Homesteading Internship Opportunity

After praying and asking the Lord what’s next for the Smith family and Fourth Man Farm, we feel led to offer an on farm living homesteading internship for like-valued families who are determined to learn how to become more self sufficient.

As many of you may know, my husband Jeremiah and I have been learning the art of “homesteading” (which we really just see as running our home the way God has directed us to do so) since we were married in 2008.
We started on a 1/3 acre plot in downtown Raleigh and incrementally gained experience, education, animals and acreage over the past 16 years.

Now we live on nearly 100 acres raising animals, crops, children and sometimes hel*, depending on the day.

In praying an seeking the Lord on the topics of community, connection and cooperation around the farm we feel moved to share our knowledge and experience with those eager to learn and to offer space for a person, couple or family that is looking to learn to homestead themselves, but aren’t ready to break out on their own yet.

We are offering to teach you how to get started raising your own:

• fruits and vegetables

• chickens

• ducks

• hogs

• goats

• sheep

• cows (dairy and beef)

• more specifically, how to manage, process and keep healthy animals by means of homeopathy, herbal medicine progressive animal husbandry practices to create health and vitality in your animals

We have learned from failure and successes what works for a family looking to economize and NOT rely on medications and systems that do not align with our values.

Included in internship:

Financial and land purchasing coaching: how to buy land, what to look for in a potential homestead site, financing options, on farm income potential,

Animal care: pharma-free animal husbandry-learn introductory herbal and homeopathic medicine for farm animals, recommendations on economical feed, pasture care, do it yourself butchering and processing, homestead-friendly animals and breeds of animals and more!

Food preserving and using all the homestead has to offer you: canning, curing, storing and tincturing herbs, soap making, bread making, flour milling, etc.

Shared meals, facilities and resources

There will be some structured learning, but most of the internship will consist of an immersive experience whereby you and your motivated to learn family will participate in the work of Fourth Man and learn by doing and contributing on the farm.

There are RV hookups for a family that is already established and living in their RV.
We also have a separate residence on the property with proximal three acres that includes one pasture, a barn, chicken coop and an established and fenced-in garden.
This would provide you with some space and opportunity to get started with your own animals and homesteading process.

Honestly as I write this Substack and share the photos I’m in disbelief of just how beautiful our home is and how much the Lord has blessed us with opportunities for learning. No filters or photoshop needed.

There is some flexibility regarding the living accommodations, time frame and even what their opportunity ultimately looks like depending on the person or family the Lord brings to us.

We do have some uncompromising values that we live by here and would need to complement your own, such as:

We are a Bible-following and studying family. Everything we do and seek to do here and in our relationship to others must align with God’s word.

We do not rely on Pharma-based foods or medicines not do we use any GMO products of those treated with herbicides and we do not rely upon state-regulated/controlled systems.

We can not accommodate any dogs. This is a working farm with working livestock guardian dogs. Outside dogs would be seen as a threat and therefore are not permitted.

If you are interested in learning more and filling out a questionnaire to see if you are the right fit for this opportunity, please email me at hello@fourthmanfarm.com so we can begin the conversation.

We are walking by faith in this new venture and trust the the Lord will guide the person or family that is being called to this opportunity directly to our inbox and then doorstep.

Thank you for spreading the word to like-minded people!

xoxo,

Sarah