Listing Information
Currently Hiring
No, not at this time. Please check back next season!Number of Workers Sought
3Type of Farm
Small Animal (pigs, rabbits, poultry), Vegetable, Fruit/OrchardMarketing Strategy
Community Supported Agriculture, Farm Stand, Farmers' Market, EducationPaid
YesPay Rate
We have three options for work on the farm: AmeriCorps Summer Member, Youth Farm Intern, or volunteer.- AmeriCorps members will work approximately 30 hours/week from June to August and pay will be ~$800/month. AmeriCorps members will also receive $1,500 of college scholarship money upon completion of hours.
- Youth Farm Interns work 18 hours/week June-September (options to begin working in April) and make $11/hr. Youth Farm Interns must be between the ages of 15-18.
- Volunteer positions are unpaid and hours are flexible. Volunteers must be willing to make a minimum 3 week commitment to live and work on the farm and submit to a background check.
For all positions, on-site housing is available with the option of living in a 3-bedroom house, trailer, or large canvas tent. All housing includes access to a large shared kitchen, multiple bathrooms, a laundry room, WIFI, and shared living room areas to hang out.
Housing
YesDo you have a website, social media account, or job posting anywhere else?
YesOnline Listing URL
https://www.cultivatingconnectionsmt.orgDescribe yourself, your family, background, farming experience, philosophy, goals and interests
Homestead Organics Farm (HOF) is the Farm-Classroom for the nonprofit Cultivating Connections Montana (CCMT). HOF owner and CCMT Director, Laura Garber, has been farming organically since 1999. Farm co-operator, Henry Wuensche, is an apprenticed bee keeper and zoo animal keeper who hails from the former East Germany.CCMT was formed eight years ago to house all the educational programs at the farm.
Cultivating Connections Montana’s work is about ‘Building Community Through Food’. Acting as a catalyst, our goal is to empower youth, grow food and share knowledge, foster well-being, provide mentorship & job training, and bring people together through education, participation, and celebration. In a world where there is so much to disagree about, food is something we can all agree on, and it’s a place to start a new conversation.
Describe the physical setting of your farm and the nature of the community in which you live
Our farm-classroom hosts volunteers, interns, and AmeriCorps to live and work as part of our 'Farmily'.Learning opportunities for all positions include planting, monitoring, weeding, and harvesting of vegetable crops, animal chores, cooking and other food processing, and engaging in community-building events. Lunch is provided on work days. Bulk organic Montana-grown grains and lentils as well as our own produce are provided for volunteers. Housing includes camper trailers, 18' tipi, shared house, or canvas tents. There is a shared kitchen, hang-out spaces, bathroom, and laundry.
The farm is located a few miles south of Hamilton, Montana, and lies between Hwy. 93 and Skalkaho Hwy. Our schedule allows for lots of free time to enjoy the natural wonders in the area including trailheads as close as a 10 minute drive away, the Bitterroot River that is a 10 minute walk away, amazing Lake Como only a 15 minute drive away, and a bike path connecting us to the lovely small town of Hamilton that is only 3 miles away.
Describe your farm operation
Homestead Organics Farm is the Farm-Classroom for the non-profit Cultivating Connections Montana. We are Real Organic Project Certified and certified organic by the MT Dept. of Agriculture. Most of the farming is done by hand with mechanical preparation and mowing.
We raise mixed veggies, garlic, seeds, fruit trees, meat chickens and turkeys, laying hens, potbelly pigs, goats, ducks, geese, heritage turkeys, AND COMMUNITY!
We work to function in a relational basis instead of strictly a transactional basis - half our Veggie CSA shares are donated within the community, our Darby Farmers Market booth is by donation, we accept SNAP, trade for vegetables, apply for grants and seek program donors and sponsors, and hope work to inspire new ways of integrating community into farming.
Describe the work to be performed by applicant
Working with Cultivating Connections Montana means: mentoring youth and community members in small scale agriculture, cooking and sharing food, and living resilient lifestyles.Work will include seeding, watering, transplanting, weeding, harvesting, value-added food processing, using hand tools, caring for livestock, interacting with community members, and seeing every day as an opportunity to learn and share.
What do you expect of a worker?
The 2023 Cultivating Connections Montana program schedule varies based on position, but is generally: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday 9AM-4:30PM, Tuesday 9AM-3PM, rotating Saturdays 7AM-2PM.Describe the learning and educational opportunities available to a worker
Dreaming about farming in Montana? Volunteer or work with Cultivating Connections Montana, a non-profit educational organization, for a season to remember! Expand your knowledge and skills in organic small-scale vegetable, seed, and poultry growing. Mentor Youth and others in the field and at the market. Spend time in the commercial kitchen cooking lunches or learning to make value-added, ready-to-eat salads and meals for sale and donation within the community. Collaborate on creating and hosting community and skill building workshops. Contribute to the weekly CSA newsletter and share the Cultivating Connections Montana story. Lend a hand at the community garden or in a neighbor's garden, go to the Farmers Market, and assist with monthly ‘Special Abilities Camp’ for kids on the autism spectrum.Are you a full-time farmer?
YesExplain the room and board arrangements or describe options in your area
Housing could be: in the tipi, a camper trailer, a shared house, or a large canvas wall tent. There is a shared full kitchen, bathroom, laundry, and common room in one house. In the main FarmHouse there is a commercial kitchen, attached greenhouse annex, the FarmStand, walk-in cooler, and additional hang-out space with internet connectivity.Eat Lunch together Monday-Friday. Bulk Montana grown grains and lentils, as well as farm produce available for dinners. Two shared dinners each week, prepared on a rotating schedule. Breakfast and weekends on your own.
Please attach any photos of your farm and operation
Please share three things you think people should know about living with you.
We believe in working hard during work hours, taking time for ourselves, eating and spending time with our families and friends, cooking and eating Montana grown foods, loving nature, and being present for the moment.The work on a farm is never ending, but we all have to have a break if we want to remain resilient. Good sleep and time for chores and personal morning practices is important to us so we generally do not start work before 9AM.
Since we are working with youth, all volunteers must submit to and pay for a background check. Sexual or violent offenders of any kind cannot volunteer with us.