Grazing and Fencing Apprenticeship

Title:

Grazing and Fencing Apprenticeship
Term:
November 2024-July 2025
Wage: [$17/hour wage + trailer housing and utilities (~$850/month) Equals around ~ $21.5/hr]

Location:

Sonoma and Marin County, CA

This work is most suitable for those who are accustomed to moving 25,000 steps per day over natural terrain in all conditions. Candidate should also be able to lift a minimum of 75 lbs and maneuver large, cumbersome equipment.

Our Work
Sonoma Mountain Institute manages public and private land for individuals, governmental organizations, and nonprofits across Sonoma and Marin Counties. Our team of land managers, stewards, and scientists focuses on managed herbivory, primarily cattle, as our most effective tool to restore the health of the grasslands and savannas in our bioregion. We plan our grazing, monitor its effect in real-time across 100 bio-monitoring points on our ranches, and constantly adapt based on changing conditions.

This scientifically rigorous, boots-on-the-ground approach to adaptive management is the bread and butter of our operation.

The Job
Our Grazing and Fencing Apprenticeship provides extensive experience and training in the day-to-day work of operating a ranch and building and maintaining the infrastructure it takes to do so. The apprenticeship also exposes you to managing the act of herbivory and managing ecology at a broad-acre scale. Through the first few months of the apprenticeship, the bulk of the work will consist of erecting and repairing fencing on rough terrain to achieve the desired ecological outcomes on the land.

This work is very physically challenging and must be performed in all weathers. After a short training period, most of the fence work will be performed alone. As the grazing season progresses, the apprentice will be trained in low-stress stock handling, ranch plumbing, light grazing planning, basic ecological assessment of pasture, and general infrastructure repair. Once the training is underway, the apprentice will be expected to participate in the weekly gathering and moving of cattle, infrastructure management, and basic livestock care.

If the apprentice performs well, they will be given an increased amount of responsibility commensurate with their level of performance. This may include primary responsibility for a small herd of cattle during our late spring/early summer grazing period.

Compensation and Parameters of Job
Scope:
One grazing season, November 2024 through July 2025. 40- hours a week.
Wages: ~$21.5/hr [$17/hour wage + trailer housing and utilities (~$850/month)]

Responsibilities
75%

• Repair, construct, and monitor both temporary and permanent infrastructure (specifically, permanent and temporary electric and barbed wire fencing) across our partner ranches in alignment with our ecological goals. While this work is not glamorous, it is the absolute foundation of being able to keep the cattle in the right location for the right amount of time for the right reasons, and it will provide a thorough and nuanced understanding of all types of fencing in all types of terrain and climates, which is essential for land managers to be effective at managing operations in the future.
• Attending to cattle water infrastructure and plumbing.

25%

• Provide hands-on, day-to-day grazing support of cattle and work to ensure their health and well-being. This includes but is not limited to, regular low-stress cattle moves, checking water points, and assessing and addressing any health problems that arise.
• Collaborate with the SMI team to collectively determine and execute ecological goals and strategies.
• Engage with cattle suppliers, land owners, and the public effectively and respectfully, as a liaison for SMI and our work.

Qualifications

• Desire to pursue a professional career in regenerative ranch management
• A self motivated person who works well alone but is also capable of calm, effective communication within a team setting.
• A person accustomed to long periods outdoors in all weathers and the discomforts that can sometimes bring.
• Some familiarity with 2D mapping and how to navigate across large unfamiliar landscapes
• Previous experience working with livestock OR experience working in…