Homestead & Farm
Trainer-ships
Farmer
The
What!
How would you like to come spend a month or three learning the way we: steward our land, manage limited resources, run a farm business, feed our family, & feed the world around us?
Our trainer-ships allows you to live & work side by side, with us; immerse in the Dominican culture, learn or practice the Spanish language, learn the things that have been passed down to us; learn things that have taken us many generations/cycles to perfect, and see the ways we are innovating, and mitigating challenges each day.
“Come immerse in our traditions, & learn from our family”
Have Access
What will
to Learn?
I
The short answer is: all that we got!
Homesteading is an all inclusive approach and for us it is also a family affair. That being said, most of what we know: farm, food, function, or culture is available to you.
“Learn
from our
family, as part of
the family”
Some Areas
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Field Farming
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Square-foot Gardening
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Tomato Trellising
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Worm Farming
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Aquaponics
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Composting
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Organic Pest Management
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Organic Fertilization
of Interest...
“Welcome to our way of life”
Can I Pick A
Focus,
Can I Learn
It All?!
Upon applying, you will share with us your objectives, do you want to focus on one aspect of our work/lives or do you want to learn as much as possible about how we maintain not only our farm, but also our family, and our business. Upon acceptance to our program we will work to figure out what your day to day activities will be like so that we can best accomplish your goals.
Costs
Our trainer-ships cost between $1,000- $1,500 USD per month, which covers:
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Lodging
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Min of 2 meals per day (Shared with the family)
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Food Staples available in the intern pantry
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Farm fresh produce
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The time our family/team will spend guiding, teaching & mentoring you.
“Come Live, Work, and Play in the Dominican Countryside”
Will I Stay?!
Where
You will most likely be staying in our residency cabins that overlook the banana forest in our Conuco. These suites have access to a shared kitchen and common area, and a room that either accommodates 1 or 2 residents, each with their own bathroom.
We are under construction!
Photos of our new cabins
COMING SOON!
Amenities
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River Access
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Pool
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Yoga & Activities Canopy
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Beach 30mins down the road
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Theater/ Viewing Room
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Chef's Kitchen
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Bon Fire Pit
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Wifi
Property
Will I
Eat/Cook?!
Where
You will have the option of eating what we eat as a family for at least 2 meals each day. These will generally be traditional Dominican meals, and these are included in your stay.
In addition, the intern cabins are equipped with a shared kitchen where you can prepare snacks and other meals utilizing a mix of provided staples, farm produce, and specialty items you have brought with you or purchased in town.
...and Further, our retreat center also has a large, outdoor, community chef’s kitchen that can be used to prepare meals as long as no one else has it booked for an event.
Will I Find
Where
Groceries?
The Farm
You will, of course, have farm fresh produce at your fingertips daily!
The Pantry
A fair amount of staples are kept on hand and available to you for daily use. These may include things like: rice, oats, flour, pasta, sugar, corn meal, wheat, eggs, beans, potatoes, bananas, plantains.
Grocery Store
15-45 minute journey will find you at 1 of 4 supermarkets between here and Sosua. These larger stores that tend to cater to tourists and the products they love are where you will find imported items, items that you may be accustomed to back home, culturally diverse ingredients, special dietary products, specialty meats & cheese, etc.
El Colmado
these are the local corner or convenience stores, they are a dime a dozen in most towns and will have most of the basics you may need on a daily basis, it is where most of our town shops for basic: canned goods, pantry staples, breads, sweets, junk food, bottled beverages, cheese, chicken, pork chops, salami, sausage, some traditional produce, and even other convenience store items.
Commitments
Expectations
&
Encouragements
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You are asked to complete your assigned farm duties, a minimum of a half day’s work, generally morning to mid day.
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You are encouraged & welcome to immerse as much as you can, if you enjoy being around the family, and want to learn to cook, we encourage you to do so, if you enjoy being around the farm, we encourage you to join us in the afternoons as well, BUT your days are flexible.
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There may be some resident meetings, team building or informational activities that are mandatory and you are expected to attend.
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We have limited space and if you are chosen to be a part of our team we expect that you will be present, we are not a hotel or extended stay and we try to reserve our slots for people that want to: be apart of our team, learn, and build with community.
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You are encouraged to innovate, come with a project, type of plant (seeds), or idea you would like to test, or troubleshoot at our farm, in our climate; and are welcomed to propose new ways of doing things that you can test run, and track/study during the duration of your stay.
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You are expected to be kind, and respectful, we work as a team and family, and although we do have leaders we don't have a "boss" and so we guide each other through the day's objectives, ask each other's opinions, and ask for help when we need it.
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We encourage you to come with a sense of humor, we joke often, and hard work is best served with a side of laughs.
Needed?
Experience
Tell us how much experience you have!
We are open to taking on trainees of all experience levels, so be honest about what you know, would like to learn, what you feel you can contribute, why you feel our farm is the right place for you, what you hope to leave with, and why this experience is important to you.
We don't have an age cut off, you can apply no matter how old you are!
Age Maximums?
Age Minimums?
Trainees that come alone are generally expected to be 18 years or older, or have graduated high school or some equivalency, that demonstrates some readiness to follow directions, manage time, focus, and complete tasks without parents present. IF you feel as though your kid is the exception or would like to apply as a parent child duo, please feel free to apply telling us why you think so!
Info
Application
e-mail us or message us Via What's app with questions!
what's App: (829) 844-3155
e-mail: join.conuco.criollo@gmail.com
Allergies
Please let us know of any food allergies or preferences in your application so that we can work to accommodate your needs or be honest about any limitations on our part.
Language
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We are a Spanish speaking family, we do NOT speak any other languages, however a few of our members have taken English classes. You will be almost completely immersed in Spanish upon arrival.
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Lizz, our trainee coordinator, however does speak English, which is her first language.
Host Family
You won't need to be paired with a host family, we ARE your host family, and we will be available to you daily as we share our homestead with you. You will not have to navigate this new: world, culture, language, or space alone or without guidance.
Transport
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We do have a Farm car, that we use for deliveries, family outings, and any offsite resident experiences.
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"Moto Conchos": are available at the town entrance and can take you to most neighboring towns for $5 USD
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"Gua Guas" :are the local public van system that can take you most any where for a dollar or two.
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Taxis: run similar routs as the Gua Guas, but cost a bit more and have fewer passengers.
Pricing
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Trainer-ships costs $1,000-$1,500 USD per month.
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Air fair is NOT included in the price.
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Although family meals, staples, and farm fresh produce are included, ANY specialty items, imported items, souvenirs, excursions, or special activities that you would like to have or do are NOT included so please budget accordingly.
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Monthly payment plans can be set up after deposit is paid (time permitting)
Length
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Trainer-ships are a minimum of 1 month.
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Interns are often encouraged to spend 3 months with us.
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3 months gives you enough time, to get comfy, learn our processes, find your footing, gain confidence, build community, and begin to input & innovate.
Group Size
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We generally welcome between 3-5 trainees at a time
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If you hope to come with a group of individuals to intern together, please let us know in your application the members in your group so we evaluate you together.
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You may also be sharing our compound with, chef's & Content Creators in residency.
Timeframes
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Space is limited so we recommend applying 6 months in advance
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Last minute applications are welcome as long as there is vacancy for the upcoming month & your application is accepted.
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To secure your spot a 50% deposit is due at the time of acceptance. The remainder is due upon arrival.
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Cancelations with full refund will only be honored 60 days prior to trip date.
