Internships & Testimonies
Contact Julie for questions, orders, or problems at 208 818 0208, Text welcome, but phone calls faster.
Do you want to learn more about gardening in North Idaho? Do you want to learn how to grow food crops for your family? Are you new to the area or our unique climate? McKerracher Family Farm is offering a true hands-on opportunity to watch, learn, and work on an operating farm in the heart of North Idaho. This is a great opportunity where you will learn so much more than you ever could by watching a computer screen (plus you'll get some exercise and make new friends in the process!). For only $51.95, that is only $10 per day to learn hands on and get all your questions asked and answered.
What we are offering: We are offering serious, work-minded people an opportunity to learn everything they want to know about gardening in North Idaho. Each Intern will spend four hours per day, Monday thru Friday, for one week, and a full week commitment is required to complete your Internship.
Interns start the first week in March and go through the middle of May. There is a $51.95 fee if you are successfully chosen. You'll be working one-on-one with a Master Gardener and other farm staff involved in tasks like seeding, transplanting, soil and bed preparation, pruning, tool tips and usage, harvesting and packing, and season extension techniques to achieve the biggest and healthiest produce yields later in the season.
We do not use any chemicals and we use intensive, no-till growing methods, on our farm. We have six greenhouses, and tasks will vary around the farm depending on that day's weather. This is a working farm, and reasonable physical fitness and a positive attitude is required!
Reviews from 2022:
I came into the week having some book knowledge and watching YouTube, but the hands on has been priceless! Can't wait to learn even more. Joe G.5/22
I really enjoyed being at the farm. I learned so many aspects of gardening market from starting from seed to end product of harvesting fresh vegetables. I have a new appreciation of all that goes into every item I receive in my CSA basket. I am someone who learns by being shown what to do and then applying that skill and doing the work. I learned how to sprout microgreens, transplant plants, pruning, seed starting and processing that goes into preparing harvest products for CSA basket and the Farmers Market. It felt good to have my hands in the ground and working with the soil and the plants. I would highly recommend this Internship to anyone who is interested in learning about market gardening. Julie is a wealth of information. Christina V, CSA Customer 5/14/2022
Thank you so much for such an invaluable experience learning all the ins and outs of market gardening. I didn't want the week to end. Tatiana J. 4/8/22
This was the best thing I could have done to further my knowledge. Julie and Kerry are the most friendly and caring people. They are great teachers and really take the time to explain everything in detail. No Internet platform can replace the experience you have on a farm/nursery. Julie would be the "one" teacher that can make sense of everything. It is like a math equation in the end, that started with a bunch of umbers that did not make sense. Furthmore she is the friend everybody needs, because she is such a great spirit. Thank you so much! Julia.H. 3/19/22
Reviews from 2021:
"What a fantastic, immersive way to learn about gardening. I was able to glean so much more information from Julie in person than I could have from a book or video. Being able to ask questions on the fly and see the Farm was super helpful. Plus it's a wonderful experience to be here! The smell of the plants, getting my hands in the soil & hearing the sounds all added to the experience. I'm grateful I got to do such a variety of tasks from seeding to planting to working with farm tools. This was a very valuable experience and I've already got a lot of ideas I can implement in my own home garden. Thank you Julie & Kerry." Kacey B 3/5/2021
"Working with Julie was a wonderful experience. She is an amazing woman, (energizer bunny), both her and her Husband, Kerry, are a great North Idaho Find. I don't believe one could ask for better neighbors." Bob T 3/12/21
"The internship has been a great experience and I feel blessed to have spent these 5 days learning from Kerry and Julie. I loved learning the process of starting seeds and transplanting all the flowers. My knowledge of gardening has greatly improved and I feel much more confident to put into practice what I have learned." Julie J 3/26/2021
"Once in a lifetime experience. Coming into the internship I had very little knowledge of farming, but a deep love for plants. I left with the confidence to go home and begin my planting and harvesting journey." Cortney W. 4/2/21
"Fun and educational, I was really impressed by hand grown and picked. Immediately cleaned and refrigerated. The freshest of the fresh. Julie & Kerry are very helpful and knowledgeable." Janet G 4/9/21
"This was such an amazing learning experience. My 4 hours went too fast. I have gone home each day ready to do something new with my plants. Found I need to reprune my raspberries for better growth-now know which ones are dead. Was able to prune Lilac bush, butterfly bush and starting repotting my tomatoes and some flowers. Slept better in the night too! " Niki C 4/16/21
This was an amazing experience for me, a hobbyist gardener. I have learned so much about planning, prepping and how to start and run my day in a rhythm that keeps all the plants happy and properly cared for without feeling overwhelmed. And the hands-on training will make all I learned stick in my brain. Ha! 5 Stars!!! Holly B. 4/23/21
Thank you so much to Julie and Kerry for this opportunity. I had a great week learning all about organic no-till farming. I would highly recommend this internship for anyone who is looking to gain hands on experience farming sustainably. Melissa H. 5/28/21
Who we are: McKerracher Family Farm was founded in 2016 by Julie and Kerry McKerracher, who have lived in North Idaho for over twenty-five years. Our focus is growing high-quality, organically-grown vegetables and berries for local markets and direct-to-consumer deliveries. We also raise pastured poultry available by pre-order only, and starting this year will be offering fresh eggs from our naturally-fed hens.
Interested in volunteering with us? Please submit the following information via email to McKerracherFamilyFarm@gmail.com: your name, address, phone, age, why you are interested in this opportunity, and what areas of gardening or farming you're particularly interested in. This is a one week commitment.
Kerry and Julie McKerracher