M&P Ranches Shepherd Position
If interested in applying for the position, send us a message through the ’Contact’ page.
Starting date- as soon as possible. Part time through the winter, full time starting in March.
The Details.
What we are looking for:
We are looking to hire a full time, year round employee. Some basic expectations- a willingness to work hard, and an interest in working with sheep; Some experience with horses, and the ability to use a rifle; confidence with trucks, trailers, and farm equipment a plus. A confident, self-starting individual will be given considerable responsibility, and become an integral part of the operation.
What you can expect in exchange:
A small cabin with everything you need will be built this fall/winter, and a living quarters horse trailer will be available until the cabin is finished. A salary will be discussed and agreed upon in addition to lodging and food allowances from the ranch and home garden. We have both worked for other farmers/ranchers before starting our own operation, so we are very aware of the importance of a happy and healthy employee. There will also be an opportunity to learn how to shear sheep and properly handle/grade wool.
Other tasks that might come up:
Throughout the year there are other tasks that we often need help with that are not directly related to working with the sheep. Some of these might be..
-Helping with the hay harvest, and stacking hay in barns.
-Garden prep/planting/harvesting.
-Fixing/replacing permanent perimeter fencing at the ranch.
-Helping work farmers markets, if interested.
-There’s always something more!
The Job through the year:
SPRING- The sheep come home in March to prepare for lambing in April, which is about a 6 week event. We do a combination of lambing out in the field with our 2+ year old sheep, and lamb out the first lamb ewes in a barn. We prioritize having ewe’s that are good mothers, and generally speaking, we don’t need to check on them throughout the night. You can expect early morning and late evening checks, in addition to being busy with all the duties of caring for pregnant ewes and fresh lambs throughout the day. After lambing, the sheep graze close to the home ranch until May or June.
SUMMER- The sheep will be trucked up into the low mountains above Goldendale to graze invasive shrubs from June/July-October. Due to pressure from various predators (wolves, coyotes, cougars and black bears), someone will need to stay with the sheep 24/7. A trailer and horse will be set up with the sheep for this time period. We will work out a schedule where you can have days off to come down from the mountain (if you want), but plan on 4-5 nights per week spent with the sheep. This will be our first year range grazing in the mountains, so there will be a bit of a learning curve.
FALL/WINTER- Come mid October, the sheep will be hauled to the eastern end of the county where they will graze on irrigated hay circles. We go out to check on sheep and dogs every other day, except for when the weather is particularly bad, in which case we might need to go every day. Setting up electric fence to move the sheep from circle to circle, taking old fencing down, and keeping a close eye on the sheep are the main tasks of this season. It’s a good time to work on projects around the ranch that we don’t have time for throughout the rest of the year. It’s also a good time to plan on any trips away you might want to take. We will shear the sheep any time between January and the first of March, depending on weather.