The 2025 UGC Farm Residency is a part-time educational work opportunity offered to aspiring community food growers running from April 7th to October 15th (28 weeks). The residency will take place at our off-grid community subsistence farm located in Saugerties, NY. The Farm Resident will assist in running our Saugerties Free Food program, where we grow free food for our workers and our community in a network of gardens across Saugerties. Additionally, the resident will learn how to care for the collective infrastructure at the farm and learn the basics of living off-grid.
This residency is designed to be a crash-course in community subsistence farming. Some of the skills and ideas you will learn during this time include:
- Living comfortably off-grid and provide for your own food needs
- Nourishing subsistence farming practices
- closed loop soil fertility practices—composting, cover cropping, and sustainable mulching
- regenerative agriculture practices—poly cultures, perennials, succession and intensive planting, and seed saving
- off-grid garden infrastructure—compost heated greenhouses, gravity-fed rain water irrigation, and natural fencing
- food processing—fermenting, canning, drying, and freezing
- food distribution—community building, food shares, and feeding workers
- staple crop production—growing all the calories you need from the land: root crops, grains, legumes, and more
- Radical land stewardship/use/sharing practices
- Garden Design
- Leading volunteers and workers for workdays
We demonstrate how to minimize and eventually eliminate the expenses associated with growing food (the cost of land, seeds, tools, labor, etc). Our work is not a commercial enterprise, and we hope this residency will inspire you to replicate the model we demonstrate, but these skills can be applicable in many different settings. Possible applications are: homesteader, small farmer, food cooperative, farm to table chef, seed company, sustainable landscape designer, and specialty tree grower to name a few.
Accommodations and Compensation
For the time spent at the farm, the farm resident will have a mostly bill free life. Housing costs will be covered, and food costs will be subsidized. Since the farm is off-grid, there are no utility bills.
Housing
The farm resident will live in the Maya House which is a small off-grid cabin on the farm. The cabin is fitted with solar electricity, propane stove, a rain-catch water system, a compost toilet, and a wood stove.
There are other common spaces on the farm, including the outhouses, sheds, and an outdoor shower, and 12 acres of forest which the farm resident will have access to.
The resident will also have access to the food grown in our gardens, as well as bulk food items like dry goods, oils, and more. Additionally, lunch is provided for every workday.
Other necessities related to off-grid living will be covered.
Move-in and move-out dates can be flexible and will be determined with the resident’s needs in mind.
Please note that two other UGC staff live on-site at Shagbark farm in another cabin. The cabins are private but close-by if the resident needs help or support in any way.
Stipend
In addition to housing and food costs being covered, the resident will receive a $3,500 educational stipend.
Work requirements
- One scheduled workday with full crew (5 hours including half hour lunch)
- One scheduled workday with mentors (5 hours including half hour lunch)
- Flexible independent work (seasonal and weather dependent tasks) (0-5 hours depending)
- Approximately 10-15 hours a week total
- One week off (A week of the farm resident’s choosing)
Tasks include:
- Attending weekly planning meeting (at the start of the workday)
- Managing the work at Shagbark farm and our sharing garden network
- Amending beds for planting (mulching, applying compost, planting cover crops, etc)
- Making new garden beds
- Planting crops
- Garden maintenance (watering, weeding, wood chipping paths, succession planting, etc)
- Harvesting
- Putting beds to sleep in the fall
- Coordinate workers/volunteers for community workdays
- Participating in the compost rotation
- Participating in food processing
- Building and maintaining off-grid garden infrastructure (compost bins, raised beds, fencing, etc)
Work Culture
While at Shagbark Farm, you will be sharing common spaces with two other UGC staff members that live in another cabin on the land. Also, there will be a team of part-time food growers assisting throughout the week that we will work together and share meals with. Although Shagbark Farm is a social space, you will also have plenty of down time and privacy. On your days off, your free time is yours! The residency is designed to give you plenty of time to pursue other goals or work.
How to Apply
Click the button below to apply for the 2025 Shagbark Farm Residency. If you have questions or want more information about this position, please feel free to contact Chase at chase@theundergroundcenter.org or call/text 845-594-7979.