If you would like to apply for a NON-INTERN position, contact us at linda@gardensofeagan.com or 952-985-7233
Gardens of Eagan Internship/Apprenticeship Program
General information about the farm for prospective interns
Gardens of Eagan is a fifth generation family farm, in operation since 1857. We grow certified organic vegetables and have been certified since 1973. Our farm is located in Minnesota, about 45 minutes south of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. We presently manage 100 acres with approximately 50 acres in vegetables on an annual basis and the remaining acreage in "green manure" (crops such as soybeans, rye, and vetch that are plowed under as fertilizer rather than being harvested). Our crops are mainly grown in a row crop style. We are highly mechanized, though most harvesting is still done by hand.
We use hand tools, rototillers, and small and large tractors. Our methods are based on a combination of the latest advances in agricultural ecology and our family's 100+ years of small farm experience. We are constantly evaluating our methods and adapting our systems to meet market demand and the concerns of our customers and the organic/sustainable agriculture community.
We sell both wholesale (to co-operative and commercial stores) and retail (through our farmstand). Together, our wholesale clients and farmstand customers make up a community with which we have long-term relationships. We are known in this community for the quality of our produce and our service.
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What is an apprenticeship?
A Gardens of Eagan apprenticeship is a hands-on educational experience in organic vegetable production and marketing. From the Latin word apprentice, "apprenticeship" means "to be able to learn, to comprehend." Apprenticeship is the system of learning a trade by exchanging labor for instruction and experience from one skilled in the trade. There is a difference between the accumulation of ideas and the development of a system of understanding. By combining intellectual knowledge with hands-on experience, the apprentice becomes not only able to understand what is being done on the farm at any given moment, but also why, and to do it him or herself. Traditionally, in any trade, apprentices who stayed with the trade in time became journeymen (professionals, but still working for others), and then masters (working independently). Some of our apprentices continue into a second year of apprenticeship and into what we consider journeyman status. The opportunity exists for a serious intern to stay with us for the long term with a good salary and a significant amount of responsibility.
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Key traits of a successful apprentice
The work that we do is often hard. Farming is not for everyone. Apprentices should enjoy physical work and being outside all day. It is not necessary to have previous experience in farming. The skills/traits we consider most important in an apprentice are:
- The ability to take responsibility and be accountable
- The ability to think clearly and act decisively
- A positive attitude and personality
- Communication skills
- Self-knowledge of goals and life direction
- The ability to enjoy being outside doing physical work
- A good back and generally good health
- Ability to make and keep commitments
- Common sense and safety skills
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What you will learn (a partial list):
- greenhouse operation
- variety selection
- garden site selection
- soil preparation and care
- planting techniques
- fertilizer application methods
- green manure planting and management
- weed control: preventative, mechanical, manual
- pest management: preventative, curative
- harvest skills and methods
- marketing skills for retail and wholesale sales
- equipment needs, care and use
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What happens in a typical year?
Keep in mind that, in farming, no year is really "typical."
- March: greenhouse setup and planting, compost application in field, machinery preparation.
- April: continued greenhouse planting, continued machinery preparation, soil preparation (hand and mechanical), field selection for various crops, compost application, early plantings of brassicas
- May: continue greenhouse work, continue machinery preparation, soil care, variety selection, intense planting. Work long days end of May on crop care, cultivation, green manure planting and incorporation.
- June: planting tapers off, plant care picks up (weed control, cultivation, side dressing, pest management), plus green manure planting and incorporation.
- July: planting of fall crops, cultivation and plant care, 1 week vacation around July 4th, green manures planting, harvest begins
- July 20th: first sweet corn harvest, other harvesting picks up
- August: harvesting, marketing, green manures
- September: harvesting, harvesting, harvesting! everything is ripe! End of month, farmstand opens, possible first frost. Fall green manures planted.
- October: continue harvest, field and soil preparation for winter, continue marketing. Farm stand closes after Halloween.
- November: farm gradually shuts down
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Evaluation and Self-evaluation The apprenticeship program begins with a 30 day transitional period. Halfway through that period we meet with each apprentice to discuss goals and how the apprentice feels about the experience. At the end of the period we meet again to discuss goals and commitment until the July 4th break. After the July 4th break we meet again to discuss goals and commitment for the remainder of the season. These "goals and commitments" are mutual agreements between the apprentice and Gardens of Eagan. We rely upon apprentices to be honest and direct with us and we can be expected to do the same. Apprentices are encouraged to write a self-evaluation of their own learning progress and to reexamine their goals in July. The purpose of this repeated self-evaluation is to help interns maintain focus: to encourage you to take a step back and see just how much you have learned, to keep in focus what you want to learn, to check if your goals are still the same and how they can be met. It can sometimes be hard to see how much you have learned when you are tired at the end of a hot, hard farm day. Interns often share their self-evaluations with us after their July 4th break. Some apprentices write another self-evaluation at the end of the season. Some possible guidelines for self-evaluation are included at the end of this page.
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Salary - Benefits - Education
5 day work week / generally Monday - Friday.
Start time: depends on season. Between 7 A.M. – 8 A.M.
Finish time: depends on season. Between 5:00 – 6:30 P.M.
Hours worked per week usually fluctuate around 45 hours.
FINANCIAL COMPENSATION: hourly wage, housing, produce from farm
EDUCATION
We are a successful organic farm with 33 years of experience in organic production systems and in place/successful marketing systems.
This is a vocational ag experience. It is predominately a practical experience.
The training that interns receive here is hands–on, experiential based.
We train in the field rather than in a classroom, in real farm / real weather conditions.
Information is disseminated before, during and after tasks.
During task training. The information necessary to do the task safely, efficiently and well are given. In most situations, this information is limited to the basic information needed. Information regarding why, other options, effect, etc. are generally passed during or after the task. Usually while work is going on simultaneously.
The intern’s work is evaluated and retraining is provided when necessary.
Field Tour / Discussion
April / May / June. We take regular field tours with interns. During these field tours we discuss what is happening with soil prep / fertility / plant growth / soil conditions, etc.
During harvest period (August – October) field tours happen when relevant and time permitting.
TOPIC EVENINGS
We have 5 planned topic evenings according to the following schedule. These usually are scheduled from 7 – 9 P.M. We have prepared lesson plans and discuss the listed subjects.
APRIL: farm plan ~ greenhouse ~ equipment maintenance ~ variety selection
MAY: soils ~ fertility ~ compost ~ cover cropping ~ field preparation
JUNE: weeds ~ insects ~ plant health
JULY: marketing ~ harvest and handling
LATE OCT: discuss season, closure
Reading is encouraged. It will greatly enhance your experience and learning. We supply a recomended reading list. We have good farm books available to you to read in our farm library.
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Work schedule
Most apprentices start around April 16th and stay until November 1st. Other timing options can be discussed.
Monday through Friday we generally start at 7 or 7:30 a.m., depending on the season. We expect people to be ready to go at start time, breakfast finished, coffee or tea finished, well-rested and fully awake, clothing on to match the weather, personal needs taken care of. We typically have a short meeting at this time where we discuss plans for the day. Again, it's very important to be punctual for this meeting. After the meeting we start work. We ourselves have often been up and in the field since 5 a.m. and have come in to have this meeting. We will not be responsible for waking you up. There are occasionally times when we all have to start earlier than 7:00. If rain is expected by 10 a.m., we may have to plant early before the rain comes in. If we are in a long hot spell we may choose to work early and break from 11-3, then work into the cool evening hours. We usually make these decisions a day ahead and keep you informed of our plans. Spring planting is much more unpredictable in this regard than is the harvest season. In spring we're always working around the weather, and sometimes this causes us to either work feverishly or sit on our hands for a while. We can't emphasize enough the fact that, ultimately, the weather runs the farm, and that to farm successfully one must adapt one's work schedule to the weather.
On normal days, we take an hour long break for lunch at about noon.
Apprentices are involved with the farm around 45 hours per week, and most of these will be weekday hours. Generally you have the weekends off. This is rare in the world of farm internships and is not a "natural" thing to do because plants and weather don't operate on a 5 day schedule. However, we feel time off and away from farm work is very important to avoid burnout and maintain positive attitudes. There will probably be times when the weather has been wet all week and we ask you to take time off in the middle of the week and be with us on the weekend. Usually we can see this coming and talk it over with you in advance. You are not under any obligation to drop your weekend plans. If you can join us on the weekend at such times, we really appreciate it, but if something is too important for you to miss, we can usually find someone else to help out.
It is important that you come back from your time off well-rested and energized. Partying all weekend and coming back to the farm on Monday with a hangover does not work, especially since Monday is usually the hardest day of the week.
Apprentices have a one week vacation in early to mid July. This exact window falls at a different time each year.
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Clothing you will need
- Sturdy, comfortable work shoes or boots. Some people prefer tennis shoes.
- Water proof boots for wet, muddy days
- Thin, cotton, long-sleeved shirts, protection for hot scratchy days.
- Rain gear
- Sun hat and sun block.
- Assorted clothes that you don't care about. They will get wrecked by dirt and work.
- We provide cotton work gloves.
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Notes on teaching and learning styles
Learning at the Gardens of Eagan is mainly a hands-on experience augmented by reading, discussions, and informal group meetings. It is very important that you don't expect a college-type lecture setting. Generally apprentices are involved in the day to day operation of the farm. The best time for passing information about technical details is after the apprentice has had some time in the field doing a given task -- for most people the information "sticks" better when tied to the hands-on experience. We often have very good discussions in the field while we are all working. It is important to be able to work and talk at the same time. If your hands stop every time your mouth opens no one will want to talk to you! One of my favorite chores and learning settings is hoeing. Some people dislike hoeing because it can become monotonous, the same motion over and over, day after day. I love hoeing because some of my deepest learning happens while I am doing monotonous tasks. Once my body has learnt the task and doesn't require my full concentration, my mind is free to do "whole learning". I may notice that the plants on one end of the field are more mature with more or larger fruit than the other end of the field. Then I may notice that the soil is darker and harder to hoe on one end and lighter, sandier, easier to hoe on the other. If I continue observing while I work the field from end to end, by the close of the day I have learned quite a bit about different soil types, plant preferences, moisture levels, etc., etc. And learned it all without my hoe ever slowing down! Because I experienced the learning first hand the information is real, has real meaning and really sticks, ready to be recalled when I need it. Information read in a book is much more understandable and usable when the hands-on field experience is connected to the intellectual knowledge.
We all have different motives for being on the farm, but the "common ground" that I assume we share is a desire to learn. While the farm and staff provide basic learning direction, you must provide the motivation and realize the meaning of your learning. The weeks and months pass quickly. Here are a few suggestions to help you achieve your personnel learning goals:
- Realize that this apprenticeship is only a part of your education and experience in this area of interest, and that you have a whole lifetime ahead to learn and experience more. You can't learn all there is to know about this farm, or any farm, in one season (or a lifetime, for that matter).
- Keep in mind some sort of timetable for doing reading and optional garden projects.
- Keep a written journal. Writing is an excellent way to work out thoughts and can be a good way to note your learning progress when reviewed later. It will also be useful for you in future years to be able to review what was done and when, here this season.
- Take written notes when you read. Otherwise much important information may be missed or forgotten. Discussions of reading materials are more productive when you have notes to which to refer.
- After the first month or so, list a few learning goals for yourself, anything from how to identify nutritional deficiencies to increasing soil fertility with green manure. Following each goal, figure out what would be the best way to fulfill that learning goal, whether it would be by asking us questions, doing research in books or on the internet, or simply by spending more time working at particular farm tasks. We often can give you a responsibility in the area of your goal to help you learn and achieve that goal.
- You will generally find that as you become better able to define what you want to learn, your sense of accomplishment and satisfaction with your learning will increase.
Many learning opportunities occur every day you spend on the farm. Sometimes you're "just" learning to identify new insects or plants, and sometimes you're working to develop an attitude of acceptance and understanding for some of the more monotonous tasks in the garden. Paul Encisco of Taos Pueblo once said, "You've got to put yourself in tune with the spirit of what you are doing. That way, it doesn't become a chore to you, but becomes a part of you." Ask questions as they arise or write them down for later. Some people find it helpful to carry a pen and a small notebook. Sometimes it is not a good time for us to answer questions right away, but don't just forget them. Over time as you gain observation skills and increased feeling for the plants and soil, you will find yourself asking better questions that require more complete, or "whole" answers. These questions can serve as a partial gauge of your learning progress. Holistic answers ask of you a certain level of care, patience, and observation.
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To apply for an internship at Gardens of Eagan.
Internship periods:
Total season: Mid-April to early November
Harvest and Marketing: Early August to early November.
Send us a resume or work/experience history. Include work references.
Please answer the following questions.
- What period of time are you applying for? Can you stay until November 1?
- Describe what you hope to learn/gain from this experience.
- What are your goals with respect to agriculture, food, farm marketing, etc.?
- What related experiences have you had. Have you done physical labor before?
- Driving experience and record.
- How do you define sustainable and organic agriculture?
- Do you have financial or other obligations that will distract you from participation in this program either physically or emotionally?
- Describe your personality. What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?
- What do you see yourself doing at the end of the Apprenticeship Program? The following winter? In five years?
- Anything else you'd like us to know.
Send to: linda@gardensofeagan.com
- Gardens of Eagan
- 25494 Highview Ave.
- Farmington, MN. 55024
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Some guidelines for self-evaluation during and after the apprenticeship
It helps to write two drafts of any evaluation. The first draft is really for you alone, and for the present moment. It helps get your various thoughts straight in your head without worrying about what to write for the second draft. In my mind, the second draft is a document you may want to reflect on in later years to aid you in your continued education. You may also choose to share it with us to assist us in better meeting your needs. Write that first draft quickly, loosely, and as much as possible without stopping. Don't worry about mechanics, organization, or whether it makes sense. Don't even worry about whether it is true: sometimes blatant exaggeration or distortion is the only way to get your hands on a half-buried insight. The idea is to get your thoughts down on paper where you can see them and learn from them. Wait until after you get that interesting mess written before going back over it to decide which things are true and relevant. It will be easier to write appropriately for learning growth it you get the false and private things down on paper and out of your head. The following are some questions that can be useful in writing a self-evaluation:
- What have you done here that you are proud of? What have you learned here? Why did you come? What were your expectations? Compare your accomplishments with your expectations. In what ways did you grow, change, develop? Did you work hard or not? Get a lot done or not? Did you remain focused or were you distracted by other things? What kinds of things (tasks, situations, co-workers, etc.) were difficult or frustrating? Why? Which were easy? Why? What is the most important thing you did in this period? What experience sticks in your mind? What reading? How do you feel now, physically, emotionally, mentally? How accurate are these feelings? That is, do you feel that you are really letting yourself be in touch with how you feel, or are you just telling yourself how you think you should feel? What did you learn throughout? (Skills, ideas). What was the most important at the time? What seems most important now? What skill or idea was hardest to "get"? What skills or ideas just came naturally? If you made your apprenticeship into a movie, what would the movie really be about? I think it's likely that you've learned something crucial that you won't discover for a while. Any vague thoughts about what it might be? If you could describe this experience as a journey, where would it be taking you? Is it a complete trip or part of an ongoing one? How do you think you might have done a better job? What knowledge and skills did you pick up here that you think you will still be using in 5 years? Are you goals (for yourself, for another internship, whatever) still the same? What are your goals now?
- What single piece of advice would you give to a new Gardens of Eagan intern?
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E-mail us or call 952-985-7233 with questions
Gardens of Eagan
25494 Highview Ave.
Farmington, MN 55024
Phone: 952-985-7233
E-Mail: linda@gardensofeagan.com
