Intern / Apprentice Program at Shepherd’s Cross
Spring Semester January – Early May

Shepherd’s Cross is a working sheep farm, with several hundred sheep. There are many other animals and activities on the farm. The animals include cattle, horses, donkeys, chickens, llama, alpaca, sheep dogs, geese, and barn cats. Other areas of the farm include a Farm Museum, a Farm Store, hay harvest, pecan harvest, walnut harvest, a wool mill, shearing school, fiber arts classes, a Bible Garden which produces vegetables and fruit for farm use and for sale, and a Mission Shop.

The internship program at the farm equips students with basic farming skills. As well as supplies them with Biblical references to farming and shepherding. Students gain an awareness and develop skills of basic agriculture. They are taught historical agriculture, mixed with a healthy appreciation for industrialized agriculture and exposed to agricultural parables found in The Bible.

The internship is under the direction of Dr. Diane Dickinson. She is an agriculturalist with a Bachelor’s in Agriculture, a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine, and over five decades of farm and livestock experience. She serves as an on-site veterinarian and operates a veterinary care unit on the farm. Students will learn in the same manner as an apprentice learns. Watch the shepherd, practice with the shepherd, and then perform the task unassisted.

The spring semester is the busiest Sheep and Shepherding season to intern, as this is lambing season and sheep shearing on the farm. This is an authentic working farm, not a hobby farm.

Internships may be geared toward one of the following six areas:
1. Sheep and Shepherding Internship: this internship has a primary interest focused on shepherding. The busiest season is the spring season, with many opportunities for learning. Learn what Psalm 23 really means while being the shepherd to the pasture raised flock on the farm. Learn how to give Shepherding Tours, and work in the Farm Animal Barn.
2. Bible Gardening Internship: Learn about natural gardening for sustainability, train to be a Bible Garden Tour guide, assist with Garden related educational activities in the Farm Museum.
3. Wool Mill Internship: Learn how to process wool “green” – including washing, carding, spinning, weaving and more. Learn how to give Wool Mill tours and assist with Wool related displays in the Farm Museum.
4. Farm Museum Internship: The Farm Museum & Educational Silo is an agriculturally based museum with hands on learning activities. The museum is indoors and outdoors. Learn how to manage a museum; assist with upgrading the farm museum, be a farm museum tour guide, and learn how the Bible and agriculture are related.
5. Heart of the Shepherd Missions and Missions Shop Internship: Emphasis is on the International Mission Shop operations and fundraising. Learn how to tell the story of the nations and their needs, and how to maintain brick and mortar gift shops.
6. General Farm & Shepherding Internship: This internship experience includes all the previous categories, working in the fields, working with the sheep and other farm animals; assisting with the Pumpkin Festival; providing Christian, agriculturally based educational tours; as well as a vast array of support farm tasks such as field and tree maintenance, harvesting, planting, cleaning & fence maintenance; assist in the Farm Animal Barn.

Interns will experience some of every segment of farm life and are not restricted entirely to their internship emphasis. Therefore, each Intern will be learning from all six categories. However, their primary focus will be in their interest area.

Steps of the application process:
1. Submit a Resume
2. Receive an internship application & return the completed form to our office.
3. Reference checks
4. Personal interview
5. Background Check

College credit may be received for students enrolled in college classes.

Following successful completion of the Internship, the student may apply for the Apprentice/Residency Program. This program allows the student to remain at the farm for eight additional months to experience all the activities of a farm year. This is beneficial in terms of understanding seed time and harvest, and the Biblical Implications.

Experience is advantageous, but not required.

Internships are full or part time and live on-site or live off-site. Compensation for internships may include room, board, and a monthly monetary stipend. The stipend is not a salary, and it is performance based.

Several graduates have been hired to be part of the Shepherd’s Cross and Heart of the Shepherd team.