Great Song Farm, located in New York's Hudson Valley, works to create a community farm
based around an on-farm CSA supplying fresh vegetables to 110 families through the summer
and 30 through the winter. In addition we offer other local biodynamic and organic products
including honey, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, apples, breads, soft and hard cheeses,
yogurt, eggs, teas, herbs, and fermented vegetable products through add-on shares and a small
farmstore. Farmers Anthony Mecca and Sarah Hearn strive to craft a just, accessible, and
transparent food system that is economically viable and fulfilling for both farmers and
supporters. Our 2 Suffolk Draft Horses help us with field work and cultivation. A small cow
herd grazes our pastures and provides manure, milk and processed products for home use. A
beekeeper tends 20-30 beehives. We create and use our own prepared compost from our draft
horse and cow manure as the basis for fertility. Our farm is leased from 2 gracious landowners.
Cultivating an experience of the farm and developing a personal relationship to the plants,
animals, and soils, as well as the human and social community, and cosmic rhythms is of
central importance. We are constantly exploring, observing, asking, thinking, and doing.
Great Song Farm is in the beginning stages of development -- Anthony started the farm in 2010
after 5 years working as an apprentice on other farms. Apprenticing at Great Song is an
opportunity to contribute to and learn from a young farm that is still refining its systems and
has great potential.
Size of farm: 90 acres: 5 acres cultivated, 25 acres pasture, 10 acres wetland, and 50 acres in
forest. Nearby an additional 40 acres of hayland is leased.
Diversity of livestock and produce: A wide variety of vegetables, herbs, and flowers for a 110
member on farm Summer CSA and a 30 member Winter CSA. 2 Suffolk draft horses for field
work, a small beginning cow herd of 3 cows, a bred heifer, a bull, and 2 bull calves, 20-30
beehives and a small flock of laying hens for home use.
Apprenticeship details: We are seeking 2 apprentices for the 2015 season from March until
November and 2 interns from May until Late August. Please contact us for more information
on the internship as the details around housing, compensation, and work schedule differ from
the apprenticeship..
Apprenticeship focus will be on vegetable production including greenhouse seeding and care,
direct seeding, field preparation, making and applying compost, weeding and cultivation,
transplanting, harvesting, washing, and interaction with CSA members. We are passionate
about biodynamics and are happy to share our practices and experience. We are beginning to
save a variety of seeds for farm use. Carpentry Projects and Machine/Equipment maintenance
and repair is regularly needed. General farm upkeep, cleanliness, and organization will be
integrated. Daily care of cows and horses will also be included, including pasture management.
Other work, such as handmilking cows and working horses, depends on applicants skill and
willingness.
We participate in the local CRAFT (collaborative regional apprentice farmer training) -
http://www.glynwood.org/programs/glynwood-farm/craft/ - program which is a group of farms
in the area who host apprentices for a tour of their farm and a presentation on a particular
aspect every other week.
Ideally, candidates would visit the farm for a workday interview before November to get a
sense of the farm when it is up and running. Please contact us for a short questionnaire and
other application details, which will help us determine if you will be a good fit. We will then
set up a visit.
Housing: There are a couple private housing options on the farm. There is a shared bathroom
and kitchen facility which also serves as the farm's office.
Compensation: We share vegetarian lunches. Apprentices are welcome to any vegetables the
farm produces as well as dairy products and eggs when available. A general stipend of around
$500/month is included – we are willing to converse if more is needed.
Work schedule: Our workweek is Monday through Friday and Saturday Morning. Workdays
are 6 am to 6 pm with an hour for breakfast and an hour for lunch. Saturdays are 6 am til 12:30.
There will also be shared, rotating weekend animal and greenhouse chores.
Mentor Farmer: Anthony Mecca
Address of farm: 475 Milan Hill Road, Red Hook, NY 12571
Phone: 845-758-1572
Email: greatsongfarm@riseup.net
Website: www.greatsongfarm.com
Please fill out the following questionnaire and we will be in touch regarding setting up a visit if
it seems like you will be a good fit.
a) Please give a little background about yourself, your interests, and your future plans.
I am a twenty-three year old man from Brooklyn,N.Y. At present, I am doing home
repairs relating to Hurricane Sandy for Habitat for Humanity in the Coney Island section of
Brooklyn.
One literary interest I have lies in the works of Wendell Berry, particularly his book The
Unsettling of America. It is thanks, in part, to Berry's books and essays that I have chosen to
pursue farming. Other works that I have recently read or am currently reading include:
William Shakespeare's The Tempest and King Lear; Aldous Huxley's Brave New World.
As I write below, my plan is to complete your apprenticeship in order to move closer to
my goal of farming well (in the tradition of Ehrenfried Pfeiffer and other biodynamic pioneers),
a measure of which, perhaps, is the ability to for one to teach what he/she knows to future
students.
b) Why do you want to farm this coming season? What do you personally hope to learn and
experience? Why do you want to farm at Great Song Farm?
My motive in going for this apprenticeship is to gain the skills and experience one needs
if he/she is to farm smartly. Moreover, the reason why I am applying to Great Song is two-fold:
first, the biodynamic method (about which I want to learn) is practiced here; second, it is in the
same general region (Upper Hudson Valley) as the previous BD farm on which I worked and to
which I wish to return.
c) Please describe your physical condition and any relevant physical experiences.
I am in good health.
d) Do you have any special diet, health, social, etc concerns we should know about?
No.
e) Please describe any relevant work experiences.
For two weeks in September, I did a work-along at the Fellowship Community (an eldercare
institution that is part of an anthroposophic enclave in Chestnut Ridge/Spring Valley which includes the
Pfeiffer center), during which I worked nearly every day in the fields there, doing mainly weeding and
harvesting.
In July, I worked (as a member of the Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms
organization, or wwoofer for short) at Threshold Farm, a BD operation in Claverack,N.Y.
While there, I was assigned primarily the tasks of weeding and harvesting (as ordinary
wwoofers often are!) Nevertheless, this opportunity served as an entryway into biodynamics as
a living, prospering practice. Also, this stint has made me rather eager to commit myself to a
longer-term arrangement.
Over the past year, I have also helped out at two urban farms in Brooklyn. The bulk of
this time was spent at Kingsborough Community College's farm in the Manhattan Beach
section of Brooklyn. Once again, my tasks tended to be weeding and harvesting (along with the
occasional washing, drying, storing, etc.).
As it says in one reference letter, my work at the college farm began after I took two
courses offered as part of the farm. One was an introduction to urban farming and featured lots
of class time spent in the vegetable and herb gardens. The other course dealt with food
preservation and, as such, consisted of lessons and demonstrations on: fermenting cabbage to
make sauerkraut; bottling/canning pickled carrots; and preparing berry jams.
f) How do you see yourself fitting in at Great Song Farm? What do you have to offer?
I promise to fulfill the duties of an apprentice as written on page two of this packet.
I can offer a commitment to fulfill all of my responsibilities and do what is expected of
me during the apprenticeship.
g) How do you feel you work in a team, living in close quarters with others?
I am flexible in both working and living situations.
Please include a resume as well as 3 references we can contact regarding your work experience
and/or learning style. Please paste each into this document on the following pages.. Save the
document as a .doc (not docx) replacing 'yourName' in the filename accordingly (for example ApprenticeshipGSF_AnthonyMecca.doc).
Resume/CV
References and Contacts
111 John Street
New York, N.Y. 10035
John J Cruz
Site Supervisor Brooklyn
10/20/2014
To Whom It May Concern:
It is my great pleasure to recommend Barry Kleiner, He has been a valued asset to my program at
Habitat for Humanity New York City. I wholeheartedly vouch for his personal character and
professionalism in the work place.
I have known Barry for about a month, since we first worked together at a volunteer site in
Coney Island. Barry continues to be an important part on a team that is working to rebuild homes from
Super Storm Sandy. I quickly noticed his ability to ask questions and work with different teams to
complete any task given without problems.
Barry has shown me that he is a fast learner and is a team player, along with the capacity to
learn much more. I trust Barry’s opinion without reservation and enjoy having him at my worksite. If
you need to further contact me in reference to Barry please feel free to do so.
Sincerely,
John J Cruz
Email: jcruz@habitatnyc.org
111 John Street, 23rd Floor
New York, NY 10038-3109
Tel. (212) 991-4000
Fax (212) 991-3990
www.habitatnyc.org
Center for Economic and Workforce Development
October 23, 2014
Kingsborough Community College
2001 Oriental Boulevard
Brooklyn, NY 11235
Mara Gittleman
Farm Education Manager, KCC Urban Farm
Kingsborough Community College
2001 Oriental Boulevard
Brooklyn, NY 11235
To whom it may concern:
On behalf of KCC Urban Farm, I am pleased to write this letter of recommendation for Barry Kleiner.
After taking our Introduction to Urban Vegetable Gardening class last year, Barry stayed on as a
volunteer at KCC Urban Farm. He was a great student in both class and work, with the ability to carry
tasks through to completion and the dedication to come ready for work in all weather conditions. Barry
is a quick learner and is passionate about growing his skills in farming.
Barry is a great candidate for a farming position. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions
at mara.gittleman@kbcc.cuny.edu or 718-368-6578.
Sincerely,
Mara Gittleman
October 21, 2014
CC: Barry Kleiner
To Whom It May Concern,
Since 2013, Barry Kleiner has served weekly at Masbia Soup Kitchens on a
voluntary basis, logging over 200 hours of faithful service during these past
years. In his capacity as volunteer, Mr. Kleiner has assisted with dinner service
to clients, pantry preparation and distribution at our soup kitchen, cooking, food
preparation, shipment intake, and has gone out of his way to assist us during our
busiest times. Mr. Kleiner has adeptly and graciously taken on all tasks put
before him, without exception, and continues to do so.
Additionally, Mr. Kleiner has upheld the core values of our organization admirably
by treating each of our clients-in-need warmly, with dignity and respect, when
they come in need of food assistance. It is clear that he lives these values of
caring for others in his personal life. We are grateful for his service, and for his
passion for our mission, and freely offer our commendation.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at the information
below, as I am more than happy to speak with you.
Respectfully,
Avi Nocella
Volunteer Coordinator
Masbia Soup Kitchen Network
718.972.4446 x 209
avi@masbia.org