The Monte Christo Ranch internship is all about giving you the skills needed to be a real
homesteader. We aren’t focused on teaching large-scale production agriculture. Our focus is on
producing as much high quality food for our own use as possible while living in harmony with the natural
seasons. WE believe that doing so provides a strong foundation for a healthy mind and soul- capable of
living in virtue and glorifying God. Our hope is that you will be able to continue this lifestyle once you
return home. You don’t need a large acreage to benefit from this internship. You will be able to identify
ways to make your life more real, more grounded, more liturgical whatever your home environment
may be.
Who Its For
This internship is for Catholic men 18-30 years of age who want to be invigorated by good hard
work and challenged with learning new skills; all while growing spiritually through regular prayer and the
practice of the virtues demanded by rural living. Interns should expect to give a regular dose of hard
work to real ranch projects such as fence-building; hay stacking, and the like. But they should know that
they will also be given dedicated time for instruction and practice in real, valuable skills. Interns should
be reassured that we value quality of life, and make time to pray, receive the sacraments, recreate, and
rest.
Skills
The skills the intern can expect to learn are related to several main areas: ranching,
homesteading, craftsmanship, and outdoors recreation. Ranching means raising large animals on
pasture. Ranching related skills include fence-building, hay making, irrigation, horsemanship, and animal
nutrition. By homesteading, we mean raising food for our personal consumption. Homesteading skills
include gardening, caring for poultry and swine, dairy production, and orchard care and harvest. A
certain element of craftsmanship is required to make the most of homestead products. For instance, the
skins from animals harvested for meat consumption are tanned into leathers and pelts using natural and
traditional methods. Harvesting and processing meats is another important craft practiced at Monte
Christo. Interns will be living in an area imminently conducive to outdoors recreation. The bunkhouse is
only 200 yards from private access to the North Fork of the Popo-Agie River, renowned for its excellent
trout fishing. It is only a short drive into the Wind River Mountains, and Shoshone National Forest. We
encourage and teach interns to recreate in nature by fly-fishing, shooting, hiking, and the like.
Time
Most days will see the morning dedicated to hard work like building fences and clearing brush.
The afternoons are generally dedicated to homesteading projects and crafts, such as gardening, or
tanning skins. There are a few times each season, however, when a big job urgently needs to be done.
During haying, for instance, every hour of daylight is spent putting up hay until the job is done. “Make
hay while the sun shines”. Regardless of the demands of work; prayers are recited daily at set intervals.
The Rosary is recited every evening before bed, and Mass attendance on Sundays and Holy Days is
strictly adhered to. Most weekend are dedicated to housekeeping, personal projects, rest, study, and
recreation. The same can be said of most evenings after supper.
Requirements
No prior experience in ranching or homesteading is needed to apply for the internship. Physical
fitness, ability to work as a team, the ability to take orders, and a normal dose of personal discipline are
non-negotiable requirements, however. The key to having a good internship experience is intrinsic
motivation. This program must be something the intern wants to do. The internship program is not a
summer camp for parents to “send” their older children to. If the intern wants to grow in discipline,
knowledge, and virtue, he is sure to have an excellent experience during his stay.
Commitment
Interns commit to a three- month stay at the ranch. This gives the interns the ability to
experience a complete agricultural season. If an intern wants to stay for multiple seasons, he may be
invited to prolong his stay after successfully completing the first three-month period. Shorter stays are
possible, depending on the timing of the proposed visit and available accommodations. Preference will
be given to those who are able to commit to an entire season. Keep in mind that certain skills, e.g.
butchering, are only taught in certain seasons. Please refer to the “Living the Seasons” page to get an
idea of what each season entails.
Accommodations and Travel
Interns stay in a bunkhouse together. The bunkhouse is a simple but comfortable house located
on the Ranch. Interns are expected to share a room. Expect to eat lots of fresh eggs, raw milk, and elk
and beef harvested from the ranch. Meals are simple, but hearty and nourishing. Breakfast and supper
are hot meals eaten in the bunkhouse, while lunch is usually a “sack lunch” packed in the morning.
Interns are responsible for arranging their own travel to and from the ranch, but rides are provided to and from the Riverton Airport (RIW).