2025 Farm Apprenticeship Application is open now!
Apply by 5PM, February 3rd, 2025.
PDF version of the position description.
Time Commitment
- March 17th – October 31st, Monday – Thursday, 8-10 hours/day
- Approximately 20 hours over the entire season to attend other programming at Zenger Farm including community events, field trips, etc.
- Zenger Farm Apprentices will have the opportunity to attend portions of the Beginning Farmer Educational Event Series (BFEES) offered by Rogue Farm Corps. BFEES classes are offered on Wednesdays (online: 6-8 PM; in-person: 3-6 PM)
Responsibilities
- Field work: Most field work at Zenger Farm is done with hand tools, and includes seeding, amending, transplanting, weeding, irrigating, trellising, pruning, season extension, pest management, harvesting, hauling and washing produce.
- Rotating responsibilities in all aspects of our farming operation, such as management of the propagation greenhouse, irrigation, and field preparation; leading planting, harvest, wash and pack; recordkeeping and writing newsletters; and a two-week rotation leading the entire crew in all field work.
- Off-field educational opportunities: participate in classroom education, engage independent projects related to farming and food systems, and attend field trips.
Readiness Criteria
- A strong commitment to the mission of Zenger Farm
- Demonstrated interest in farming and/or sustainable food systems
- Intention to maintain continued involvement in the agricultural and food systems community by engaging in farm/food systems work or the development of a small farm business
- Ability to lift and carry 50 pounds, farm outdoors in all weather conditions including heat, cold and rain to perform the above responsibilities
- Ability to endure prolonged periods of physical activity, including walking, standing, squating, and repetitive tasks
- Attitude: Positive, driven, flexible and team-oriented
- We will perform a background check and address any issues on a case-by-case basis – no one should feel discouraged from applying
- We cannot help with visas or work permits for this program
Benefits
- $576/week stipend
- Employee Assistance Program offered by Oregon Educators Benefit Board
- Farm-fresh organic produce, based on availability
Selection Timeline
Apply by February 3rd, 2025 before 5PM. Open until filled.
Application Instructions
Submit application via google form linked here.
Zenger Farm provides equal opportunity without regard to race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, handicap, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity, in accordance with applicable federal laws.
Time Commitment
- Wednesday and Thursday, 8 hours/day. There are two different cohorts, one in summer and one in fall.
- Summer: June 17th – August 15th
- Fall: August 26th – October 25th (Subject to change)
Responsibilities
- Field Work: Most field work at Zenger Farm is done by hand, and includes seeding, planting, weeding, watering, trellising, harvesting, hauling, washing, and packing produce for sale
- General Farm Maintenance: Tool and equipment care, farm and property upkeep
Qualifications
- Interest in gardening or farming.
- Ability to lift and carry 50 pounds, farm outdoors in all weather conditions and perform the above responsibilities.
- Attitude: Positive, driven, flexible and team-oriented.
Benefits
This is an unpaid volunteer internship, room and board are not provided
- Hands-on training in small-scale, sustainable farming practices
- 10 hours of workshop instruction in sustainable farming practices
- 1 CSA share during internship dates
Selection Timeline
We will begin reviewing applications on May 15th for the Summer Internship cohort, and on July 15th for the Fall Internship cohort.
Application Instructions
You can apply online with the form or by US mail. Please do not submit your application by email.
- Apply online.
- Print and mail the application to: Zenger Farm, Attn: Sachin Bangalore, Farming Internship, 11741 SE Foster Rd. Portland, OR 97266.
Contact Sachin Bangalore (sachin@zengerfarm.org) with any questions, but please do not submit your application by email.
About the Program
The Program
The Beginning Farmer Apprenticeship is meant for BIPOC folks with little to no farming experience to engage and learn about farming, agroecology, food systems, career options, and much more. Apprentices will participate in seeding, amending, transplanting, weeding, irrigating, trellising, pruning, season extension, pest management, harvesting, hauling and washing produce. They will gain experience in all aspects of our farming operations including opportunities to lead the farm crew. Off-field educational opportunities include classes and field trips!
This is a volunteer with stipend position; March 17th – October 31st, Monday – Thursday with a stipend of $576/week. Apply by 5 PM, February 3rd, 2025. Positions open until filled.
Our Goals
This apprenticeship is exclusively for individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC). The program is part of Zenger Farm’s commitment to addressing systemic inequities in agriculture and food systems by creating opportunities for BIPOC individuals to build skills and connections in farming.
We seek to train an inclusive next generation of farmers. Nationwide, 95% of farmers are white, 85% of farmers are men, and the average age of a farmer is 60 years old. Many other groups remain significantly underrepresented in farming. This apprenticeship program seeks to address these disparities, which stem from systems rooted in white supremacy, colonialism, racism, capitalism, and sexism.
Recognizing the historical and systemic barriers that have excluded BIPOC individuals from equitable participation in farming. Additionally, we welcome individuals who also bring lived experiences or identities as women, LGBTQ2SIA people, religious minorities, recent migrants/refugees, people with disabilities, and those from different generational and economic backgrounds who can meet the responsibilities and qualifications outlined. This program is designed for individuals with little or no farming experience and aims to provide meaningful pathways into farming and food systems work.
We seek to model an agroecological alternative to “conventional agriculture” while centering food justice work and developing practices that build soil. Agroecology takes a holistic view of the food system, integrating ecological, economic, and social dimensions. It applies ecological principles to farming by examining the relationships between plants, animals, people, and the environment. This approach enhances biodiversity, improves soil health, reduces reliance on synthetic inputs like chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and supports vibrant, healthy communities.
To create a sustainable, equitable food system, agroecology combines scientific research, farming practices, indigenous knowledge, and movements for social change. It is a transformative approach that is transdisciplinary, participatory, and action-oriented, addressing the interconnected challenges of agriculture, the environment, and society.
Farm Apprentices care for a small farm site, demonstration gardens, and fruit crops. Zenger Farm follows organic practices. We grow a small diversity of crops (vegetables, flowers, and herbs) at these locations, where we spend the majority of our time. Farm Apprentices will get to learn agroecological farming and gardening practices. In 2025, we will incorporate practices that focus on improving soil health, including no/low-till and on-farm compost. Apprentices will also be helping with fruit crop pruning and maintenance.
The core of the Zenger Farm apprenticeship consists of two beginning farmer training staff and four full-season farm apprentices. Farm apprentices spend much of their time mentored by our two farmer training staff. As farm apprentices gain more skills and familiarity with farming, there will be opportunities for independent and group work.
Education of the body is a component of this apprenticeship. We teach apprentices the underlying ergonomics of farm work. Farming is intense physical work and in nearly all weather conditions. Proper ergonomics are essential for sustainable farm endeavors. Your stamina, self-care, and efficiency will help you operate your own farm successfully.
This program includes both on field and classroom education. Farm apprentices will have direct experience in all aspects of our farming operation and will take turns leading projects that are applicable to future farm endeavors. The farm apprenticeship includes over 40 hours of classroom instruction in topics such as crop planning, irrigation, seed saving, soil fertility, recordkeeping, etc. This classroom instruction includes additional opportunities to attend classes and field trips with other local farms, farm service providers, and community-based food systems organizations. Apprentices will occasionally participate in other programming at Zenger Farm (Youth Education, Food Access, and CSA Partnerships for Health).
We strive to offer a supportive and enriching learning experience for our apprentices. We strive to create as much of a supportive environment as possible through prioritizing preventative care, open feedback, routine check-ins, and communicating expectations. Apprentices will examine the root causes of injustice in our food system through facilitated discussion with the team prompted by readings, videos, and talks. We make space for apprentices to develop connections and network within the small farming community in Portland to see firsthand how small scale farmers are innovating solutions. Through immersive field work, conversation, and creating space, we hope apprentices can start to see themselves as part of a solution for change through agriculture.
2025 Cohort
TBD
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Program Alumni
These graduated apprentices from our 2023 and 2024 seasons, spent their time connecting with and stewarding this land and producing the amazing veggies, fruits, flowers and herbs we are able to offer our community. These alumni are incredible people who put so much love into this work. Can’t wait to see all they do next!
Zara Rose (he/him)
Farm Apprentice and Caretaker
Zara is passionate about food rescue and community food security. He plans to farm and work with food gleaners. Zara has availed of multiple opportunities to volunteer at farms in the Portland Metro Area (including, but not limited to: Kindness Farm, Kasama Farm, PCC Learning Gardens, and Zenger Farm) and network/learn from sustainable food systems organizations (including, but not limited to: Back to the Root Conference, Rogue Farm Corps, and Washington State University). Zara is also our 2024 Caretaker.
Paola Ortez (she/her)
Farm Apprentice
has volunteered on multiple farms in the PNW and has a Permaculture Certificate from Big Island Farms (in Hawai’i). She is interested in exploring herbal medicine aid programs and mixed horticultural farm production and hopes to start her own farm. Paola is moving from AZ for the apprenticeship program and plans to set roots (pun intended) in Oregon.
Mia Yerton (she/her)
Farm Apprentice
Mia is interested in the intersectionality between agriculture, community food security, social justice, and environmental health. She studied urban farming at the University of Oregon and has experience doing native plant-based outdoor education with youth at Outdoor School. Mia was a 2022 Summer Farm Intern at Zenger Farm.
Jennifer Harris (she/her)
Farm Apprentice Alumni
My name is Jennifer also known as Jay, I grew up between Washington D.C. and Baltimore, Maryland. I have always loved being outside, but after traveling more of the country as an adult I established a deeper connection to nature and in 2020 I moved to Oregon to be closer to the outdoor activities I love. I am so excited to be an apprentice at Zenger Farm and look forward to sprouting in this community, working outside, and growing delicious veggies. In my free time I am passionate about cooking, art, photography, finding new places to camp, and loving on my blind dog Moon.
Denajia Preston (she/they)
Farm Apprentice Alumni
My name is Denajia and I’m super excited to have the opportunity to learn and grow as a Zenger Farms Apprentice this year. I am passionate about learning to create sustainable and reciprocal relationships to the land, my people, and community members. My family originates from Temple, Oklahoma where my Great Grandma and Grandpa raised the majority of my family before moving to Oregon. In Oklahoma my Grandpa created a garden wherever they moved, growing enough veggies to never make a store run for fresh produce or poultry. My hope is to connect back to this autonomous practice. Providing food for my community and my elders would bring lots of joy and honor to the hands that led me here. I never met my Grandpa but I believe his hard work has manifested this journey just as I manifest the same journey to the generation that comes after me. When I am not thinking intensely about the past, the present, and the future I spend time hiking, creating music, and going to plenty of concerts. Spending intentional time with myself and the people I love to be creative, in nature, and experiencing art is my greatest form of rest. I’m eager to see the growth that comes with my time at the farm!
Em Bigongiari (she/he)
Farm Apprentice Alumni
My name is em (she + he). I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and I love the lush forests, beautiful waterways, and all the critters who make this region their home. I studied food justice, prison abolition, and community organizing as an undergrad at Western Washington University. I see small farming as one tool of many that we can use towards building a liberated world for everyone, and I am really honored to get this opportunity to grow my skills while growing food for the community. In my free time I enjoy writing songs and listening to music, watching TV, learning ASL, and discovering new restaurants to try – let me know if you have any recommendations!
Mad Nelson (all pronouns)
Farm Apprentice Alumni
Hey there! Call me whatever you want, just don’t call me late for dinner. I like long walks on the beach and crying in grocery stores. Due to the food insecurity I experienced throughout childhood and my continuously growing understanding of the ways capitalism perpetuates food insecurity around the world, I’ve dedicated my life to joining the fight to eradicate hunger worldwide A.K.A. The Food Forever Endeavor. Through working with mutual aid organizations and nonprofits, I’m familiarizing myself with already established efforts working towards that bright and tasty future. In my free time you can find me being “mid” at cooking, falling off my skateboard, painting, reading, and writing poetry.