INSTRUCTIONS

If you are interested in pursuing a position as Intern at Valley Shepherd LLC, please read through the instructions for the application that follows.

BE REALISTIC !!

It seems that even honest people can go into "application mode"–a state in which one will write whatever is necessary to get the position. Please be careful before you do this; you might just get what you ask for!
Our farm is not advertised as a paradise, with ever -smiling boss, just a happy farm family, and sans sore muscles. We are however, one of the most unique farming operations in the world with a complete grass to consumer production cycle and many innovative approaches to sustaiable, modern farming.

Before you start filling out the application, consider

• What do you want to get out of this program?
• Can you really get it here?
• You usually get only as much as you give.
• What do you want to give to this program?
• Are you really able to give it?

Before filling out this application, be forewarned:

• Sheep dairy farming is chaotic, messy, unpredictable, tiring, uncomfortable and unforgiving in ways that probably go beyond your normal understanding of these words. 

INTERVIEW

Can you visit the farm for a 2 day to 1 week work trial? We understand this will not be practical if you are in European student.

STIPEND

We offer interns an hourly pay. It sure adds up with our crazy work weeks. We also offer shared furnished housing, paid utilities, workman's compensation for American interns.

TRIAL PERIOD

Lets hope we both figured out what this internship is about because Europe is a long way away. If you are accepted and decide to participate in our program we hope you investigated us throughly and know what the six months will be like. We are opening more than our workplace to you; we are opening our home to you as well. A part of our responsibility to ourselves, our interns, our customers, and our sheep is to create a respectful, cooperative, and productive environment. If the trial period is working well for all of us, we expect you to stay until the end of the time frame to which you committed.

Multi year possibilities

To make this internship truly effective as a preparation for a farming life, we recommend a second internship year. If you successfully complete two years of training and wish to pursue farming professionally, consider the option of working for us as a salaried member.