Position Summary
The Harvest Apprenticeship is an opportunity to gain hands-on training in safe, humane, and respectful buffalo harvest and meat handling. Working under the Harvest Coordinator, the apprentice will learn by doing, assisting with buffalo harvests on the Wolakota Buffalo Range, the mobile harvest truck work, and getting the Seven Fires processing center ready to open. The apprenticeship is rooted in the Lakota relationship with the buffalo, as relatives and as a source of life for the Oyate, and in our responsibility to honor every animal harvested.
The goal of this apprenticeship is to prepare apprentices for full-time positions. Apprentices who complete the program and show strong performance may be considered for full-time openings as positions and funding become available.
Duties
Assist the Harvest Coordinator with:
Buffalo harvests on the Wolakota Buffalo Range and custom harvests
Setting up, cleaning, and sanitizing the mobile harvest truck and equipment
Handling, cooling, tagging, and storing carcasses
Handling hides, heads, and other byproducts
Keeping harvest, cleaning, and temperature records
Setup work at the processing center
Learn:
Safe and humane harvest
Field dressing, skinning, and carcass handling
Knife skills, knife safety, and firearm safety
Food safety, sanitation, and inspection requirements
Lakota cultural teachings and respect for the buffalo at harvest
Other duties
Other duties as assigned by the Harvest Coordinator
Requirements
Valid driver's license
Able to lift and carry up to 50 pounds
Able to work outdoors in extreme cold, heat, wind, snow, and other weather
Able to work in cold, wet, and bloody conditions
Able to walk, stand, bend, and climb on uneven ground for long periods
Willing to learn and follow all safety protocols around buffalo, knives, and firearms
Dependable, with a willingness to learn, ask questions, and take direction
Training and Certifications
All training needed for required certifications, including food safety and harvest certifications, will be provided by Rosebud Farm Company.
Schedule
This apprenticeship is 40 hours per week. Harvest days may start early, run long, or fall on weekends depending on weather, herd plans, inspection schedules, and customer needs.
Residency
On-site residency is not required for this position.
Organizational Values
At Rosebud Farm Company and Seven Fires, we expect all team members to embody values that reflect our responsibility to the land, the buffalo, and the Sicangu Oyate:
Community First – Serve our people with humility, purpose, and respect.
Excellence – Uphold the highest standards in safety, care, and food quality.
Cultural Respect – Honor Lakota lifeways and the sacred relationship with the buffalo.
Stewardship – Use every harvest with care and waste nothing we can use.
Responsibility – Be accountable to the mission, to each other, and to future generations.
Pay: $18.00 per hour
Work Location: In person
