include installing watering tanks to supply fresh water to cattle and remove access to natural surface water sources, and conservation infrastructure to support heavy use areas. The apprentice will also work on herd management including: tagging and tracking of cattle, vaccination and deworming protocols, overall animal health and predator control and harvesting.

Additionally, the apprentice will work with the farmer to create an updated inventory system for beef and explore new marketing channels. The goal is to expand and grow the feeder calf program to a more direct-to-consumer beef operation.

Learning Objectives/Job Duties
-Overall animal care of calf-cow operation.
-Animal husbandry and herd health, including vaccination and deworming protocols, disease prevention measures, nutritional and feed requirements based on animal use and condition.
-Farmland conservation practices including rotational grazing, fence maintenance, maintaining heavy use areas, invasive species control, and water quality.
-Farm cleaning/maintenance.
-Forage program and hay harvesting.
-Predator prevention measures.
-Improve social media presence, including real-time posts during tours and farm activities.
-Update and improve beef inventory system.
-Farm business management.

Experience
-General interest in farming.
-Willingness to learn.
-Computer skills, including MS Office.
-Social media platform experience (Facebook and Instagram).
-Experience with cattle a plus.

Apprenticeship Duration
(10 weeks) for 15-20 hrs a week

Working Business Hours
Monday – Sunday 8 am – 8 pm

Estimated Number of People Per Visit
3-10

7 – KT Orchards and Apiary (Haywood Co., Clyde NC)

KT Orchard and Apiary is a family farm producing honey, pumpkins, a variety of vegetables, black and red raspberries, pears, peaches and 75 different varieties of apples. In their certified kitchen they produce value added products such as dried apples and honey-based lip balm and creams. This year they are expanding their operation to include apple cider vinegar. With the help of an apprentice, KT Orchard will be able to increase their production and farm profits. The apprenticeship duties include manually planting, cultivating, and harvest of fresh produce and fruit, tilling soil, applying fertilizers and pesticides, transplanting, weeding, thinning, pruning, cleaning, packing, and loading harvested products, as well as, constructing trellises and raised beds, repairing farm infrastructure and irrigation management.

The apprentice will learn the care and maintenance of orchard trees and cane fruits, season extension practices, how to maximize growing space and yields, and expand market and sales through crop and product diversity.

Learning Objectives/Job Duties
-Food Safety Regulations and Processes for Cider Vinegar – Bottling, Equipment Cleaning, Product Labeling, Record Keeping.
-Food Safety Regulations and Processes for Honey – Bottling, Equipment Cleaning, Product Labeling, Record Keeping.
-Fermentation process and product creation.
-Bud and Side Grafting of orchard stock.
-Care and maintenance of orchard trees, cane fruits, and variety of vegetables.
-How increasing production along with marketing strategies will increase sales and profitability.
-Seed/crop selection.
-Crop cultivation.
-Field irrigation.
-Farming practices which adapt to climate variations.
-Market grower operations.
-Product reliability and quality.
-Proper record keeping for overhead and inventory.
-Integrated Pest Management Techniques (IPM).
-Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) for fresh produce including harvesting and post-harvest handling.
-Bee keeping.
-Small farm business management.
-Direct to consumer marketing.
-Time management.
-Understanding product pricing.

Experience
-An interest in farming.
-The apprentice must have a valid driver’s license.

Apprenticeship Duration
(10 weeks) for 15-20 hrs a week

Working Business Hours:
Monday – Sunday 8:30 am – 5:30 pm

Estimated Number of People Per Visit
3-15

What Specific Skills Are Required for This Position?
-We seek individuals who embrace the messaging of sustainable agriculture, are hard-working, self-motivated, have the ability to work consistently on repetitive tasks and have a positive attitude. Successful applicants will have the ability to take direction, show initiative, and work well in a team as well as independently. We desire someone with good communication and organizational skills, strong attention to detail, and the ability to lift up to 45 pounds.

Work Schedule
Flexible – Monday – Friday, Hours can be scheduled directly with the mentor during their normal hours of business as written above and in coordination with student(s) schedule. Approximately 20 hours per week.

No

CEFS

Temporary Technical/Paraprofessional

EmPowering Mountain Food Systems Apprentice

20 hrs per week, flexible

n/a

-High School Diploma or Equivalent

Eligible students include:
-Students enrolled in Southwestern Community College, Tri County Community College, Haywood Community College curriculum or continuing education programs.
-Students enrolled in Western Carolina University (including rising Freshman).
Students enrolled in any secondary institution and that is living in the program region during the apprenticeship period.
-Students graduated within 12 months from Southwestern Community College, Tri County Community College, Haywood Community College, Western Carolina University or other colleges/universities if applicant primary residence is in Haywood, Jackson, Swain, Macon, Graham, Clay, Cherokee Counties or the Qualla Boundary of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians

-A background in agriculture is not required. -Applicants should have keen interest in supporting marketing strategies to highlight messaging of sustainable agriculture practices, agriculture and product education, sustainable livestock production, benefits of proper animal husbandry and promotion of local foods.
-Applicants must be flexible and open to working with producers, EMFS Program Managers and Evaluators, faculty, Extension Agents and other organizations.
-Applicants need to be self motivated to accomplish job responsibilities.

-Valid Driver’s License

Yes

No

$12/hr

08/25/2020

https://jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/135546

NC State University is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as an individual with a disability, or status as a protected veteran.

If you have general questions about the application process, you may contact Human Resources at (919) 515-2135 or workatncstate@ncsu.edu. Individuals with disabilities requiring disability-related accommodations in the application and interview process, please call 919-515-3148.

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