Internships and Employment at Alderspring

We are looking for a few people with grit, character, and a passion to learn to work at Alderspring Ranch, a certified organic producer of 100% grass fed Angus beef in the Rocky Mountains of Central Idaho.

Applications will be accepted until April 11, 2016.

The ranch: 1000 acre ranch headquarters with irrigated pasture and hay ground and 70 square miles of high mountain rangeland accessible primarily by horseback. Alderspring Ranch has been producing grass fed beef for 2 decades, and has been certified organic for nearly 10 years. Alderspring Ranch has been recognized for growing the best grass fed beef in the country (Forbes Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, the Globe and Mail, the Dr. Oz Show). The ranch is run by its owners, Glenn and Caryl Elzinga, their daughters, and a small group of stellar employees.

The position: Be a part of the Ranch’s summer team, usually comprised of 10-12 employees and interns. Interns and employees can expect a very diverse workload including but not limited to: riding remote rangelands herding cattle, fencing (both wood/wire and electric), setting up intensive grazing paddocks, hand weed control, irrigation system repair and maintenance, equipment repair and maintenance, moving of irrigation systems, packing of beef products for shipping, and building construction and maintenance.

Much of the summer of 2016 will be spent implementing a Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education project. Interns will be a part of 3 person teams that will rotate into the backcountry for 4 days out of 12. Cattle will be herded as part of a research project on sagegrouse, riparian areas, cattle grazing, and producing quality grassfed beef.

Days may be long and physically grueling. The setting is remote. The accommodations are adequate, but not fancy. Rules on the ranch are: no swearing, no smoking, no drinking, and no drugs.

The person: tenacious, physically fit, independent, eager to learn, humble/teachable, hardworking, determined, and tough. Must like animals. Must have a high level of integrity, supportable by references. Experience and education in agriculture are not necessary, but will be considered. Selection will be based on attitude, interest in sustainable agriculture, past performance, and ability to work on a team.

Compensation: Depends on experience and references, ranging from $300/month to $1500/month. Housing will be provided, and all the beef an intern or employee can eat, as well as garden produce in season.

Benefits: Interns and employees will be part of a team implementing innovative management on extensive wild rangelands, essentially following an intensive grazing model on nearly 70 square miles using horses and herding. Staff will learn backcountry skills, horsemanship, animal behavior, low stress herding techniques, resource monitoring and western rangeland ecology. In addition, work on the home ranch will allow the interns and employees to learn about managing intensive grazing on irrigated pasture, selecting finish animals for processing, organic management of weed populations, herd health, and how to work with diverse people as part of a team. Motivated employees and interns can also learn about marketing, fabrication of beef for retail sales, customer relationships, and long distance sales for remote locations like ours.

To apply send resume to Glenn: glenn at alderspring.com.

Please include a description of work experience and education and a list of 6 references with a description of your relationship to them (employer, 4-H leader, teacher, long-term acquaintance, etc) and their contact information. At least 2 of the references must be work references (you can include volunteer work), and 2 must be character references from someone who has known you for a long time (such as a teacher or pastor). List your available dates and if you are interested in longer term work or just summer employment. Also please write a short paragraph telling us why you want to work at Alderspring Ranch.