summitspringsfarm.net

Farm apprenticing
Folks who are interested in learning the ins and outs of organic farming can become farm apprentices.  The typical apprentice/farmer arrangement involves an exchange of labor for room, board, a modest stipend, and informal, intensive training and experience in farming.  As is the case with many small, family farms, Summit Springs Farm depends on apprentice help to get through the farm season.  We view ourselves as teachers as well as farmers, and it’s extremely important to us to pass along the knowledge we have to the next generation of perspective farmers.  It also makes financial sense for us, in terms of exchanging teaching time and efforts, plus room and board, for a season’s worth of hard work both on the farm and at our markets and CSA drops.  We list Summit Springs Farm each fall on both the MOFGA and ATTRA websites as part of their apprentice placement programs.  The MOFGA program, especially, is very helpful, with detailed info. that each perspective apprentice can fill out to provide farmers with a real sense of who the applicant is and what they hope to accomplish as a farm apprentice.  Those who are interested in apprenticing here may, of course, contact the farm directly by calling (207) 998-2196 or sending an e-mail to summitspringsfarm@fairpoint.net for more information.

WWOOFing
Summit Springs Farm is proud to be a participant in the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms network…WWOOF for short!  WWOOF is an exchange between volunteers interested in staying on farms and learning a bit about sustainable agriculture and farmers in need of some extra help.  Volunteers (or “WWOOFers”) are offered room and board in exchange for an agreed upon amount of labor.  We love the WWOOFing concept and would love to host folks here, especially during the season (May through October).  We have plenty of space here for camping, and we could possibly also host folks inside the house if we have the room.  The arrangement here is that all meals will be covered in exchange for 4 hours of work per day.  The types of work will vary but may include: weeding, planting, harvesting, special farm projects, etc.  For now, we feel a maximum stay of two weeks feels right.  Children are fine, but no pets, please.  WWOOFers should come prepared for working in all weathers…sturdy, waterproof boots, rain gear, and sun protection (sun glasses, sun block, hats, etc.) are highly recommended.  For more information, see our contact info. above and give us a call or send an e-mail!

Volunteering
Helping out here at Summit Springs Farm isn’t a requirement for CSA membership, but we highly encourage volunteers!  With a CSA arrangement, we really feel like we share the farm with our members, so we think it’s great when folks want to pitch in, get their hands dirty, and participate in the production of their own food.  It’s obviously a huge help, too!  Let us know whenever you’d like to come and help out, and occasionally we’ll send out a call, too, for volunteers if we have a special project that requires extra manpower.  We love kids, too, and want them to feel comfortable here as well.  Keep in mind, however, that a lot of the work we do is pretty tedious and detail-oriented.  In our experience, we’ve found that weeding and kids under 7 or 8 don’t mix very well!  So, bring the kids, but keep their limits and attention spans in mind, and please make sure to keep them under your supervision at all times.  An overly eager child with a hoe can wipe out months of work with a few swipes, so be vigilant!  There are also some very real dangers here, like tractors, sharp tools, and several electric fences, so please keep an eye on your child.