Volunteer Assistant Stewards – an opportunity to practice intentional stewardship
Host
Assistant Steward Program: We are looking for experienced agriculture and community education volunteer folks who would like to come be of service to One Island for 77 day periods. We average 2-4 positions on a rotating basis, age range 18-80. Please note: requires already having a minimum of 3-months full time (360 hours) experience in agriculture production/landscaping or education events and programming in paid or volunteer positions and references. (See our Field Study tuition-based 4-week training option if not currently qualified for the steward positions)
One Island seeks assistance in stewarding both a 10 acre organic farm and the education programs we offer to the community and guest visitors. Each Assistant Steward is provided with a special opportunity to share their specific skill sets and to work independently on assigned weekly tasks. We recognize that not everyone arrives equally equipped to serve both the agriculture and the education needs of the organization and suggest you apply for a stewardship role that best suits your existing skill set.
Assistant Steward roles are: Assistant Farm Steward for farm production and maintenance, Assistant Education Steward for learning center maintenance and event production. Base period is 77 days; may be extended.
You will be provided with opportunities to learn additional / cross-over skills during your time here, but experience has shown us that the stewardship guests see the most success if they understand their existing skill sets in advance and arrive ready to make a contribution where their strengths are.
We provide rustic tent-on-platform lodging, stocked pantry for vegetarian cooking, and off-grid cooking/bathing facilities in open air, forested settings. In exchange, each Assistant Steward devotes 30 hours of work per week on behalf of One Island – 25 hrs on the farm or assisting with facility care and events – and 5 hrs a week doing community service at local farms, gardens, farmers markets, festivals, schools and non-profits. Primary duties can include food production development / landscape maintenance or facility upkeep and education program support for classes, workshops, festivals and field trips. Please apply for a position that best reflects your primary existing skill sets. (If you do not yet have the required skill sets, please consider our 4-10 week field study opportunity open for students or those new to sustainability or non-profit programming that may or may not include college credit.)
Each prospective Assistant Steward invited to One Island begins their residency with a 14-day interview-in-action to allow each of us an up-close and personal final assessment of mutual suitability, prior to joining the learning community as an Assistant Steward for nine weeks. Upon completion of the final interview, we require each Assistant Steward to begin devoting an average of 5 of the 30 hours/week we expect in service, at our farmers market booth, to other non-profits or at local farms. This may help you learn about the community and connect with others who share your particular passions and curiosities.
An Assistant Steward lives, learns, teaches and works with us up to 77 days and some stay longer with an approved special project agreement. Much of the work is collaborative clearing and maintaining our feature gardens and tending the greenhouse or maintaining the learning center and adjacent grounds for special events.
Lead Steward roles may become available for qualified participants after the 77 day introductory period and require a 20 hr week work trade in exchange for increased project management responsibilities.
To receive an application to be an Assistant Steward at One Island, email oneislandganesh@gmail.com with ‘Steward’ in the subject line.
Stewards
We need independent, responsible, self-directed, collaborative workers – sense of humor, progressive political conversations, and dreams of a better world are welcome! This is a life enrichment experience. You need to arrive with adequate travel, health, and pocket money for your entire stay – and a plan for transportation – as we are not able to provide these.
The Steward positions require already having a minimum of 3-months full time (360 hours) experience in agriculture production/landscaping or education events and programming in paid or volunteer positions and references. See our Field Study tuition-based 4-week training option if not currently qualified for the steward positions.
Please leave personal dramas behind (no prima donnas, thank-you!) and enter into this self-directed farm-site learning experience as an intentional retreat that will provide ample opportunities to strengthen and enrich the whole person – body, mind and spirit.
You must have experience undertaking self-directed projects, be able to manage your time and stay on task, and be end-result focused with the personal integrity to really want to make a contribution. The long term Farm and Education Stewards who work at One Island will provide you with weekly assignments and guidance, but most of your work will take place under your own self-direction in order to complete your assignments.
Practicing to live with out pre-judgement and with a daily state of gratitude really make the team hum. There is no resident guru here to tell you how to live your life – this is a great opportunity for learning to listen to your own inner voice, find your own truths, and get comfortable in your own skin. We encourage you to set time aside every week for enriching reading, nature walks and nature ‘listens’, and to really enjoy being alive in the ‘here / right now’. This experience of quiet time with self is one of the lasting gifts our program offers.
We help maintain and protect a magical place, a sanctuary, a peaceful haven, and our Stewards help foster that ambiance through intentional choices in their own lives, every day. As schedules permit, we will meet in circle weekly, review our personal and group experiences, and plan for the coming work week. Grocery shopping, enrichment classes, and community events are a walk, bus ride, or hitch-able nearby. Bring your protective clothing and sun gear, sleeping bag and tent (for off-site camping), roll up your sleeves and you will have a very memorable, enriching, and definitely character building time in your life.
Want to practice walking your talk of sustainable living?
Ready to join a team and be of service?
This may be the place for you!
For information, contact:
