Program: Abundant Table Farm Project
Location: Ventura County, CA
Director: Sarah Nolan
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The Abundant Table Farm Project is a young adult Christian community seeking a contemporary rhythm of life with a land based ministry in Ventura County. The goal of this internship is to connect with young adults who are attuned to the destructive disconnect between land and table in our culture.
The Abundant Table Farm Project seeks to provide an alternative model of living for young adults interested in vocational discernment around spirituality, community, and stewardship of Creation. ATFP hopes to create a space where young adults can negotiate what it means to live out the gospel message within the local community and the broader church, in our current context of human beings alienated from each other and the earth.
This project will equip young adults with practical and spiritual skills for creating sustainable community and agriculture. ATFP participants will leave our program with first-hand knowledge of issues related to the above mentioned disconnect--including environmental sustainability; organic, small scale agriculture vs. industrial agribusiness; community health and access to unprocessed foods, especially as it relates to disadvantaged communities; immigration and labor issues - and a passion to work for justice around these issues.
Our Structure:
Live:
The Abundant Table Farm Project is a 12 month long intensive internship (Starting mid-July). Six young adult interns will live together in intentional community in a three bedroom farm house on a 5-10 acre working farm owned by DeBusschere Farms. The farm house (3600 square feet, with a large great room, 3 bed, 3 ˝ bath, and a study/office) will house the interns and be the center of a worship-based ministry.
Work:
Interns will work 50 to 60 hours a week to maintain, develop and sustain the wok of the 10 acre farm. This includes, planting, harvesting, weeding, washing, pcking, marketing and distribution of the harvest using a CSA model¹, local farmes. markets, and other possible outlets.
For applicants interested in other types of work in the community, there may alo be two other internship possibilities with local organizations doing work arond food justice. Please contact us to see if these are available.
Reflect:
Interns will engage in important activities that provide critical reflection on the work they are doing and build intentional community. Some of these activities include, but are not limited to: weekly community dinners, Sunday evening house worship in the Episcopal tradition with Eucharist and liturgy, meeting with program coordinator on a consistent basis, four retreats a year, service learning opportunities, and community reflection times.
Benefits:
Interns will receive:- Housing,
- $400 monthly stipend minus taxes
- Health insurance
- Access to the produce grown.
Please note: This internship includes strenuous work, demanding schedule, little vacation, and the need for good communication skills is very important as there are plentiful requests for engagement with the community.
Internship begins July/August 2010 and runs through July/August 2010
Application timeline:- Rolling application deadline: April 1st thru April 15th
- Interviews scheduled April 1st thru May 1st
- First round of acceptances: May 15th
- Second round of acceptances: June 1st
1 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA): The relationship between a local farm/farmer and those that eat the food they produce. The local community buys a “share” of the farm’s annual harvest and commits to sustaining the farms expenses.
Check our website for more detail: www.jointhefarm.com
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