Manzana Springs Vegetable Farm is a small scale diversified vegetable farm in Moab, Utah which produces fresh, local food that goes beyond organic.
Work and Learning Opportunities
2008 Working Opportunites: Manzana Springs is seeking hard working, motivated individuals to help us make the 2008 season a success. We have several different positions available that are described below.
1). Full season commitment #1. One intern is needed February 4th 2008 – November 15th 2008. In exchange for 40 hours of work/week you'll get hands on experience learning what it takes to run a small diverse vegetable farm, $400/month, an end of season bonus of $850, and an additional bonus based on performance, your own room in a furnished home shared with other interns, and free excess vegetables from the farm. This position has been filled for 2008 by an intern who is returning after working for us in 2007.
2). Full season commitment #2. One intern is needed March 4th 2008 – November 15th 2008. In exchange for 40 hours of work/week and a commitment to stay the whole season, you'll get hands on experience learning what it takes to run a small diverse vegetable farm, $400/month, an end of season bonus of $750, an additional bonus based on performance, your own room in a furnished home shared with other interns, and free excess vegetables from the farm. This position has been filled for 2008 by another intern who is returning after working for us in 2007.
3). Full season commitment #3. One intern is needed March 4th 2008 – October 31st 2008. In exchange for 40 hours of work/week and a commitment to stay the whole season, you'll get hands on experience learning what it takes to run a small diverse vegetable farm, $400/month, an end of season bonus of $700, an additional bonus based on performance, your own room in a furnished home shared with other interns, and free excess vegetables from the farm. This position has been filled for 2008.
4). Three month commitment. One intern position will be open from April through October 2008. In exchange for 32 hours per week and a commitment to stay three months, you'll get hands on experience learning what it takes to run a small diverse vegetable farm, $300/month, a $150 bonus for every three months you stay, housing in a furnished home shared with other interns, and free excess vegetables from the farm. You will also have the option to take on a full season commitment (described above) if one of those positions becomes available. This position has been filled for 2008.
5). Volunteering and WWOOF. We will be able to have several volunteers/wwoofers stay at the farm during the season (recommended minimum stay 2 weeks) between February 4th 2008 and November 15th 2008. You'll get hands on experience learning what it takes to run a small diverse vegetable farm, housing or camping, and free excess vegetables from the farm. We suggest that volunteers/woofers staying on the farm help out at least 16 hours per week. You will also have the option to take on a full season or three month commitment (described above) if one of those positions becomes available. Volunteers who already have a place to stay in Moab are also welcome to help out on the farm. We can arrange different schedules and volunteers always leave with some fresh veggies. Please contact us if you are interested in volunteering or WWOOFing.
About Manzana Springs
The following is an attempt to give prospective workers an idea of what our farm and the work will be like, so that you can decide if a position is right for you.
The Farmers - Manzana Springs Vegetable Farm is managed by Chris Kauffman and Adrea Lund, we are both 30, and have degrees in Biology from Earlham College a Quaker school in Richmond, IN where we met and became life partners. Chris grew up here in Moab, while Adrea is a transplant from the Midwest. Adrea apprenticed on three different organic farms before deciding that it was time to start her own farm. Adrea and Chris moved back to Moab, UT in December 2001 and together began farming on Chris' parent's property in 2002 (see pictures of us).
2008 will be our sixth season of growing vegetables in Moab. Since the farm's beginning we have both had part-time jobs off of the farm. Adrea worked at our local natural foods store, and Chris is a server at the local brew-pub. Adrea now has a full time job at the local library. While she is still instrumental in decision making and planning on the farm, Chris is responsible for all of the day to day farm work. This change was made for many reasons and has created a more sustainable balance in our lives. We both are committed to producing food using environmentally responsible methods, and living more simply. Our goal is to build up the health of our soil, our local ecosystem, and our local community. We are farming to create a lifestyle for ourselves and an alternative food supply for our community.
The Farm - We have 80 3'x50' beds (less than 1/2 acre) most of which will be planted in a wide variety of vegetables (plus the occasional flower). 10 of our beds are in a plastic covered hoop houses for season extension. We are not certified organic but we do not use any synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. We describe our farm as "beyond organic" because, in addition to being free of synthetic pesticides and herbicides, our food is always - fresh, local and hand-crafted! We practice succession planting and intensive spacing (on some crops) in order to produce as much as possible on the land we have. We have marketed our vegetables at the Moab Farmer's Market, to local restaurants and the natural foods store and through a 20 member CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. We are currently taking a break from our CSA program but hope to start it up again in the future. The farm itself sits on 8 acres with Chris' parents house, an old barn, a small apple orchard (manzana is Spanish for apple), a natural year round spring, beautiful views of the La Sal Mountains and surrounding red rocks, and lots of rabbit brush, cottonwoods, and scrub oak. We use drip irrigation to water our crops, and we do all of our work by hand with the help of a roto-tiller. We want to stress that we are still a relatively new farm and are still building some parts of our infrastructure and working out some kinks in our system- a great learning opportunity if you some day want to start your own farm (see pictures of the farm, our farmers market stand and our produce).
The Work - We are looking for responsible, hard-working, friendly, physically fit people, who love working outside in all kinds of weather, and who have an interest in experiencing a season of work on a very small vegetable farm. Good listening skills are required, as well as the ability to focus and pay attention to detail. Previous experience working with plants in some way is a requirement, but you do not need to have previous experience working on a farm. An interest in organic/environmentally conscious farming practices is required.
The work each week will include 2 harvest days (starting in March) spent picking, washing and packing vegetables. The remaining hours will be spent planting, weeding, mulching, setting up irrigation, starting seeds - whatever needs to be done that week... we will try to involve you in as many aspects of the farm as we can. From early May through October we will spend Saturday mornings setting up, running and breaking down our booth at the Moab Farmer's Market. We won’t always need every one to help with the farmer’s market every week but try to give everyone a chance to see what it is like. We will always schedule our work when possible to create two days off in a row every week.
Days here in Moab during the spring, summer, and fall can be very hot and dry (sometimes incredibly windy), although we often get afternoon thunderstorms in late summer. This requires starting harvest days early in the morning to beat the heat and get the vegetables in before they wilt. We want potential workers to be prepared mentally for the prospect of working outside in such hot and dry conditions, as well as the prospect of starting work early (2 harvest days each week) as the sun just begins to come up. While physical strength is helpful, endurance is more important. Our work consists mainly of manual labor - which requires a strong back and knees among other things. In the early spring and late fall the days and nights can also get quite cold, interns need to come prepared with warm clothing and sleeping gear in addition to their warm weather gear of sun hats and sunscreen.
We are very committed to keeping our standards high and producing a high quality product - attention to detail is very important and always necessary - we pride ourselves on providing our community with a beautiful farmer's market stand, and our customers with fresh, clean, beautiful vegetables.
Learning - Everyone at Manzana Springs will learn primarily by working. You will get hands on experience with seed starting, seedling propagation, cover cropping, cold frames, transplanting, direct seeding, soil fertility management, cultivation, how to harvest, wash, pack, store and display 30-40 different crops, organic pest control, thinning, weed control, irrigation, hoop houses, season extension, composting and much more. We are very excited to introduce a more structured learning experience in 2008. We will post more details to the web site as we work on them over the fall and winter. Click here to see an outline of the learning objectives for a full season intern.
Housing: In the past, interns have stayed in the cabin and the bus (described below). However, in 2008 we will be able to house interns in the home where we recently lived. This will open up the cabin and bus for volunteers and WWOOFers.
The House: Is a spacious home originally created by fusing two double wide trailers together. It has three bedrooms, a very large kitchen and is fully furnished. It is located adjacent to the farm and is on a main road that leads into Moab. It has a washing machine, fully furnished kitchen, heating and cooling and internet access. We will provide all your utilities but you should buy a phone card or bring a cell phone to use for long distance calls. (see pictures).
The Cabin: Is a small, one room cabin, with a ladder leading to a loft for sleeping (the cabin has running cold water, electricity, electric heater, a fridge, and a swamp cooler). The cabin is rustic - wood with recycled carpet on the floor (there are some spiders), however it is comfortable - Chris and Adrea lived there one summer after college. The windows and front porch have an amazing view of the La Sal Mountains. The cabin is pretty self-sufficient, but you will be using the bathroom, cooking facilites and phone in the house. The washing machine will also be available for laundry. Email access is available at the cabin. We will provide all your utilities but you should buy a phone card or bring a cell phone to use for long distance calls (see pictures).
The Bus: Is a 27ft long converted school bus with water, electricity, a small electric heater, a dorm room size fridge, and a swamp cooler. The bus is very rustic, but comfortable with basic furniture and curtains. It is pretty self-sufficient, but you will be using the bathroom, cooking facilites and phone in the house. The washing machine will also be available for laundry. Email access is available at the house. We will provide all your utilities but you should buy a phone card or bring a cell phone to use for long distance calls. (see pictures).
We ask that everyone who lives at the farm respect the peaceful nature of the property and keep noise levels down. We ask that you do not have parties or large gatherings of people at the house, cabin or bus. You are expected to keep (and leave) your private space in the same shape in which you found it, and to do your share in keeping the house's bathroom, kitchen and common spaces clean. Cigarette smoking is not allowed inside any building/structure.
The Local Area - The farm is located 2 miles from downtown Moab. Your own car or bike is recommended. Moab is a small town - there are about 10,000 permanent residents in Grand County, although this numbers swells during the spring, summer, and fall when the tourists and seasonal workers return. If you are a city lover you may feel too isolated in Moab, however Moab has a surprisingly diverse and robust community and artistic culture. There are numerous events and groups in which you can be involved. If you love wilderness - Moab is an outdoor lovers dream - we are 15 minutes from Arches National Park, and 45 minutes from the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands National Park. It takes 45 minutes to get up into the La Sal Mountains (when it gets too hot down here in town), or you can go for a dip in the Colorado River or one of the perennial creeks and streams which flow through Moab. Chris and Adrea both love to hiking, and can recommend many great trails.
Links to lean more about the Moab area and see pictures:
Moabutah.com: articles and information about Moab
Moab-utah.com: Pictures and information about Moab
discovermoab.com: Official tourism website for Moab.
Visits to the farm before the job starts are highly encouraged. Don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions. Thank you for your interest!
Contact Us
Chris Kauffman and Adrea Lund
Manzana Springs Vegetable Farm
1851 Spanish Valley Dr.
Moab, UT 84532
(435) 259-6467
christopherkauffman@yahoo.com