Animal Care
A Regenerative Stewardship Opportunity
What is a Regenerative Stewardship Opportunity (RSO)?
Previously, this opportunity was titled as an ‘internship’ and we’ve since realised this word is quite loaded with expectations, many of which are limiting to the nature of what we want to offer. This is still a work and residency opportunity to learn and grow alongside us, but we want to refine expectations so that people who do get involved are more aligned with our vision and intention! We’re offering 4 streams of learning: Growing, Animal Care, Food Processing & Preservation, and Infrastructure & Earthworks so that you can arrive with a focus area and in time, move deeper into these areas or diversify into other systems and projects!
Internships are typically considered a short-term commitment focused on delivering an introductory education for younger people to then invest elsewhere for career development. Internships are also associated with a rigid student/teacher hierarchy which is often disempowering for learners and places unsustainable dependence on facilitators.
By changing the title, we want to prevent this opportunity from being interpreted as strictly introductory, targeting a particular demographic, limited to short term involvement, or comparable to a classroom education. These things are the opposite of what we’re offering!
In addition to the main learning streams, we also want to create more acknowledgment for the inevitable but often unexpected areas of learning that are challenging to outline in a curriculum. Hard skills and theory are only one part of this experience. We’re offering an opportunity to be a part of a community that allows you to live in alignment with your values and supports you to become the person you want to be in the world. The soft skills and personal development that arise from living in community are often the deepest, most valued areas of learning for most people who spend time at Winderong. Additionally, living in close relationship to the land provides a hugely transformative foundation for connection and awareness that far exceeds any learning goals we can articulate.
Why are we offering this opportunity?
To be completely transparent, we wanted to create an opportunity that provides people with a starting point to become long-term residents and contributors to Winderong Farm. The vast majority of Winderong’s evolution has been shaped by a handful of core long-term members collaborating with short-term volunteers from all over the world. We really enjoy hosting short-term residents but it’s not a sustainable model for us to evolve Winderong into its full potential!
We absolutely love this project and know there are so many people out there looking for long-term opportunities like ours to live and grow in. We hope that sharing this opportunity allows us to find those people!
Whilst we outline an initial 6-month commitment, we’re ideally looking for people with the intention and capacity to live and work with us for at least 12 – 18+ months!
This 6-month commitment should be interpreted as an introductory immersion designed to show you the diverse opportunities we have to offer and your future potential within this space. You’ll be supported to explore your existing areas of interest, as well get a taste of other areas and contribute to the general running of the farm. Over time, you’ll deepen your learning and involvement within the areas of the farm that you’re passionate about so that you can become a core contributor to their development and future trajectories at the farm.
Who can apply?
The long-term vision for Winderong is a village of diverse and driven people who co-create a resilient, nurturing and holistically regenerative space. Our Regenerative Stewardships are one pathway towards this vision so we’re very open about who can participate!
If you already have some of the skills and knowledge we outline and are looking for a community to live in long-term where you can collaborate, apply and deepen your learning, this opportunity is for you!
If you’re new to the scene and want to settle into a lifestyle and workplace with abundant potential for skill and knowledge development, this opportunity is also for you!
If you’re at a time in your life where you’re keen to move through lots of new and different opportunities rather than sink into something shaped by mutual investment and commitment, unfortunately this isn’t the opportunity for you.
We really value supporting people to find their niche whilst also diversifying skills and knowledge across all areas of the farm to allow everyone to show up as well resourced, motivated and inspired individuals within our workplace and community. The learning opportunities are endless, so it doesn’t matter if you’re one day or 50 years into your journey!
Whilst we ask all new residents to take the time to understand Winderong’s journey, our methods and the reasons behind them, this is a collaborative project with lots of capacity to adapt to the interests of the individual. Through a gradual increase in responsibility, your development will co-evolve with whichever area/s of the farm you’re passionate about growing and investing in.
What kind of learning experience should you expect?
This is a working opportunity so most of the educational component is delivered through active engagement with our farms systems. We strive to always contextualise the theory behind a task before it commences so that you can understand which branches of knowledge we’re drawing from, any processes of trial and error we’ve had to reach our current methods, and any envisioned potential that hasn’t been reached yet. Because all new residents arrive with different levels of existing knowledge and unique areas of interest, it’s not always practical or necessary for facilitators to provide the A-Z of everything we do while we’re working. For this reason, we need people who know what they want to learn and are proactive about asking questions to ensure deeper learning can be provided where it’s wanted.
We want to create an empowered learning environment that supports people to be active participants in their own education! Unlike the passive learning model we have in school, this experience is designed for educational opportunities to be a collaborative co-creation, rather than spoon-fed from teacher to student. For this reason, Winderong is best suited to people who are self-motivated, proactive, enthusiastic, have the confidence to take initiative, appreciate being trusted with responsibility, and understand their role in fulfilling the envisioned potential of this opportunity.
Unlike the controlled conditions of a classroom that are designed to follow a rigid curriculum and fixed pace of learning, this experience involves immersion into a farm and community composed of many overlapping systems. We’re constantly adapting to the ever-changing variables of the land, animals, people, and even microbes! Your growth and education will be a continuous process of expanding and deepening however it’s not always linear and it can take time for the pieces to feel like they’re fitting together. We’re looking for people who understand the benefits of this type of learning, are always looking for the teachable moments, and have the patience for this process.
We completely understand if you come here wanting to learn everything! We know the feeling but it’s not necessarily a sustainable or fulfilling goal, especially if you’re only wanting to stay for 6-12 months! You’ll quickly realise just how much there is to learn in this space and how many projects (ongoing and future) that you can be involved in or take on as your own project. We’re emphasising long-term commitment because we know it’s the most mutually beneficial way to unlock the potential of this space!
We also want to be clear that your work won’t be exclusively within your area of interest. There’s a lot of “mundane” day-to-day tasks that keep this place running smoothly for the benefit of us all and its important people can see the value in this work and approach it with a positive attitude. As a working farm, we do need to balance productivity with education. We won’t always have capacity to give you everything you ask for in the moment it’s requested but we will make note of it for when the time is right. Realistic expectations are important! That’s why we’re sharing this much detail in our application information. It’s a lot easier for us both if you can make an informed decision on whether Winderong will be the right place for you before you make the commitment to come here.
About Winderong Farm:
Winderong Farm is an experimental project encompassing permaculture, regenerative agriculture, bush regeneration, sustainability and communal living. Set on 810 acres in beautiful Dharawal country, Kangaroo Valley, Winderong is an abundant interweaving of bushland, rainforest, and pastural ecosystems sustained by vibrant creeks and springs. Our growing community consists of around 12-15 full-time residents, as well as nearly a dozen local employees and a host of beautiful and much-loved farm animals and wildlife. We aim to embody the permaculture philosophy that “we are nature working” and develop a deep understanding and respect for the land we steward, all the while aiming to regenerate the earth and learn from her and each other.
What does the Animal Care RSO Involve?
We have a friendly herd of about 30 beef cattle, a growing dairy herd of four, chickens, turkeys, five bee hives, and 2 dogs.
You will work closely with our Animal Team, checking on the herds daily and moving them as needed using Holistic Grazing techniques (inspired by Allan Savory). We practice low-stress handling techniques when moving them and in the yards (inspired by Temple Grandin). All our cattle are given names and treated with the care and respect they deserve. They are loved for the work they do on the land, the companionship they provide, and then the nutrition they give us at the end of their lives.
You will also help us with the daily milking of our Jersey cows, learning how to milk using our machine and by hand. You will also learn how to handle and lead our dairy cows and train our new calves.
You will learn to care for our chickens and turkeys on a day-to-day basis and develop these animal systems. We are experimenting with how to integrate our poultry more effectively on the pasture, in the garden, and orchard. There is an opportunity to collaborate with the garden team to utilise their fertiliser and behaviour. You will also learn how to humanely dispatch poultry and process it for consumption.
We manage our bees using natural beekeeping techniques with minimum intervention (inspired by Tim Malfroy).
With further resources and interest, we would like to include other animal systems such as pigs and ducks.
You’ll also be involved in various tasks to support the day-to-day running of the farm and community, eg maintenance, food preparation, and house cleaning.
Other areas the RSO will focus on:
- Managing grazing and fencing
- Managing and monitoring pastures
- Beef sales
- Animal health and nutrition
- Calving
This is a working opportunity and is most suited to those who learn through doing. During working hours and beyond, you’ll have the practical experiences and knowledge of your facilitators and peers to learn from. Additionally, we have routine meetings for discussion, a huge library of books and online resources for you to continue your independent study, connections with local farmers who we can organise fieldtrips to, and the opportunity to join any workshops and events hosted by the farm.
We are happy to tailor the work and learning to your interests and meet any institutional requirements you have if you are doing formal study. Couples are welcome to apply, and we also have capacity to host those looking for a place to settle their tiny home.
Additional benefits that come with living at Winderong Farm:
- Living in a community of diverse people with shared values
- A beautiful and diverse landscape bordered by national park to explore and call home
- Delicious food made from homegrown, locally sourced, foraged, and organic ingredients
- A great local community with monthly Crop-Swap, farmers market and other activities
- Weekly Zoom yoga class
- Communal gatherings such as mending/crafting/singing circles and seasonal celebrations
- Local First Nations community connections and activities
This opportunity incorporates both volunteer and paid hours. Volunteer work is exchanged for accommodation, high quality food, and educational opportunities. This is generally structured from 8:30am-12:30pm, Monday-Friday (20 hours per week). All work beyond these 20 hours is paid work (generally completed in the afternoon). Occasional weekend work is required. Paid work commences 2 weeks after arrival and interns are expected to eventually contribute 12-15+ hours beyond their volunteer requirement. This RSO is intended for people who are enthusiastic to deepen their involvement over time and support the growth of our farm through the growth of your own knowledge and skills. Beyond the initial 6 month commitment, we provide further learning opportunities and reciprocity for involvement. We are also open to long-term residents developing their own microenterprises on the farm.
Accommodation in a decked-out bus and the farmhouse is set up as a communal space containing all other amenities. Food is at the heart of most of what we do so you can expect an abundance of delicious meals made with love using high quality ingredients. Our water comes from a spring-fed waterfall in the forest, and we have a beautiful creek running through the property with lots of deep swimming holes to enjoy.
RSO intakes typically occur every 4 months however we are open to accepting applications at any time and may have capacity to integrate new Stewards outside of the intake dates. Feel free to contact us and express interest via the email below!
To Apply:
Send an email to winderongfarm@gmail.com with:
- Your resume
- A cover letter telling us:
- Who you are
- Why you would like to live, work and learn at Winderong
- Which stream you have chosen and why
- What skills and experience you bring