Permaculture Organics Internship
2024 Internships at SALAMANDER SPRINGS FARM: 2 positions available
CONTACT: Susana Lein (farmer/owner) 859-893-3360 or salamanderspringsfarm@gmail.com
SALAMANDER SPRINGS FARM produces a wide range of vegetables, grains, dry beans, fruits, nuts, berries, flowers, forest foods and medicinals. It is a completely off-grid ridge-top farm built from scratch using permaculture principles, Salamander Springs has gravity-fed spring water, a small solar electric system and self-built structures, utilizing salvage and natural building techniques. See website for more information about the farm.
LOCATION: 5972 Wildie Road, Mount Vernon, KY 40456 20 minutes south of Berea in Clear Creek Valley near Anglin Falls (Rockcastle County).
INTERNSHIP DESCRIPTION: Minimum 300-hour internship, with preferred availability of up to 30 hours/week for at least 10+ weeks. Flexible schedule, between May 15 - August 18. Work-exchange for registration fees to participate in sustainable agriculture/permaculture skills workshops (see website for details).
Previous farm/garden experience is helpful. This internship will especially benefit students interested in developing skills in regenerative farming without tillage or purchased inputs, building soil health, permaculture practice, appropriate technologies and off-grid DIY homesteading. See WORKSHOPS and FARM SYSTEMS pages on website for more details on farm practices.
Interns work an average 5-6 hours/day, scheduled as appropriate for the weather, needs of the farm and Susana’s consulting/workshop schedule. With summer heat, we will start early morning working until a shared mid-day meal, allowing the rest of day off. Occasionally evenings may be needed for transplanting or harvest. Extra hours can be added for lighter tasks after lunch. When possible, we will participate in Saturday morning farmers’ markets, which will need one intern from 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (interns can alternate). Since 2021 Susana has been transitioning from market production to more workshop teaching and off-farm consulting jobs. As her schedule necessitates,1-2 weekdays will be days off for interns.
With the consulting work off-farm, more time-consuming, higher-end market crops will be scaled back. 2024 season will focus more on staple crops for food self-reliance and include some crop trials and intercropping experiments that Susana was unable to do while intensively market farming.
FARM TASKS may include the following:
- Preparing fields and beds for planting. Depending upon the crop, this may include cover crop crimping & mulching, occultation, applying compost, raking, watering.
- Planting and care of vegetable, fruit, herb, flower, legume and grain crops. This may include direct sowing, transplanting, applying inoculants, watering, support staking, mulching, pruning, over-sowing cover crops and spot weeding. (With reduced production demands, we may experiment with new intercropping combinations.)
- Harvest and processing of vegetables, herbs, fruits, flowers, grains & legumes (for market, processing or storage).
- Marketing farm products, booth set-up, educating consumers about nutrient-dense foods.
- Assisting with construction and building appropriate technology projects, including use of natural and salvaged materials
- Preparing whole food meals of local ingredients.
- Food processing: solar dehydrating fruits, vegetables, roots and herbs, making kombucha, fermenting, canning and freezing, etc.
- Preparing value-added products such as salves, tinctures, dried herbs/fruits/chilies, luffa sponges, garlic braids, etc.
- Infrastructure projects as time allows: finishing the excavation of a second rice paddy, processing the excavated clay for natural building projects, building construction or repair projects.
- Utilizing, conserving and managing energy, materials, water, nutrients and food resources. Living with few external resources, no bank loans and little money.
- Managing rainwater capture on site, including cisterns overflow, wetland plants, contour swales and ponds.
- Farm animals have been sold because Susana’s travel for consulting work has made it difficult and uneconomical to hire for their care and protection. The farm still produces abundant forage and Susan may get ducks again this season for the integrated rice paddy. In that case, their care will also be part of farm tasks for interns.
MEALS: Mid-day meals will be shared in an open-air kitchen structure which Susana built of salvage to use while building her tiny house. We will rotate responsibility for preparing the mid-day meal and kitchen chores such as icebox management and kombucha making. Meals are predominately plant-based, made from scratch using whole (unprocessed) foods from the farm and other local farms. Some bulk foods like salt and grains not produced on the farm are purchased from the cooperative Good Foods store (in Lexington).
HOUSING: Berea College interns should plan on summer housing in town. However having a tent for an occasional rustic camping experience, especially during special events or workshops on the farm, is a great experience. A tent platform (w/o electricity) is available on the farm. The farm’s toilet facilities are comprised of a DIY solar shower, sink and outhouse (humanure composting sawdust bucket toilet system) After dark, the outdoor kitchen structure is lit by small LED solar lights, candles or kerosine lanterns. A cooler with ice provides limited refrigeration. The farm has no trash or recycling service. Packaged foods are discouraged and there is a pack-in, pack-out policy for any packaged items. Some cell phone providers do not get reception at the farm and there is no internet service. Verizon and AT&T seem to be passable and smart phone users have received and spotty data service at certain spots on the farm. If needed, there is access to solar electric power for charging phones. There is nice hiking in the woods an a beautiful waterfall (25 minute hike up a creek).
LEARN MORE about the farm: Salamander Springs Farm website: Permaculture Organics - SALAMANDER SPRINGS FARM Clear Creek, near BEREA, KY
salamandersprings.wixsite.com/farm 859-893-3360
2024 Internships at SALAMANDER SPRINGS FARM REFERENCES: Please provide 2 references as outlined below:
Reference 1:
Name:
Institution and Location:
Your work relationship:
Telephone number:
Email:
Reference 2:
Name:
Institution and Location:
Your work relationship:
Telephone number:
Email:
QUESTIONNAIRE: Thanks for taking a few moments to respond to these questions.
- What are your learning objectives for this internship? Describe any special skills you’d like to develop or to contribute during you time here.
- What motivates you to work on an off-grid organic permaculture farm? How does this internship relate to your career goals?
- Describe any physical limitations or concerns about working in variable weather conditions on a farm.
- Describe any allergies or diet restrictions. Are you a vegetarian, omnivore, primarily plant-based or vegan? Foods you dislike?
- What hours of the day do you prefer doing farm work? (i.e. early, through the day, or evenings) Describe your experience of and any special considerations or needs you may have with working in summer heat, sun, cold or rain.
- Relate any questions regarding working/living on a rustic, off-grid farm (i.e. using/maintaining a composting toilet outhouse, cooking in a rustic open-air kitchen, spring water, lack of air conditioning, etc.)
- Have you prepared meals from whole, unprocessed foods, based on mostly plant-based local foods? Prepared communal meals and shared clean-up and kitchen tasks?
- Will you have your own vehicle for transportation? Salamander Springs Farm is almost 10 miles south of Berea on a steep and curvy road.
Thank you for taking the time to think about and respond to these questions! Feel free to add questions of your own or anything you'd like to include about you/your interests, hopes or aspirations!
Susana Lein