Apprenticeship Opportunities
OVERVIEW:
If you are looking for an opportunity to learn about the lifestyle and career of a modern shepherd, here it is! We offer a new way of doing things the old way: tending wild lands with grazing animals as an essential feedback loop to enhance the ecology that sustains all life.
Our apprenticeship program prepares you to become a full-time shepherd, capable of running your own projects and crew. Alternatively, you may find pathways for growth that fall within the scope of other aspects of our growing operation: from raw dairy and skincare products to community service and education initiatives.
ABOUT US:
"Good Shepherds" is an unincorporated land management group focused on ecological fire abatement and earth stewardship. With our herd of approximately 350 goats and sheep, we walk at the front lines of the regenerative movement, creating opportunities to live and work on urban, suburban, and rural lands. Our mission is to protect homes and infrastructure by improving soil health, reducing erosion events, and enhancing native ecology while reducing flashy fire fuels. We increase the value of local ecosystems as our animals help transform dry, arid terrain to moist, fertile ground. Our operation includes the ruminants (grazing animals), four livestock guardian dogs, one herding dog, two cats, and a team of dedicated shepherds with mobile/modular housing.
We have always imagined doing this work as a community. That's how we started in 2021, and now we are calling in more people to help grow and nurture the vision with us. Building capacity with like-minded “regenerates,” as we call ourselves, means co-creating more opportunities for positive impact in the neighborhoods we serve, and also in our own lives.
Shepherding in the wild urban interface is complex work. It calls for a deep commitment to growth in many dimensions at once, including and unlimited to: adaptability in new environments, attention to detail, intense physical labor in rugged conditions, strong social-emotional intelligence, non-violent communication skills, the ability to step up into leadership as well as take feedback, and a heart that holds all life as sacred. It requires patience, gratitude, tact, teamwork, and tremendous self-care.
POSTS AVAILABLE:
Onsite Support - If you love coloring outside the lines, living off-grid in nature while looking after hundreds of four-legged beings, consider joining our onsite staff! This is a paid position, with a $50 daily stipend offered in exchange for your physical presence and execution of specific tasks around herd care and site maintenance. A housing trailer is provided; if you have your own mobile housing option, please let us know. You must be able to commit to three months of work to start with, after which point we will mutually explore an extension and increased pay rate and responsibilities, as applicable.
Media Support - We're looking for someone with an eye for a good story! The ideal candidate is available to spend time onsite with us, documenting the work of the modern day shepherd on film and social media. This is not a paid position, however, there are many ways to monetize the content, and media creators may retain the bulk of any revenue generated from their work.
Executive Assistant - We're seeking administrative support for internal organization and accounting. If you are able to hold the big picture while tracking the nitty gritty details, let's chat. This position pays $20/hour, part-time. Can be a mix of in-person and virtual.
If you are looking for an opportunity to learn about the lifestyle and career of a modern shepherd, here it is! We offer a new way of doing things the old way: tending wild lands with grazing animals as an essential feedback loop to enhance the ecology that sustains all life.
Our apprenticeship program prepares you to become a full-time shepherd, capable of running your own projects and crew. Alternatively, you may find pathways for growth that fall within the scope of other aspects of our growing operation: from raw dairy and skincare products to community service and education initiatives.
ABOUT US:
"Good Shepherds" is an unincorporated land management group focused on ecological fire abatement and earth stewardship. With our herd of approximately 350 goats and sheep, we walk at the front lines of the regenerative movement, creating opportunities to live and work on urban, suburban, and rural lands. Our mission is to protect homes and infrastructure by improving soil health, reducing erosion events, and enhancing native ecology while reducing flashy fire fuels. We increase the value of local ecosystems as our animals help transform dry, arid terrain to moist, fertile ground. Our operation includes the ruminants (grazing animals), four livestock guardian dogs, one herding dog, two cats, and a team of dedicated shepherds with mobile/modular housing.
We have always imagined doing this work as a community. That's how we started in 2021, and now we are calling in more people to help grow and nurture the vision with us. Building capacity with like-minded “regenerates,” as we call ourselves, means co-creating more opportunities for positive impact in the neighborhoods we serve, and also in our own lives.
Shepherding in the wild urban interface is complex work. It calls for a deep commitment to growth in many dimensions at once, including and unlimited to: adaptability in new environments, attention to detail, intense physical labor in rugged conditions, strong social-emotional intelligence, non-violent communication skills, the ability to step up into leadership as well as take feedback, and a heart that holds all life as sacred. It requires patience, gratitude, tact, teamwork, and tremendous self-care.
POSTS AVAILABLE:
Onsite Support - If you love coloring outside the lines, living off-grid in nature while looking after hundreds of four-legged beings, consider joining our onsite staff! This is a paid position, with a $50 daily stipend offered in exchange for your physical presence and execution of specific tasks around herd care and site maintenance. A housing trailer is provided; if you have your own mobile housing option, please let us know. You must be able to commit to three months of work to start with, after which point we will mutually explore an extension and increased pay rate and responsibilities, as applicable.
Media Support - We're looking for someone with an eye for a good story! The ideal candidate is available to spend time onsite with us, documenting the work of the modern day shepherd on film and social media. This is not a paid position, however, there are many ways to monetize the content, and media creators may retain the bulk of any revenue generated from their work.
Executive Assistant - We're seeking administrative support for internal organization and accounting. If you are able to hold the big picture while tracking the nitty gritty details, let's chat. This position pays $20/hour, part-time. Can be a mix of in-person and virtual.
Please note: Good Shepherds Regenerative Land Management operates as an unincorporated, lawful business. We work within our unalienable rights in the pursuit of happiness, standing for our freedom to contract and pursue our work, with no diminishment of our rights through other titles, ie. corporation/person, sole proprietor etc. Therefore, we do not work under the State of California Labor Laws. We do not provide 1099s. You are responsible for your own tax liability and insurance needs.