EarthKeeping
Work Exchange
Work Retreats
Love Our Mama Days
Ranch Apprenticeship
Organic Garden
Membership |
Prior
gardening experience is desirable, but not necessary. However, a strong
drive to learn and a keen interest in hands-on gardening are essential.
Organic Garden Interns will achieve competency in all aspects of
farming and gardening, including propagation and greenhouse work,
watering, bed preparation, composting, transplanting, sowing, weeding,
harvesting, seed saving and processing, and occasional preparation for
events and market sales. In addition, the cyclic timing of
the local Indigenous for all these tasks will be taught for abundanct
harvest, earthkeeping and community building.
An anticipated use or application for your internship experience is a
big plus-we want to earthkeepers with a passion for taking their skills
and knowledge back out into the world away from Taa-naash-kaa-da
Sanctuary. Therefore we expect our interns to regard the internship
program as the core of their experience at Taa-naash-kaa-da
Sanctuary
and interact with the Organic Garden in a proactive, self-starting
relation. We also expect interns to read any farming and gardening
literature (provided by Taa-naash-kaa-da
Sanctuary)
and perform occasional extracurricular projects and assignments to
round out the mostly in-the-field learning. We desire interns who can
be comfortable and capable while working alone, but are interested in
group work and process as well. Physical stamina is a must. We work
outside rain, snow or shine!
Seasonal Growing Context
Taa-naash-kaa-da Sanctuary's location at the base of the Sangre de
Cristo Mountains means the Organic Garden grows year-round, with the
assistance of a greenhouse. Therefore the seasonal growing context is
not exactly traditional for agriculture and should be considered when
applying for an Intern Session.
The summer growing season gets underway slowly starting mid February
and ramping up around the time of intern arrival in April. Since the
winter snows are often intense in March, we look forward to the soil
dry-down in April to begin our spring tractor work. We mow and
incorporate the winter cover crops, start seeds in the greenhouse (a
lot of them) then move them out of the nursery to transplant in the
field. As the season proceeds, we enjoy a continuous harvest throughout
the Spring and Summer months until September, when we begin to tum the
long season summer crops over and plant our more compact winter garden
in the greenhouse. The last weeks of the Spring apprenticeship are
focused on the winter soil preparation and overwintered veggie
plantings.
October is the time for final winter plantings of long season crops
(i.e. ~ kale, chard, collards, etc.) and also time for the planting of
winter cover crop. Much of the first ~ month will be spent attending to
these two activities. The snow season might slowly begin to appear,
although we often enjoy fall, sunny, but cool weather in October and
November here in New Mexico. Onward into November, December and
January, wintery (i.e. windy, snow and rainy) weather often
appears. We take care of the plants in the greenhouse and winterize Taa-naash-kaa-da
Sanctuary.
This is also the time that we can begin to tackle some of our
infrastructure projects and organization for the coming year.
January
through March is often our harshest time of year, yet it also features
some of the most beautiful winter days as well. We sneak early
plantings of kale, collards, chard, late winter cover crop and
direct-seeded leafy greens whenever we can. We tend and harvest the
overwintered vegetables from the greenhouse, which are the most
delicious of the season. We
build things, organize our systems and make merry in the rain. Late
April into May begins our spring cycle of tractor work, tillage and
soil preparation.
Terms of the Apprenticeship
Interns are expected to work a total of 145 hours per month in the direct
support of the Taa-naas-kaa-da Sanctuary staff and/or programs-which averages to about 36 hours per week
(hours vary week to week but are formally blocked-schedule will be
provided upon arrival). An intern workday is from 7:00 am to 1:15 pm
with a 35-minute breakfast break around 9:15 am. The intern is
responsible for meeting this commitment
five days per week. To round out their work commitment, interns
are expected to participate in weekly
processing sessions (6 hours per month), weekend duties once per month
(8 hours per month), apprentice educational sessions (8 hours per
month), independent study/development (7.5 hours per month) and
hands-on working and training in the afternoons with TS staff (6 hours
per month). A calendar and schedule will be provided upon
arrival, and at the beginning of each month.
Taa-naas-kaa-da
Sanctuary
provides shared and camping accommodations – based on season – for all
intern positions. Use of the rest of the site is included. No pets are
permitted. Three-month interns are
responsible for paying $1,350 for their internship, which can be
paid in lump sum or in monthly payments of $450. Six month interns are responsible for
paying $2,700 for their internship, which can balso be paid in
lump sum or in monthly payments of $450. These costs are required to
cover educational aspects of this dynamic and unique opportunity. Food,
lodging and specified community programs are included.
In your free time, you can take advantage of the facilities and
opportunities that exist at Taa-naas-kaa-da
Sanctuary
in our residential educational program and workshops that don't
conflict with the internship schedule and as space permits. Interns are
also eligible for scholarships, discounts and specific privileges that
exist for this type of residency at Taa-naas-kaa-da
Sanctuary.
Visiting Taa-naas-kaa-da
Sanctuary
To
be considered for the internship program, you are strongly encouraged
to attend at least one Love-Your Mama garden day at Taa-naas-kaa-da
Sanctuary
to introduce yourself and get a feel for a typical dayt. To be a garden
volunteer you need to schedule this in advance using the contact
information below. A Love-Your-Mama day can be scheduled Monday thru
Friday from 7 am to 1 pm, if none are on the calendar with exceptions
made for particular circumstances. You need not stay all day, but are
encouraged to use the time to get to know Taa-naas-kaa-da
Sanctuary family
and familiarize yourself with the rhythm of the land.
After submitting your Application,
you may be asked to come for a working interview as part of our
selections process. Such arrangements are at the discretion of the Taa-naas-kaa-da
Sanctuary Coalition
and will not be extended to all of those who apply. Phone interviews
will be requested for individuals unable to attend a working on-site
interview due to access or geographic distance. These interviews will
take place roughly six weeks before the start date, since we aim to
make our final decision approximately one month in advance of the start
date.
To Apply
Please fill out the Application.
and return to us via electronic mail or to
Taa-naash-kaa-da Sanctuary
7820 Enchanted Hills Blvd. A183, Rio Rancho, NM 87144
Subject: Organic Garden
Internship
Please Contact
Us
for questions that are specific to the internship. Email is the
preferred method of contact.
Deadlines for applications are generally around two months prior to the
start date of the desired apprenticeship, and Taa-naash-kaa-da
Sanctuary endeavors to make interh selections at least one month prior
to the start date of the internship session.
Deadlines for Applications:
April
15-October 28, 2012 (6 mos) - February
1, 2012
October
28, 2012 - January 20, 2013 (3 mos) - August
15,2012
January
22-April 15, 2013 - November
18th, 2012
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