Livestock Apprentice

Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming; Village of Cold Spring (NY); On-site; USD 19,000 - 27,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private room in a shared house

Job summary

Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming seeks apprentices for a 9‑month Livestock Apprenticeship. Trainees gain hands‑on experience in regenerative, pasture‑based beef, pork, lamb, and poultry production as part of a team on a fully funded program.

Apprentices work full‑time in the pastures and receive extensive classroom instruction, farm projects, and field trainings through the Hudson Valley Apprenticeship network. Housing provided in a shared private room.

Qualifications

• Must be able to perform in outdoor, physically demanding conditions.
• Valid US Driver License in good standing.
• Experience handling livestock preferred; willingness to learn.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day care for cattle, sheep, hogs, poultry and dogs.
• Monitor breeding, birthing, health, and welfare of livestock.
• Maintain fences and infrastructure; manage pasture care.
• Participate in Meat CSA management and record keeping.

Skills

English communication

Outdoor work

Teamwork

Animal handling

Emergency readiness

Driver license

Physical stamina

Tools

Google Suite

Job description

Valid US Driver License in good standing

Description

Glynwood’s Livestock Apprenticeship program is for beginning farmers who are ready to pursue a career raising livestock and want to increase their farming knowledge and skills. Apprentices gain a solid foundation in the skills necessary to work on a small‑scale diversified livestock operation. Apprentices will go beyond gaining hands‑on experience and learning technical skills through working as a team member to manage Glynwood’s Animal Welfare‑Approved livestock operation. The 9‑month Livestock Apprenticeship aims to enhance the apprentice's understanding of the principles and practices of regenerative, pasture‑based production of beef, pork, lamb and poultry products.

The Glynwood Apprenticeship is an intensive vocational training program. Apprentices work full‑time in the pastures on the livestock team and are an integral part of daily livestock care which includes feeding, watering, and managing all species on pasture. Beyond gaining hands‑on experience and learning technical skills as a team member, apprentices receive significant educational support including extensive in‑field training in regenerative, rotationally grazed livestock production; complete assessments of their skills and progress towards program goals; and a 60‑hour classroom curriculum. All of this is built into the full time schedule. Apprentices are expected to support Glynwood’s culture of philanthropy and may be asked to contribute to story‑telling projects or events led by our development and communications team.

All Glynwood apprentices are participants in the Hudson Valley Apprenticeship program in which apprentices from local participating farms come together for supplemental classroom education. For further information on our programs please use this link or visit our website.

Regular Work Hours:

The apprenticeship begins on March 15, 2027 and ends on December 8, 2027. Daily start and end times vary by season, and will include occasional longer workdays, and weekend chores up to two weekends per month. The basic work schedule is as follows:

• The standard schedule is Monday through Friday. When covering weekend chores, the apprentice works Monday through Sunday and takes the following Monday off.
• March to Mid‑May: 7:30am - 4:30pm workday with a 1 hour unpaid lunch break
• Mid‑May to Mid‑August: 7:30am - 5pm workday with a 1 hour unpaid lunch break
• Mid‑August to December: 7:30am - 4:30pm with a 1 hour unpaid lunch break

Compensation

• $16.48 per hour wage
• Apprentices accrue up to 48 hours of vacation and up to 40 hours of sick time as well as paid holidays (however, farm staff rotate coverage of holidays and receive comp time for any holidays worked)
• An average of 200 paid educational hours
• Cell phone reimbursement credit, if applicable
• $500 in a Healthcare Reimbursement Account
• $200 workwear stipend, and $250 education stipend
• No‑cost Glynwood eggs and vegetables; and a 30% discount on Glynwood meat and Farm Store products
• Private room in a 6‑bedroom house shared with the other apprentices

Employee Housing:

Apprentices are assigned a private room in a 6‑bedroom house and can expect to have 5 housemates. We cannot accommodate pets or significant others. Apprentices must be willing to share a living space with coworkers. Please carefully consider if you will be comfortable in this living situation before applying for this position.

Educational Opportunities:

Glynwood Apprentices participate in Glynwood’s Hudson Valley Apprenticeship (HVA) Program, joining apprentices working at several other area mentor farms for classroom workshops and farm visits. In addition to working on the farm, apprentices receive significant education through a combination of a 60 hr classroom‑based curriculum with expert instructors and an additional 30‑50 hrs of education delivered by farm managers as learning modules. These modules each last 1‑3 hours and cover 20 different key farming topics including:

• Low‑stress animal handling
• FAMACHA and body condition scoring for small ruminants
• Hoof trimming
• Cattle & sheep breeding
• Meat inventory & CSA management
• Cost of goods sold & pricing
• Poultry processing
• Rotational grazing & pasture monitoring
• Fencing
• Calving & lambing
• Vet skills
• Egg washing & packing

All apprentices are encouraged to visit regional farms as part of the Mid‑Hudson Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT). Apprentices also gain access to a robust alumni network and other organizational contacts for long‑term technical and general networking assistance.

Requirements

Essential Job Duties:

• Provide day‑to‑day care for all species of livestock and guardian animals on the farm: cattle, sheep, hogs, laying hens, meat chickens, turkeys, and livestock guardian dogs. Must be willing and able to handle all species.
• Monitor breeding and birthing
• Care for sick and injured animals
• Fence installation and repair
• Maintain livestock infrastructure and tools
• Participate in Meat CSA management
• Pasture maintenance
• Manure management
• Participate in livestock record keeping

Eligibility Requirements

• At least 3 consecutive months of working outdoors full‑time in a physically demanding job, such as landscaping, farming, or construction work
• Some professional experience handling livestock
• Preference for candidates who have farmed for at least one full season
• Valid US Driver License in good standing

Required Skills

A successful applicant must have or be willing to acquire the following:

• Basic competency with the Google Suite, including word processing, spreadsheets, email, and calendar
• Comfort using a smartphone, as well as downloading and using apps to track grazing and animal health
• Ability to communicate clearly in English, verbally and in writing
• Professional, collegial, direct, non‑aggressive communication skills
• Ability to work both alone and on a team
• Willingness and ability to help with emergencies during non‑regular hours
• Comfort with the reality of animal mortality

Physical Demands

This is a physically challenging role. The Livestock Apprentice must be able and willing to:

• Lift at least 50 pounds safely on a regular basis
• Lift and move small animals
• Herd large animals
• Lift and move bales, feed, etc.
• Stand and walk for long hours, often on uneven ground
• Perform other physical activities as needed for performance of livestock work
• Work steadily outdoors in all weather including heat, cold, rain, snow, and wind. (Working outdoors is not required when conditions are hazardous to human health.)

Travel And Weekend Work

• Because livestock needs to be tended daily, the Livestock Manager will create a rotating weekend schedule for the livestock team, including apprentices. This may include chore coverage on holiday weekends.
• Apprentices participate in field trips off site, and may attend one or more conferences that require overnight stays.

About Glynwood

As an organization, we believe that Glynwood has a role to play in addressing racism and inequity in our country’s food system, and commit ourselves to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in our organization, and in all of our work. We are committed to proactive learning, orienting ourselves towards healing racism and oppression, and expanding spaces for those who have not been historically included.