Farming
Internship Activities
Gardening Internship Activities
Internship Details
All the progress here at Lofstedt was not so much the work of Bridget and myself, but of all the help we have received during the 20 years since we bought Lofstedt Farm. There were at first our two younger sons who had come to help us get installed temporarily in a trailer, since the log house was not ready to live in. Then came some friends from close by and far away, and then some young people through a volunteer students' working-holidays program out of UVIC, called SOIL (Stewards of Irreplaceable Land), and later also from the WWOOF organization (Willing Workers On Organic Farms). These are now being joined increasingly by interns (farm and garden trainees) who commit themselves for a whole season or more, recruited by way of mouth, our website, or ads in specific newsletters and magazines.
Invaluable help and knowledge have been contributed by experienced head gardeners who have come to work and manage our CSA-garden from year to year. More skills and experience in other fields like construction, carpentry, cabinet-making, mechanics, cattle- and horse-breeding, draft horse management, bread-baking, cheese-making, food-preserving, etc... were brought in by various individuals when most needed -- almost as if by magic!
It is quite uncanny how many of the people who find their way here develop new interests in their spare time too, such as drum-making and playing, pottery, candle-making, soap-making, cookie-backing, carding, spinning, wool-dyeing, weaving, knitting, beer- and wine-making, fruit-drying, music- playing, singing around campfires, living in a real teepee, skiing, hiking, swimming, canoeing, and so much more... Some of them even joined the Kaslo Search and Rescue Team, or found other innovative ways to get into the back country.
Peter van Allen, one of our Community members, obtained a 1500-acre Government Woodlot, situated in the Farm's watershed. It is now being ecologically logged with Percheron horses, and he also needs the help of qualified forestry trainees, in a separate enterprise from us. On Lofstedt Farm, we are now trying to replace some of our tractor work with our team of Norwegian Fjord horses. For reasons of security, the great privilege of riding them and working with them is restricted to our best long-term trainees.
Quite a number of WWOOFers and even some of our interns have stayed here longer than they first intended, despite the long and sometimes monotonous work hours. When they finally leave, it is often with a new outlook on life, and quite possibly a change in direction, towards a more fulfilling kind of existence. This reinforces our motivation to carry on the important task we are involved in, gives us courage to presently put Lofstedt Community Farm into a Bio-Dynamically-oriented Land Trust, so that it can continue to provide coming generations with a strong impulse towards a better world.
A)
Animal Husbandry
- Safety rules applying to handling of animals in question.
- Tending and care of dairy cows: preparation of daily rations, feeding,
milking, cleaning out stables, cleaning of cows, help with calving and
foot care where applicable.
- Tending and care of horses: preparation of daily rations, feeding, cleaning
out stables, cleaning of horses, foot care, harness care, harnessing horses,
learning to ride and drive in arena or corral.
- Tending and care of sheep and poultry: preparation of daily rations,
feeding, cleaning out pens and nest boxes, washing eggs, chick raising,
etc.
B) Participation
in Basic Farm Work
- Safety rules applying
to working with farm machinery.
- Haymaking, growing of grain crops and seeds, growing of field vegetables,
cattle feed and green manure, help with tillage, sowing, weeding, application
of crop treatments, harvesting.
- Work with the tractor and its implements: Ripper, chisel plough, discs,
mouldboard plough, harrows, seed drills, cultipacker, bed shaper, Haruwy
Hoe, spray pump. Also, work with hay mower-conditioner, hay swatter, baler,
bales-self loader, manure spreader, and combine harvester; including maintenance
and repairs.
- Irrigation of field crops and meadows, changing water lines and sprinklers,
care and operation of water pumps.
- Seeding, weeding and harvesting of root crops, their preparation for
storage, root cellaring, washing, sorting, and packing for market.
- Help in harvesting of grain and seeds with combine, drying, and storage.
- Grain processing: operation of seed cleaner, roller mill, hammer mill,
natural stone flour mill with sifter, production of cattle-, horse-, sheep-,
and poultry-feed, production of flour and other milled products for human
consumption, bread-making in outdoors old-fashioned wood-fired bread oven.
- Erecting and maintaining of high-tensile and electrical fences.
- Building, repairing, and maintenance of farm buildings, greenhouses,
cabins, etc.
- Bucking, splitting, and stacking firewood.
- Maintenance of yards and drives, snowplowing with horses and snow-blower.
- Compost making, including making our Bio-Dynamic preparations and their
practical application.
Gardening Internship Activities
A) Participation in Greenhouse Work
- Operation of greenhouse (heating, cooling, ventilation, watering, maintenance and repair of structures).
- Complete handling of seedling-production - from preparation of soil mix for flats to pre-hardening the seedlings in cold frames, and planting.
- Growing of greenhouse crops for direct consumption.
B) Participation
in Basic Outdoor Garden Work
- Safety rules applying to the use of garden tools and machinery.
- Seed-bed preparation, fertilization, seeding, weeding, mulching, application
of soil and crop treatments, harvesting of vegetables, salads, and root
crops.
- Planting, weeding, pruning, tying-up, tending and harvest of berries
such as: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries, black
currants, red currants, etc.
- Work in house orchard: pruning, tilling, mulching, composting, spraying,
thinning, and harvesting apples, pears, quince, cherries, and plums.
- Work with garden seeder and hand-push hoes with various attachments.
Work with roto-tiller.
- Learn how to make and use compost, set up compost piles, and how to
make and use the Bio-Dynamic compost preparations.
- Preparation of the harvested crops for delivery - cleaning, sorting,
bundling or bunching, weighing, cutting, paring, and packaging of fruits
and vegetables.
- Participation in CSA organization and operation. Contact with share-holders,
transportation and distribution of produce.
1. Farm Meetings: Once every week (preferably on Mondays), a meeting is held involving all the people participating in the work on Lofstedt Farm, to discuss the priorities for the work and its organization, as well as all the personal issues brought forward by any of the participants.
2. Internship
Length: In order to encompass a fair part of the activities listed
above, and to get an overall view of the yearly work cycle, we recommend
that the training period/internship last at least one full season. (The
norm in Europe is 4 years!)
Early spring is the best time to start, especially in the case of gardening,
but it can also be started at other times during the year for 6 - 12 consecutive
months. Many of the activities are only possible in the corresponding
season and often need previous preparation and the commitment to learning
them properly.
3. Work Schedule: The usual working time is from 8:30am to 6:00pm, with a break of one and a half hours for lunch, during five and a half days per week. This schedule may be changed to accommodate certain jobs (like milking or early morning harvest in the CSA-garden) without long-term notice or compensation. This schedule applies principally to all the trainees/interns and can be somewhat reduced for temporary volunteers and WWOOFers, workload permitting.
4. Room and Board: Meals and accommodation are available within the farm community in return for work in farm and/or garden. Each participant is expected to take turns in cooking and doing the necessary household chores during normal work time whenever possible.
Our
meals are mostly vegetarian, and we occasionally eat some of our farm-grown
meat, but we do use dairy products and eggs in our kitchen regularly.
(Vegan nutrition cannot be promoted.)
We are concerned that no drug use of any kind be indulged in by anybody
residing here on Lofstedt Farm. Tobacco smoking and occasional alcohol
consumption (within limits) is tolerated.
5. Retribution: Our economic situation does not yet allow payment to new trainees and unskilled helpers. A small stipend can be negotiated where special needs arise or specific skills are concerned and responsibilities are taken. No T4 can be issued.
6. Insurance: We cannot obtain Workers' Compensation coverage without T4's being issued. We therefore rely on each individual participant to get his/her own insurance coverage for sickness and accidents (including tractor-driving, building, logging, and using horses).
7. Education: A series of lectures on Bio-Dynamic Agriculture, including the making of Bio-Dynamic preparations, will be studied in common and discussed during the winter months upon request. Full demonstration, practical hints and explanations will be given whenever possible by the person organizing the work to be done. However, all participants are expected to also work alone and to do some less appealing jobs when necessary. Comprehensive literature on Bio-Dynamic farming and gardening is available to study during free time.
8. Completion: There is no final exam or diploma given at the end of the training period/internship other than a work certificate on demand.