Position Overview
Work Activities
Work involves all aspects of the farm, including managing an enterprise, crop production, livestock care, recordkeeping, research, and community outreach.
Training Opportunities
Enterprise management, recordkeeping, research, and livestock care.
Minimum Qualifications
Able to work in all weather and lift 30 pounds. Must be curious, motivated, and interested in food sovereignty and social justice.
Desired Skills
Horticulture, livestock, communication, organizational skills, or Spanish-language ability are beneficial.
Other Benefits
Food and housing provided.
On-Farm Housing
Simple shared housing with communal living and shared chores.
About the Trainers
Alice McGary
Trainer Experience: I strongly believe in mentorship. There are so many skills needed to farm, and mentors have been (and continue to be) incredibly helpful in our success in farming. I want to continue to be a part of supporting ethical, creative, viable farming in our world. I have been a mentor with WFAN for more than 10 years and have expanded our mentorship program into hiring trainees for the past four years. I have a certification in secondary education in Iowa (expired) and teach classes regularly in art, farming and folk skills. I have been managing an agro-ecology education program for more than 10 years.
About the Farm
Mustard Seed Community Farm is an 11-acre, 16-year-old farm located ten miles north of Ames, Iowa. We are founded on a belief in ethical food production and distribution, ecological land use and community. Using organic and sustainable methods, we typically grow a variety of vegetables and fruits along with herbs, flowers and prairie. The farm also keeps bees and small flocks of chickens and sheep.