My goal is that this be a positive learning experience for you.  We will have weekly meetings to discuss what is going well and what needs addressing.  Any problems that arise, we will discuss together and solicit ideas and suggestions from everyone.  We will form a joint plan together.  Everyone is a stakeholder in this season so your ideas and opinions are important.  To further your learning, each will get a handbook containing what is important for this year's success.  The handbook will be a summary of what we will be learning and contain the safety guidelines for Good Agricultural Practices.  This will be a great reference tool for you to keep beyond Bluebird Gardens.

In early April, most of our work will occur in the main greenhouse and in the seven high tunnels.  We will be getting the soil ready in the high tunnels and will begin planting.  We will also be doing a lot of transplanting and planting in the main greenhouse.  As soon as the weather allows, we will be planting crops outside in the field.  By following soil test results, we will be first spreading the elements that are missing from the soil to our land by tractor and spreader.  Peas and potatoes are planted with tractors and planters.  Whew!  Radishes, lettuce, chard, spinach and carrots are planted with a walk behind planter.  Onion plants and sets are planted by hand.  The three MESA stewards, Mike M. and I will be here then to get these jobs off to a flying start.

In May, we begin to plant warm weather crops such as sweet corn and green beans with the tractor planter.  The real focus of time in May is to work on the crops planted on plastic in the field.  These are tomatoes, melons, cabbage, broccoli, cucumbers and kale.  The tomatoes and melons get a row cover of plastic and fabric to give them a greenhouse effect.  We may take on another intern in May since this is a lot of handwork.  There is nothing more wasteful in a season than to be doing this planting in June because there wasn't enough good weather or help in May. Planting of pumpkins and squash in the field will also occur.  Some harvest of cucumbers and lettuce from the high tunnels occurs in May.  Radishes can start by end of May as well.  Diane will start the KMart stand when these crops are ready.  We would also love to surprise our CSA customers with an early box in May as well.

In June, the CSA routes begin and Diane will continue the KMart stand in Fergus.  We will be still planting.  More time will be focused on weeding.  This year we are trying an organic paper weed barrier for onions.  That should minimize the time spent weeding onions.  We are also going to use a rotary hoe and rolling cultivator on the row crops of sweet corn, green beans and peas so we are hoping that increases weed protection efficiency there. 

Using white plastic mulch on raised beds in the yard, we are hoping for the first season ever to have lettuce and chard producing the entire season.  If that works, we will be doing successive plantings of lettuce and chard all season.  Sweet corn, peas and green beans are also planted in successive stages so we have a continuous crop as long as possible.

In July we will be adding the stands in Pelican Rapids, Breckenridge and Fargo Moorhead.  A typical day in July begins at 6:00 with most of us picking peas for the day.  A few will stay back to harvest lettuce and chard in the cool morning air.  After that, last year, we spent a lot of time weighing produce in the shed.  This meant for a very late start at each of the stands.  This year we are going to try weighing those items at the stands using legal hanging scales.  Since the whole morning won't be spent with everyone getting produce ready in the sheds for stands, those at home will get an earlier start with the rest of the day's harvest.  After breakfast, those who stay at home will harvest the items that can be done the day before such as green beans, new potatoes, beets, carrots, onions, tomatoes, melons, etc.  Those who sell at the stands will leave right after breakfast.  July becomes the most intense month with the harvest of small items such as peas.  This becomes much easier in August when peas are replaced by larger items such as sweet corn, melons and tomatoes.

On CSA route days, the focus will be on packing boxes with less attention to the stands.  CSA routes will be scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, which have been the days when the stands need the least produce due to less sales on those days.  Our plan will evolve as we determine needs.

The bottom line is I hope to give everyone as well rounded an experience  as I can.  I would like to have each person experience tractor work, if they choose and to participate in traveling gun and trickle irrigation.  We will all take part in planting, weeding and harvesting.

So...should you apply for an internship??  I hope you do, but keep this in mind.

 This is more than a job...it is a mission.  It would be too much work to merely be a job.

If you are applying because you have nothing else to do this summer...it is a job.

If you are applying because sustainable farming is your passion...it is a mission.

If you think work is merely showing your presence...it is a job.

If you think work is giving it all you have...it is a mission.

If your prime goal is earning money...it is a job.

If your prime goal is being inquisitive and learning...it is a mission.

If the smell of the earth, the blossoming of plants, the harvesting of produce, the crow of a rooster, the call of a bluebird, the sun on your back, the happy companionship of your co-workers and the satisfaction of bringing our best to our terrific customers appeals to you... consider joining the mission of Bluebird Gardens!!

In return, this is what you would get back...

• $1200 per month stipend (in addition to items listed below)
• housing and utilities (a $500 per month value)
• training (a $400 per month value)
• We eat the vegetables we can't sell  (a $100 per month value)
• End of year bonus $500-$4,000  (This depends on how well we meet farm goals.  I will lay them out when you get here.  It also depends on the percentage of the season you were here.  And finally, it depends on how well you did in regards to speed and quality.)

Don't ever assume our positions are filled for the year.  In fact, I thought we were filled for this year and now we have some openings again.  Email mark@bluebirdgardens.net or call Mark at 218-205-4739.  An even easier way to connect is to use this website.  Just go to Connect with Us/Then click on Contact and fill out the email form which is delivered instantly to me.  I will get right back to you.