BACKGROUND:

Finnriver Farm is a 33 acre certified organic farm in rural Jefferson County, 12 miles from Port Townsend, Washington.  The farm sits along Center Valley, a historically agricultural region, and the nearby Olympic Mountains rise above the valley, while Chimacum Creek, an active salmon stream, runs through it.

As a farm we primarily grow organic blueberries, delicata winter squash, and early season plant starts. We also grow an assortment of other berry crops, a mixed vegetable garden, apple orchard, and we also keep bees, chickens, bunnies and goats. We sell our goods at our weekly summer U-Pick, at the thriving Port Townsend Farmer's Market, the Food CO-OP, and various local retail outlets.

Keith and Crystie Kisler, and their five year old son River, are the owners of Finnriver Farm.  We live in a rural neighborhood with several families who share values of ecological awareness and community living. We bring to farming a diverse set of backgrounds and interests. For example, we have been or are currently: teachers, naturalists, mountain guides, writers, builders, biodiesel retailers, farmers, and parents.  We enjoy sharing meals, celebrating seasonal festivals, making music, and a quiet life on this land.

Intern/WWOOF Opportunity

Finnriver Farm, Chimacum, Washington
The Berries are Blue and the Cows they Moo!

THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST IN WORKING AT FINNRIVER FARM.  Positions:

Both our intern and wwoof positions are a vital component to the success of our farm business, and both are very important in creating a sense of community on the farm. We work together very closely for months and appreciate interns and wwoofers with maturity, a healthy sense of humor, and open-mindedness. A willingness to go with the flow is crucial. The work is quite physical, tedious at times, and can involve long hours, especially during harvest days. Because of this we expect our interns and wwoofers to have a serious interest in organic agriculture.


We invite interns and wwoofers who are: conscientious, reliable, communicative, self-motivated, physically sound, and willing to work hard. We would like to re-iterate that this is a learn as you work position. We can support your learning by asking and answering questions while working in the fields, during work breaks and the occasional meal-times. There is a modest farming and sustainability related "library" for you to peruse. We hope you grow and learn too.

INTERN

Option 1: 9 Month stay approx. March 1-November 30. Designed for those who really want to experience a full growing season. Here you will begin to understand what is involved in operating a small scale organic farm.

Option 2: 3-4 Month stay approx. June-August/Sept.  Designed for college students, or those who don't feel they can commit to option 1.

We are flexible with start and ending dates.

Accomodation: A small and simple cabin with heat, access to bath-house, and outdoor kitchen. 

Work load: We ask 30-40 hrs in a 5-6 day week.

Compensation: Housing, food from the farm,  a monthly stipend to help with staple food items, recreation, etc.

There may be the potential to "intern trade" with other local organic farm interns. Possibly a couple 1 week stints, or specific projects other farms need extra help to accomplish, to diversify your farming experience.

WWOOFer

*Two week minimum stay.
*We only take wwoofers who are genuinely interested in organic agriculture, not those seeking an inexpensive way to travel.

Accomodation: Campsite or intern housing when available. Access to bath-house, and outdoor kitchen.

Work Load: We ask 30-40 hrs in a 5-6 day week with a small stipend.

Compensation: Campsite/cabin, small stipend, and most importantly the experience and education of small scale organic agriculture.

IN GENERAL

Although we are primarily a blueberry farm, we can offer a varied work experience. The farm can use your help in many ways, some traditional, some less so, but still a necessary part of maintaining a farm. Certain times of year the work will be predominantly one task: harvest, pruning, etc. But we believe in making work, even repetitive work, fun through many hands, lively conversation, and gorging on fresh berries. You will also get to experience different types of marketing and witness a cooperative farming partnership model. As past wwoofers and interns ourselves, we are sensitive to the needs and desires of our helpers and try to be fair and fun and honest.

We open up our farm and lives to visiting workers, and also set some boundaries to make living and working together more pleasant.   We eat some lunches together on work days, but breakfast and dinner are prepared on your own with the use of garden veggies. Evenings and non-work days we like our privacy in and around our homes.

Being in a remote rural area means that people who stay here must be able to entertain themselves and/or have transportation. It's an easy 2.5 mile bike ride to public transportation which goes into Port Townsend, an artsy and entertaining community. The farm is 12 miles from Port Townsend, 3 miles from the closest small town (Chimacum), and a 1 hour drive to Seattle. It is wonderfully quiet here.

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS

AS A GENERAL POLICY WE DON'T ALLOW CIGARETTE SMOKING ON THE FARM, NOR DO WE TOLERATE EXCESSIVE OR ABUSIVE DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE.  If this becomes a problem during your stay you will be asked to leave immediately without question. 

THINGS TO BRING

Part A The things you will need during your stay.

Part B Things we highly recommend but aren't essential.

NOTE: We do not provide health insurance, nor L&I coverage. Interns and WWOOFers are helpers who are exchanging their labor for education and room and board. They are not paid employees. We are not liable for accidents that occur while staying here.

SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT YOU:

Please send us some information about yourself. We are interested in the following:

Please contact us promptly so we can refer others to area farms and programs.