We love having guest gardeners at Meeting House Farm who want to get to know the plants!

New this year

The Many Hands work-trade program is now a paid apprenticeship program focused on educating apprentices while they work with the plants.  Apprentices will grow, dry and process medicinal herbs.

Rather than have participants move between multiple plants and tasks in a single session, we now offer two options:

• Seed to Soul

  provides intensive work with one plant throughout the growing season (participants can apply to work with multiple plants).

• Root Wisdom apprentices will work with multiple roots over the course of the sessions, following each root from harvest to apothecary.

Please read this entire page of information and apply as directed below.

 Option 1: Seed to Soul

• This apprenticeship is designed to deepen your relationship with a single plant. 
• Through a series of 6 or 7 on-farm work sessions you will:
  • Plant the seed
  • Transplant the seedling
  • Plant in the field
  • Cultivate
  • Harvest
  • Dry process
  • Work in the apothecary
  • Note: For some plants, the learning process only results in 6 work sessions.

 At the end of the sessions you will know the plant intimately!

 Here’s the scoop:

• Each work day is 3 hours long and the work is led Emily Springer. 
• Choose which plant you want to follow this growing season (or choose them all).
• There are 5 apprenticeship slots available per plant. 
• Sessions meet about 1x per month most often on Thursdays from 10am-1pm (beginning in late March). 
• This apprenticeship option costs $420.00 per plant ($420 for one plant, $840 for two, and so on up to $2,520). 
• Expect to work, get dirty, and learn a lot. 
• Each session will include deep education on the plant and biodynamic planting rhythms, as well as time to meditate with the plant as you work. 
• Each apprentice will also be able to bring home:
  • Seeds
  • Plants
  • Dry plants
  • Apothecary samples
• Work teams will learn together and work together.

 Plant options:

• Calendula
• Echinacea
• Ashwagandha
• Tulsi
• Cotton
• Marshmallow

The application process for the Seed to Soul option opens opens March 1 and runs through March 20. 

Watch our newsletter and social media posts for reminders and updates.

Specific work dates will be provided on the application.

You may apply to work with multiple plants and both program options. 

Option 2: Root Wisdom

• This apprenticeship is designed to deepen your relationship with several root allies. 
• We will work, get dirty and it might be cold.  This is the most magical time of year with the plants as we harvest each root after the plant goes dormant. 
• Work sessions include:
  • Deep plant education
  • Farming methods that work with biodynamic rhythms
  • Root processing
  • Apothecary work 
• There are 6 sessions on Tuesdays from October 10 - November 28 (No work the week of thanksgiving) from 10am -4pm with an hour for lunch.
• 3 apprenticeship slots are available.  
• Roots include:  
  • Solomon Seal
  • Valerian
  • Astragalus
  • Elecampane 
• Cost is $1260 per person.
• You may apply to work with both program options.

The application process for the Root Wisdom option opens opens March 1 and runs through March 20.

Watch our newsletter and social media posts for reminders and updates.

Important Considerations & Safety

A Note about Accessibility

• Most tasks will require the ability to:
• Grasp hand tools
• Sit, kneel, or squat down close to the ground.
• Reach out into the garden beds from a low position or bend over plants that are anywhere between a few inches to several feet tall.
• Access to the field is mostly flat grass lawn with some gentle slopes.

Cancellations

• If the farm has to cancel a workday due to inclement weather or other reasons, the session will be rescheduled.

Tools

Apprentices bring their own supplies: 

• Gardening tools (hand tools work well)
• Something to kneel on
• Natural sunscreen
• Natural bug spray
• Something to harvest fresh herbs with & into (to take home)
• Gloves if you want them
• Clippers

Please let us know if acquiring these things will be a hardship and we will do our best to find a fitting solution.  We have found for folks interested in working with the earth these tools are an essential investment that will serve you well for many years.

• There is a drinking water bubbler in the apothecary, and fresh herbed water is available.
• We have a bathroom on-site.
• A pool is available for swimming after a hot session in the gardens.

• Summer popsicles are on offer

To Apply

Interested in the Seed to Soul option? Fill out this google form.

Interested in the Root Wisdom option? Fill out this google form.

Apprenticeship fees will be collected after applications are reviewed.

Have questions? Shoot us a message below (please don't submit applications via the messaging app :)