Vicarious Ranch is a 60 acre ranch in Central Coast California, along the, now dry, bed of the Salinas River.  We have a small but growing herd of dairy goats, a handful of hair sheep, rare heritage breed pigs,  100+ pasture raised chickens (layers and meat), a seasonal garden and 70+ fruit tree orchard.  To help us manage our herds we have lifestock guardian dogs and border collies.  Life is busy on the ranch, but we do take time out to enjoy the beauty that surrounds us.  The ranch sits about 20 minutes from Paso Robles and 45 minutes from the coastal town of Morro Bay.  The ranch is surrounded by large and small homesteads and cattle ranches.  On immediate neighbor runs a seasonal u-pick orchard, another has a small vineyard, and a third is currently planting an olive grove. An idea intern candidate is someone who enjoys working outside and has a love for both animals and nature.  We are looking for mature, responsible, hard working, problem solvers.  While playing with the animals is a nice perk, it is not the crux of the position.  Running a farm/ranch requires use of tools, strength and grit.   We are  looking for a daily commitment and we do ask that you commit to a minimum of 3 months. Preference will be given to those whom can commit to a 6 month or longer term.  Upon completing an internship, candidates should expect to be qualified to work an on-site internship program or wwoof, and have a good understanding of what it takes to manage a small farmstead We currently offer paid and unpaid internships, as well as volunteer opportunities.  Internship and volunteer positions at Vicarious Ranch provide the opportunity to experience running a small-scale farm/homestead first hand. Currently internships require a consistent daily commitment.  Volunteers are asked to commit to a minimum of twice monthly visits of 2 hours each. Interns and volunteers will be trained in various duties and will have an opportunity to learn gardening, animal husbandry, raising poultry,as well as other important aspects of a sustainable homestead.  Duties will change seasonally. At Vicarious Ranch we raise animals for dairy and for meat.  Our animals are raised humanely, yet we do harvest poultry for personal use.  While we will not require an unpaid intern or volunteer to partake in the harvesting of our animals, we do expect that they understand that this practice does take place on the ranch. We currently raise chickens and ducks for eggs and meat, dairy goats, hair sheep and heritage breed pigs.  There is also a 100+ tree orchard and seasonal garden on the property.  Further, we have 5 beehives from which we harvest honey each year.  Our on-going projects include; a certified dairy and creamery, a  roadside farm stand, bread making in our wood fired oven, building a wash-house comprising of a composting toilet and solar shower..  Longer term aspirations include; a farm stay program, a cooking school, and an archery range. Apply for an internship at Vicarious Ranch here.