Apprenticeships available at The Farm in Tennessee

You are invited to apply for our Apprenticeship Program!  

These are two-month-long apprenticeships at The Farm community in Summertown, TN.

April 5 - June 5
June 7 - August 7
Sept 6 - November 6

Natural Building – This construction program includes hands-on experience with natural buildings of all types as well as the fundamentals of permaculture and ecovillage master planning. This year we will be continuing work on our gardens, 11,000 sq.ft. constructed wetlands, our cob visitors center, our cob,strawbale and earthbag "hipitats" and compost toilets, and many other interesting projects within the Farm community.

Community Foodshed — Join a movement that's sweeping across the country by stepping away from industrial food production. Be part of ecologically sensible, socially just, and culturally vibrant food systems. Learn what food, local economy, and policies you want to encourage in your community. Apprentices will actively learn to grow food with area farmers, gardeners, and homesteaders. We will examine economics and policy of food and agriculture by gathering community data and stories, as well as studying government policy. The apprenticeship revolves around a weekly wheel of visiting three to six farmers and gardeners, many of which are Permaculture practitioners and Biodynamic growers. Field trips to the surrounding community, farms, towns, and cities provide space to gather information and stories. Different modules of food preparation will allow apprentices to recognize their personal taste and nutrition needs. Resources and time will be given for apprentices to design a desirable food system and build the attitude, knowledge, and skills to implement their design. Cook, ferment, clown, dig, sew seed, harvest, design and transform!

Community Organizing and Bioregional Networking - Come join us as we transition our local community and bioregion to a sustainable and just economy. Together with local groups and The Farm, we are working to revitalize our local economy and create opportunities for growth of the permaculture movement within the context of our local culture. Local organizations include the Sonnenschein Green Initiative (soon to be Transition Town Hohenwald), the Financial Permaculture Institute, and the Center for a Holistic Ecology. 

All apprenticeships have possible field trips to nearby Amish community, canoeing on the Buffalo River, a local bamboo nursery, and more. Apprentices can audit workshops offered at the ETC free of charge during their stay (see our 2010 schedule http://www.thefarm.org/etc/etccourses.html ). They are first required to fulfill their apprenticeship responsibilities before attending a class or workshop. Participants in all apprenticeships will learn ecology, energy and resource conservation, social and community skills, and the economics of sustainability.A small weekly fee is charged to offset food and lodging costs. To apply, fill out the online application.