Farm Youth Crews explore a variety of farm tasks, all contributing to the Health Care Share project. They work in fields to plant crops, weed, and harvest. They take the veggies they’ve harvested and get them all cleaned up in the wash station and participate in the all hands on deck task of packing the farm shares.  

Youth Crews spend time in the kitchen, learning to prepare and cook with the veggies they grow. Like all farm crews, they rotate through working with the Food & Nourishment Project Leads to make a delicious lunch that feeds the whole farm team. 

Youth Crews also assist in caring for the livestock raised on the farm. They collect eggs from the chickens, help move the chicken’s mobile coop, and assist in feeding the pigs. 

Being on a Youth Crew means showing up excited to take on new tasks while learning about food and working with the land. It also means getting to know and work alongside your crewmates and being a part of the larger farm community, which also includes the AmeriCorps crews for those 17 and older. 

Position Description

Conservation Youth Crews explore a variety of types of conservation projects. They build new trails and maintain existing ones by cutting back branches and carving out flat tread to walk on. They hand pull or cut back invasive species in certain areas and build drainages off trails to reduce erosion and run off. 

Along the way, Conservation Youth Crew Members learn how to use hand tools safely and effectively. They also learn why their projects are important and how they relate to environmental stewardship and land use. 

Being on a Youth Crew means showing up excited to take on new tasks while working with the land. It also means getting to know and work alongside your crewmates, enjoying the camaraderie that comes from hard work and learning to work well together.   

Position Description

VYCC highly encourages all staff and Corps Members to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The CDC defines vaccinated as having received two doses of the Pfizer/Moderna vaccine or one dose of the J&J vaccine. The CDC also recommends boosters for “best protection;” however, the timing of boosters is highly dependent on previous infection and level of risk.   

In addition to vaccine recommendations, VYCC has a number of other tools that can be used to keep staff and Corps Members safe and healthy. Masking, proper hygiene, improved ventilation and air flow, testing, and isolating/staying home when you are sick are equally important tools in limiting the spread of COVID-19.

As a team, we work hard, outdoors, on projects that matter to our communities. And we grow.

Let’s talk about that a bit….

· As a team – Circle up at the start of each day – what tools do we need, which farm field or section of trail are we working, who is cooking, who is planting, who has a great game to play? “Honestly, my biggest accomplishment was making some truly incredible friends. The people I worked with at VYCC are strong, funny, passionate folks, and I am so grateful to have them in my life.” – Bex

· We work hard – We sure do! We move large rocks to build trails, harvest thousands of potatoes in a morning, dig holes to plant trees along our rivers, pack boxes of food for hundreds of families, and clean our tools at the end of a long day. “I’ve come to appreciate hard work, dirty hands and sore muscles, as these stand as a testament to the things we create.” – Alyssa

· Outdoors — On our beautiful farm in Richmond, in state parks, on trails, and on the lake. All day. Will there be rain, bugs, hot days, cold mornings, and mud? Yes, there will! Will there be Vermont beauty, songbirds, sunrises, overlooks, and the energy of being outside all day every day? Oh yeah, that too! “I’m passionate about showing people how powerful, wholesome, beautiful, and healing the outdoors can be…. Oh, and I love being SILLY!” – Andy

· On meaningful projects – that matter to our communities! We build trails that increase access to the outdoors, create backcountry infrastructure that supports our state lands, grow fresh food for Vermonters in need, and improve the health of our forests and waterways. “the town’s excitement reminds us that our work is more than cutting wood or pounding posts; we are creating access to a unique habitat, and the community’s support fuels our own interests.” – Thomas

· And grow personally— When we dig in and work together on meaningful projects, we believe in ourselves and each other, feel a strong sense of belonging, build skills, and see possibility in all directions. “My proudest moment was seeing my saw crew grow as sawyers, and see them start taking on bigger and more complex trees with confidence.” – Sable

If you are ready to dig in, with a spirit of curiosity and courage, then this is the place for you. Believe in yourself; we certainly do!

Learning together, with difference, and kindness: We are strongest when VYCC represents all members of our community, we lean into and learn from our similarities and differences, and we celebrate one another with kindness. VYCC is committed to creating an inclusive experience for our Corps Members and reducing barriers so that all people can thrive at VYCC.