Gardens of Eagan

Contact: Atina Diffley
25498 Highview Ave.
Farmington, MN
952-469-1855
Email: atinagoe@frontiernet.net
Website: www.gardensofeagan.com
Best way to contact: email

Current Operation

Describe your current operation, specifically with regards to sustainable farming practices.

Gardens of Eagan is a fifth generation, certified organic family farm, in operation since 1857. We began growing organic vegetables in 1973 on 40 acres of land and marketing at local farmers markets and to natural foods co-op groceries in the Twin Cities.

We currently farm around 150 acres. Approximately 75 acres are in fresh market produce and the rest is in a green manure fertility building program. We grow vetch, soy, sudan grass, clover, rye, alfalfa to build soil. We service 10 natural food stores, all in the Twin Cities area, 2 wholesalers and our own roadside stand. The majority of our crops are grown in a row crop style, with a few items such as seedbeds being grown in a bed style.

We use hand tools, rototillers, small and large farm tractors. Our methods are based on our families 100 plus years of small farm experience as well as state of the art biological sound practices. We are continually evaluating our methods and adapting our systems to meet market demand and organic/sustainable agricultural concerns.

Internship Description

Describe the kinds of work interns will perform and any project with which interns would be involved.

Apprentices work with us in the field. It is hard work, weather and insects can be physically uncomfortable.

WHAT IS AN APPRENTICESHIP?

Apprenticeship is the system of learning a trade by exchanging labor for instruction and experience from one skilled and experienced in the trade. Traditionally apprentices become journeyman (working for wages) and finally become masters. Having a Latin root, apprentice, apprenticeship means to be able to learn and comprehend.

There is a difference between the accumulation of ideas and the development of a system of understanding. By combining knowledge learned intellectually with hands-on experience the apprentice gains a working knowledge and understanding based on experience.

Apprentices receive training and experience in organic vegetable producing methods of:

• Greenhouse operation
• Weed control
• Garden site selection
• Pest management
• Soil preparation and care
• Harvest skills
• Fertilizer methods
• Marketing skills
• Planting techniques
• Equipment needs

A TYPICAL YEAR (no year is typical)

April; greenhouse planting, machinery care, repair, maintenance, soil preparation hand and mechanical, soil selection for various crops, fertilizing, early planting.

May; continue greenhouse, continue machinery, soil prep, fertility, variety selection, intense planting, crop care, cultivation.

June; seed beds, staggered planting, plant care, weed control, cultivation, side dressing, fertilize, pest management, green manure planting and incorporation.

July; weekly plantings of brassicas, cultivation and plant care, 1-week vacation around July 4th, green manure planting, begin marketing to stores. First sweet corn and melons end of July.

August; end of broccoli planting, harvesting, marketing, green manure planting

Sept; harvesting, everything is in! End of month, first frost. Field prep for fall.

Oct.; field and soil preparation for winter, continue marketing, harvesting. Roadside stand pumpkin sales.

Intern Skills/Experience

List specific skills or experience that interns should have.

Key traits of a successful intern

The work that we do is often hard. Farming is not for everyone. Apprentices should enjoy physical work and being outside all day. A good attitude and a good back are highly valued. 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

Internship Timeline

What is the minimum duration (weeks) and number of hours/day, that you require an intern to be able to work?

Depends on the time of year. To be discussed.

Internship Stipends/Benefits

List any stipend or benefits that you are able to offer to interns. If living accommodations are not provided, is housing available nearby?

Interns who are with for the entire season, April through October receive: housing, utilities, produce from the farm, plus a stipend of $800 a month. Other timing can be discussed.

Additional Information

Provide any additional information you think would be helpful.

TEACHING / LEARNING STYLES

Learning at the Gardens of Eagan is mainly a hands-on experience augmented by reading, discussions, and informal, group topic, 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 running the farm. Usually the best time for passing more technical information is after the apprentice has had some field time doing the related task. For most people information "sticks" better when the person has had some hands-on experience in the area. 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 nobody 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 repetitious 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 higher yields and quality 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. Continued observation while I work the field from end to end and by the end of the day I have learnt quite a bit about different soil types, plant preferences, moisture levels etc.... All without my hoe ever slowing down! Because the information is experience based, it is real, has direct meaning based on reality; and is 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.

PERSONNEL LEARNING RESPONSIBILITIES

We all have different motives for being in the garden, but the "Common Ground" which we share is being here to learn. While the garden and staff help provide basic learn direction, you must provide the motivation and realize the meaning of your learning. The weeks and months pass quickly. You can better fulfill your personnel learning responsibilities by;

1. Realizing that this apprenticeship is only part of your education and experience in this area of interest, and that you have a whole lifetime ahead to learn and experience more.
    
2. Keeping in mind some sort of timetable for doing reading and garden projects. You will generally find that as you become better able to define what you want from the garden, your sense of accomplishment and satisfaction with your learning will increase.

Here are a few suggestions to help your learning along:

1. 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 come in handy in future years to be able to review what happened here this summer.
    
2. 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. Reading is important for gaining information and to help stimulate your own ideas, opinions, and creativity.
    
3. 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, and everything in between. Following each goal, figure out what would be the best way to fulfill that learning goal, whether it would be asking us questions, researching information on your part or more experience in a certain area.

These are only a few suggestions to assist your learning. There are many others which might work better for your needs. Most of the learning takes the form of experience and working in the garden, in addition to instruction, discussion, and reading. Any suggestions for ways to improve the learning process are necessary and much appreciated.

DAY-TO-DAY LEARNING

Many learning opportunities occur every day in the garden, ranging from your profound questions, to identification of new insects and plants, to development of an attitude of acceptance and understanding for some of the more monotonous tasks in the garden. "You've got to put yourself in tune with the spirit of what you are doing, so it doesn't become a chore to you, but it becomes a part of you", Paul Encisco.

Ask questions as they arise or write them down for later, it is helpful to carry a pen and a small notebook, sometimes it is not a good time to answer questions right away; do not put them aside and forget them. When you have questions ask someone who will know the answer or look it up in the garden library. Over time as you gain observation skills and increased feeling for the plants and soil, you will find yourself asking better questions which 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. They will lead you to learn how to discover your own answers therein; "the garden makes the gardener". Your questions and insights will greatly help other apprentices and us as well.

GENERAL INFORMATION

SCHEDULE: Monday through Friday
Generally we start between 7 and 7:30, 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 to fit the weather, personal needs taken care of, ready to go. We have a meeting at this time where we go through the day's plan. After the meeting we start work. It is very important to be punctual in the morning. We ourselves have often been up and in the field since 5 A.M. and come in to meet. We will not be responsible to wake you up. There are a few times when we all have to start earlier. If it is really hot we sometimes have to harvest early before the day's heat comes on. 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, avoid the worst of the heat, then work again into the cool evening hours. We usually know this the day ahead and can keep you informed of the plans. It is unusual. Apprentices generally work 7:30 - 5:30 with one hour off for lunch.

The rest of the day depends on the season and the weather.

Spring planting is much more variable then later season harvest. In spring we're always working around and with the weather. It is sometimes difficult to have a consistent schedule. If it is hot we might break for a while after lunch and then plant into the evening when it is cooler and the plants won't go through as much transplanting stress.

In harvest, generally starting in mid July, work is more predictable and easier to schedule. We usually pack wholesale orders three days a week. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. These are the most intense days of the week during harvest. The other days we take care of crops, pick for the stand and pick ahead for pack days. We know the truck has to be loaded and leave the driveway by the next morning at 5 A.M. The crops have to be picked, rain or shine, hot or cold. Generally you should be free of obligations Monday through Friday. If something is important to you during this time please check with us on how it will fit in. Generally interns work around 9 hours a day. In a planting rush we may work late into the evening but this in not common. Maybe several times in a season if the weather is working against us. We avoid it because it is a burnout.

Generally you have the weekends off. This is a contradiction to the nature of farming because the weather doesn't operate on a 5 day schedule. There can be times when the weather has been against us all week and we ask you to take off in the middle of the week and be with us on the weekend. It may rain all week, stop on Thursday and be dry enough to plant on the weekend. Usually we can see this coming and will ask you to take off on the weekday and be available on the weekend. This doesn't happen often but in farming you have to be ready if it does. Farming is not a 9-5 life with regular hours. You are not under obligation to drop your weekend's plans. If it works for you to be flexible we appreciate it, if something is too important for you to miss on the weekend we can usually find someone else to help out. Many farms require their help to work on the weekends. We feel time off and away from farm work is very important to avoid burnout and maintain positive attitudes. 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. Monday is usually the hardest day of the week and you need to be well rested and ready.

Apprentices have a one week vacation in the first half of July. This falls at a different time each year so we will let you know the exact date.

What I hope you got out of this section is that although we set general schedules and try to stick to them, the weather really runs the farm and to be a successful farmer you must be flexible and go with the weather. Often there is only one chance to do a job or task and if you miss that chance it goes undone for the season.

LIVING SPACE AND FOOD

Apprentices each have their own bedroom in rustic cabins. You should bring your own bedding and towels. These rooms are your private space and you are not expected to share them in any way with anyone else. You are welcome to stay on the farm or leave during your time off. We are only 40 minutes from Mpls/St.Paul. All the apprentices share a kitchen in one of the cabins. The kitchen has a stove, cupboards, refrigerator and cold/hot running water. Apprentices are welcome to eat produce from the farm at no cost. Their other food is their own financial responsibility. Apprentices decide amongst themselves whether they wish to eat as a group and share food expenses or maintain separate food. Apprentices are expected to be respectful to the other people using the kitchen and clean up after themselves.

A portable toilet is used for toilet facilities. Apprentices use a hot shower / bathtub located in one of the cabins.

Apprentices have their own phone line, which they share with the other apprentices. They are responsible for this expense.

Apprentices are welcome to have visitors on the farm. If the visitors are here during work hours they are expected to join in with the work and be part of the farm. It doesn't work to have non-helping visitors hanging out in the field distracting the job or being a distraction for the apprentice such as a lover waiting for the end of the day. (The day can be very long in that case.) If visitors will be here for more then one day we need to approve of their stay. If you have visitors to whom you want to give a tour and show them the farm it is best to plan that during off work hours.

We have a farm library. Apprentices are encouraged and welcome to borrow materials. We expect them to take care of and return these materials. We have a sign out sheet in the bookcase so that if we need a book for reference we know where to find it.

Our farm is tobacco, drug and alcohol free. If these activities are important to you, this farm isn't the right one for you.

Pets are discouraged and allowed to live on the farm only on a case by case basis.

CLOTHING YOU WILL NEED

• Waterproof boots
• Sturdy work shoes or boots
• Thin cotton long sleeved shirts for hot scratchy days
• Rain gear
• Sun hat protection

Assorted clothing that you don't care about, they will get wrecked by dirt and work.

We provide cotton and plastic work gloves.

Further Questions

If you have further questions, please call us at 952-469-1855. If you are interested in the apprenticeship program please think about the following questions and either write them out or give us a call.

Describe what you hope to learn/gain from this experience.
What are your goals in this area?

What is the condition of your health?
Have you ever and do you now, have problems with your back?
Do you have allergies?

How do you do in the following adverse conditions?
Heat, Cold, Sun, Mosquitoes, Rain. Long days of physical labor, bending over.

What has been your strongest learning style in the past, reading, experience, audio, etc.?

Have you done physical labor before? How do you feel about physical labor?

What is the most physical week you have ever had?

Are you a talker or a doer? In what way?
How are you at completing tasks?

Do you have financial or other obligations that will distract your participation in this program, either physically or emotionally?

Do you prefer to work alone or as a group?

What is your best learning style? Reading, Experience, Auditory?

Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

How do you communicate conflict?
If you were having a problem with someone else on the farm how would you deal with it?

Describe your personality.
What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?

How do you deal with stressful situations?

What related experiences have you had?

What do you see yourself doing at the end of the Apprenticeship Program? The following winter? In 5 years?

What do you expect from us?

Evaluate your Skills and Relative Potential for Farming

Rating:	Low	Medium	High
PERSONAL RESOURCES
Clear goals	L	M	H
"People skills"	L	M	H
Financial backing	L	M	H
Growing experience	L	M	H
Management/marketing skills	L	M	H
Mechanical/construction/maintenance skills	L	M	H
PERSONAL PREFERENCES
Hard working	L	M	H
Risk taking	L	M	H
Problem solving	L	M	H
Outdoor/physical lifestyle	L	M	H
Long-term commitment to job	L	M	H

Can you learn the skills you rated low or medium on?
In thinking about your own farming plans do you have a partner that is strong in the areas you are not?