Alderspring Ranch: An Immersive Internship Experience in Sustainable Ranching

Alderspring Ranch offers a unique and immersive internship program for individuals passionate about sustainable agriculture, horsemanship, and the Western rangeland ecosystem. Located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains in Central Idaho, this certified organic producer of 100% grass-fed Angus beef provides interns with hands-on experience in various aspects of ranch operations, from cattle management and herding to irrigation and range maintenance.

Overview of Alderspring Ranch

Alderspring Ranch has been operating in the Lemhi and Custer County area for nearly 30 years, producing top-quality grass-fed beef. The ranch encompasses a 1000-acre headquarters with irrigated pasture and hay ground, as well as 70 square miles of high mountain rangeland accessible primarily by horseback. Alderspring Ranch has been certified organic for nearly 10 years, demonstrating its commitment to sustainable and environmentally responsible practices.

Internship Program Details

The Alderspring Ranch internship program is designed to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of sustainable ranching practices. Interns will be part of a team, usually comprised of 10-12 employees and interns and will have the opportunity to work alongside experienced ranchers and learn from their expertise.

Duration and Dates

The internship program typically runs during the summer months, with position dates being flexible, and a duration of 5 weeks. The application deadline is March 15th, 2026, at midnight MST. Due to the shorter length of this internship, Alderspring Ranch can’t accept late arrivals or account for time off (beyond rest days that will be scheduled into the internship).

Compensation and Benefits

Interns will receive a stipend of $1200 for the duration of their time as an intern to help offset travel costs and time off work. In addition, simple free no-frills housing on the ranch, tents and a cook tent on the range, meals and snacks while on the range, and as much free ground beef as you can eat during the internship period will be provided! Alderspring Ranch also provides horses and tack.

The position is a unique opportunity for interns to improve their backcountry and horse packing skills, horsemanship, understanding of animal behavior, low-stress herding techniques, and knowledge of resource monitoring and western rangeland ecology. Work on the home ranch will allow the interns and employees to learn about managing intensive grazing on irrigated pasture, selecting finish animals for processing, organic management of weed populations, herd health, and how to work with diverse people as part of a team.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for the Alderspring Ranch internship program, applicants must:

Be a US citizen.
Possess physical fitness and proficient riding skills.
Have a good attitude and a teachable mindset.
Commit to the entire internship period.
Provide their own transportation to the ranch.

While experience with cattle, ranching, or any form of higher education is not required, these factors will be considered during the application process.

What to Expect During the Internship

Interns at Alderspring Ranch can expect a physically demanding and immersive experience. Days on the range can be long and physically grueling. There is no shelter from the weather: it could be raining, snowing, hailing, 100 degrees, or everything in between, but they still must ride herd on the cattle. Cell phone service is very limited.

Range Riding

A significant portion of the internship involves range riding, where interns will work in backcountry cow camps, typically spending 7 days at a time in one of our backcountry cow camps, from Thursday morning to Thursday evening of the following week. You will be on our crew of riders intensively managing cattle in a specific area to prevent overgrazing or negative impact to sensitive wildlife habitats. You’ll camp near the cattle out on the range in remote temporary cow camps that frequently move to new locations. This involves herding cattle on horseback, using low-stress stockmanship methods to prevent overgrazing and protect sensitive wildlife habitats. Interns will learn to read the land, understand animal behavior, and make informed decisions about grazing management.

Low Stress Herding: Expect to spend a lot of time trying to slow cattle down, settle them, and get them to eat once we reach good grass.

Branding: While Alderspring Ranch is not a traditional "cowboy outfit," interns may have the opportunity to participate in freeze branding calves. This involves heeling calves and laying them down to apply the brand, which is considered easier and less stressful on the animals than hot iron branding.

Ranch Work

During time off between range stints, interns will spend a 6-day period on the home ranch. After coming off the range Thursday, you will have until noon that following Monday to rest, recover, explore the mountains around the ranch, or go to town. After noon on Monday and all day Tuesday you are encouraged to be involved in whatever ranch jobs are occurring. Wednesday you will be off again to prepare for the upcoming stint on the range, and then head back up to cow camp Thursday morning! This may involve a variety of tasks, such as. There may be some opportunity to help with and learn about calving if you come during the earlier internship periods.

Irrigation management and repair.
Fencing management and repair.
Chainsaw use.
Weed management.
Cattle moving.
Basic repair work.
Assisting with water systems for the riding crew and cattle on the 46,000-acre rangeland.

Interns are encouraged to ask questions and actively participate in these tasks to gain a deeper understanding of the ranch's operations. If you choose to turn your brain off and unroll hotwire, that’s what you’ll get out of the job. If you ask questions and get involved in the process, you’ll learn about grazing, soil health, and pasture management. If you see helping at the shipping warehouse as just taping boxes, that’s what you’ll get out of it.

Backcountry Skills

Interns will develop essential backcountry skills, including:

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Setting up and dismantling remote cow camps.
Horse packing.
Camp cooking (very basic meals required).

Training and Orientation

Since the internship is only 5 weeks, training will be more “on the job.” Your first day here, a Wednesday, will be a training and orientation day. The next day you’ll head up to the range for your first riding and herding stint. Because you’ll be thrown into it without much preparation, Alderspring Ranch won’t expect you to know everything immediately! For the first few days you are welcome to simply “job shadow” various crew members to learn (literally just follow them around on your horse if you would like). We also all carry handheld radios, so you will be able to ask questions that way if needed.

Ideal Candidate Profile

Alderspring Ranch is looking for individuals with the following qualities:

Tenacity.
Physical fitness.
Independence.
Eagerness to learn.
Humility and teachability.
Hardworking attitude.
Determination.
Honesty and integrity.
A love for animals.
Willingness to camp out for 3 nights per week.
Ability to take constructive criticism and remain calm under pressure.
Common sense.

The ranch is also seeking someone to manage operations at their shipping fulfillment center in Salmon, Idaho, and complete tasks in budget/accounting management for the ranch business, as well as some online marketing tasks. They are looking for one person that can wear three hats: a backcountry horse packer, camp tender, and cook (only very simple meals required) for their summer range riding crew. The job includes dismantling their backcountry camp and packing it on horseback to new locations every one to three days, putting up temporary hotwire enclosures, taking care of a string of horses, and cooking very basic breakfasts and dinners for riding crew. You would have 1-2 hardworking but fairly unskilled interns/employees to help you. The job is rotational with 7-8 days on followed by 3-4 days off.

Ranch Rules and Safety

To ensure a safe and respectful environment for everyone, Alderspring Ranch has the following rules:

No swearing.
No smoking.
No drinking.
No drugs.
Interns may not bring, carry, or use firearms.
You may not bring your own horse or dog to the internship.

While there are inherent risks associated with working with livestock in a remote environment, Alderspring Ranch takes precautions to mitigate these risks and ensure the safety of its crew.

Application Process

To apply for the Alderspring Ranch internship program, interested individuals should submit the following:

A description of work experience and education.
A list of 6 references with a description of your relationship to them (employer, 4-H leader, teacher, counselor, etc.) and their contact information. At least 2 of the references must be work references (or volunteer work), and 2 must be character references from someone who has known you for a long time (such as a teacher, counselor, or pastor).
A list of dates you will be available for the internship.

A Glimpse into the Intern Experience

One former intern, Skinner, described his experience at Alderspring Ranch as a chance to step back into the "Old West." He rode horses across the range, worked cattle, and participated in a research project focused on improving the range ecosystem. Skinner emphasized the importance of grit and independence, qualities he developed during his time at Alderspring.

Another intern shared, "Had a very unique experience, and probably something I'll never get to do again…It was amazing being involved with the ranch and their research project with improving the range ecosystem. It was an amazing learning experience about a new ecosystem, and also getting to do something I've always dreamed of. I wouldn't have changed anything because it was such a unique experience. One piece of advice I would have is be willing to put yourself out there, and be involved in something that you aren't sure if you are qualified for. I would never have imagined doing what I did all summer, but I got the experience of my life, and got to be involved in agriculture in a whole new way. It was the time of my life, and something I've always dreamed of."

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