Apprentice Farm Manager – VT

Sterling College Apprentice Farm Manager

The Sterling College Apprentice Farm Manager Program is an experiential, immersive
learning and leadership opportunity for passionate, inspired, and enthusiastic individuals
ready to help manage a diversified year-round teaching farm and live in a small close-knit
college community beginning in May 2011.

The Sterling farm is a working, multi-faceted, living classroom that serves the entire
Sterling College community. The Apprentice Farm Manager is the technician, teacher,
and manager who engages in whole farm care to maximize educational opportunities.
The Apprentice’s primary function at the College is to make this agricultural classroom
available for both the Sterling curriculum and community. To create availability and
functionality for our academics, the Apprentice cares for the livestock, improves pastures,
grows gardens, supervises farm Work College student employees, coordinates with
faculty and staff, and interfaces with the community. All of these duties the Apprentice
performs with direct mentoring from the Sustainable Agriculture program team.

• The Apprentice Farm Manager’s livestock responsibilities include feed, nutrition,
housing, and care for all of the Sterling farm animals. This involves formulating
appropriate feed regimens, managing intensive pasture rotations, installing water
systems, diagnosing and treating ailments or injuries, protection from predators,
construction of necessary housing, acquisition or breeding of livestock, and general
care.

• For pasture management, the Apprentice walks our pastures daily in the
growing season with an eye for growth and re-growth, weed and medicinal plant
establishment, root damage, manure load, and soil health. The Apprentice structures
farm chores so that students rotate our animals on pasture twice daily.

• The Apprentice coordinates with the faculty and staff to ensure the Sterling
curriculum, kitchen, and farm are well supported throughout the seasons. Seasonal
tasks include: preparing and harvesting of garden beds, integration of livestock in
the food production system, woodlot harvesting and processing, draft horse care and
grazing integration, poultry processing, and food systems coordination for invoices,
produce and meat deliveries, and curriculum-kitchen connections.

• The Apprentice Farm Manager is directly responsible for supervising and training
10 Work College student employees every week. The Apprentice structures and
oversees students’ daily farm chores. The Apprentice interacts with and participates
in farm-based classes.

For more information about Sterling College visit http://www.sterlingcollege.edu

Qualifications:

Applicants should have experience working in a small-scale farm environment, have a
demonstrated ability to work independently and supervise small groups of students, and
have completed a B.A. or B.S. program in an appropriate field by the start date of the
Apprenticeship.

The Sterling Farm Apprenticeship is a 12-month renewable position that includes a $800
monthly stipend, an optional three-credits of coursework per semester, meals, the possibility
of housing, and eligibility to enroll in Sterling College full-time employee insurance benefits.

Applicants should have experience working in a small-scale farm environment, have a
demonstrated ability to work independently and supervise small groups of students, and have
completed a B.A. or B.S. program in an appropriate field by the start date of the Apprenticeship.

Please send a cover letter, resume, and the contact information for three references by
April 22nd to:

Laura Lea Berry, Assistant to the Dean of Academics, Sterling College,
P.O. Box 72, Craftsbury Common VT 05827.
Email: lberry@sterlingcollege.edu
Phone: (802) 586-7711 x107 Fax: (802) 586-2596

Electronic submission of application material is preferred.