The Ortensi Farm, NY

Location: Richfield Springs, United States

Our farm is 500 acres and has about 350 acres of tillable land some fallow and the rest wooded. We run a diversified certified organic farm with pastured beef, pastured pork, horse back riding lessons, trail riding, and a small scale layer, meat bird, and turkey business. We have land into hay production, small square dry, large round 4x4 dry and bailage, we are also growing small grains to feed the livestock on our farm and sell extra for human consumption as well as to other local organic farmers to feed their livestock. We have a family garden with fruit trees all managed organically. We are always looking to improve crop productions and farm viability, every year we are working on new projects. Suggested length of stay for volunteers is 3 month to 6 months, we are looking for volunteers from mid-April through mid-November. We have two extra bedrooms in our large farm house. Three meals daily, mostly from our farm production, great reviews from previous volunteers that have stayed in the past. Non farming activities include working on and old post and beam dairy barn to convert it into storage as well as turning an old masonry dairy barn into horse stalls. Our expectations for anyone staying with us is 5 days on and two days off a week. We are looking for people who have an interest in outdoors work with a lot of diversity, and who want to learn about organic and sustainable farming practices. This upcoming season we will be working on installing watering systems in pastures, erecting permanent fencing for pasture, a chance to work in the woods to cut down trees for management and growth potential as well as collecting firewood for on farm use. Nearby area sights and fun things to do, we live about 15 minutes from Cooperstown the Baseball Hall of Fame with the Fennimore Art Museum and Farmers Museum with many other attractions. We have a permit to Otsego lake to swim or canoe which we own a canoe and life jackets. There is no bus service to our farm door but buses run into the town. Language spoken is English, children and pets are accepted. This area is wonderful and scenic in the Spring, Summer, and Fall months with beautiful views from all over the farm and great sleeping weather.