APPRENTICESHIPS & SUMMER STEWARDSHIP

Polyface offers two different educational opportunities:

During this window, we will provide an email address on this page for you to request your stewardship application.

5-MONTH SUMMER STEWARDSHIP

Open for six to eleven persons

A FULL-TIME ONE YEAR POLYFACE MASTER PROGRAM*
Open to two hand-picked summer stewards (choice not based on gender)
*Polyface now requires a completion of the summer stewardship program to be qualified for the one year Masters Program.

Polyface Summer Stewardship

Spend a summer with us and leave years ahead, or stay on to move up in the Polyface team.

MAY 1-SEPTEMBER 30 (NO EXCEPTIONS)

Over the summer you will learn the broiler (meat bird) operation of Polyface, inside and out, start to finish. You can achieve mastery in raising, processing, cutting up, packing, finances, and marketing of pastured poultry.

Other learning opportunities can include:

• Attending on farm work shops and tours for free
• At least 4 teaching lectures from Joel
• Movement, care and husbandry of: Layers, pigs, Sheep, turkeys, cows, garden, and more.

Polyface is looking for a few good farmers! If you are looking to become a farmer and don’t have farming, land, or skill in your background then spending a summer at Polyface is the place for you.

• We are looking for a team that are willing to serve, full of ambition, self-starting, eager to learn and work, situationally aware, sweat all day, teachable, positive, non-complaining, grateful, rejoicing, dependable, faithful, perseverant, take-responsibility, well groomed, good hygiene men and woman, of sound characters. This is not for the faint of heart. You will be needing little to no screen time or skill. This is hands on, in the dirt, blood, and mud, real life stuff.
  
• These folks become like family- you’ll be pushed, challenged to the brink, as well as loved to the end of the earth. With access to the Salatin family for years to come for advice, farms to run and or rent, meet leaders in the field of farming and cheered on for years to come.
• Must be at least 18 years of age at start of internship.
• Requires a 2 day checkout prior to acceptance. No exceptions.
• Required time is May 1-Sept. 30.
• Work 5 days per week, off two days except every third week, which is a 7-day week. Sundays are usually chores only and Saturdays are minimal.
• Room and most board provided and you can eat, within reason, from the Polyface larder (no filet mignon lunches, please). Prepare your own breakfast and lunch. Evening meals Monday-Friday provided communally with the Salatins. Accommodations include a full kitchen, bath, and bunk-style sleeping quarters.
• Quarters do not include phone or internet, although the sales building has high speed wireless.
• Stipend of $100 per month for incidentals. Polyface invests heavily in the physical, emotional, and mental needs of this opportunity; it’s the most education for the money you’ll ever receive.
• Warning: you will be sore, ache, dead tired, and might even be sick for 3 days in your first two weeks. Once you get acclimated, you’ll be more physically fit than you’ve ever been in your life. But it won’t feel good getting there.
• 8-12 stewards due to accommodation and work limitations.
• This learning opportunity is not suited for families with children. Unfortunately, we cannot accept any families to live or work together on farm. Married individuals are welcome to apply, but their spouse and children will need to find accommodations elsewhere.
• Due to immigration regulatory hurdles, we regret that we cannot extend this opportunity to non-US citizens.

Polyface Masters Program - Requires a completion of the summer stewardship program to be qualified for the one year Masters Program

• Applicants must commit to a 12-month stay and are chosen by the Salatins from stewards after two months of the summer stewardship. • Choice will be made based on performance, attitude and Polyface’s best interest, not on gender.
• Will start and end October 15, with 2 weeks break in between summer stewardship and masters.
• Room and board provided. Breakfast and lunch on your own; evening meals with the Salatins.
• Two-three per year.
• Compensation package rivals starting white collar salaries for our area.
• Manage and lead the interns.
• Further education opportunities within the masters program may include: Cattle handling, fence set up and design, winter animal care and housing (layers, rabbits, cows, pigs, etc), forestry, customer interaction and much more.

Beyond

Depending on needs and opportunities, Polyface offers numerous team spots for full employment, subcontracting or symbiotic entrepreneurship. Numerous graduates are now managing complete farms, as self-employed entrepreneurs, under the Polyface umbrella.

Although the opportunities continue to evolve, they all start with the internship. Faithfulness there creates ongoing places of ministry.