Want to learn to Tan Hides?

I get asked all the time if people can come tan hides with me- here is your opportunity!

I am looking for a new hide tanning apprentice for this upcoming summer season. This apprenticeship is for someone who feels genuinely called to learn the craft of natural tanning, and is eager to put in the dirt time it takes to truly understand the process.

Hide tanning is a skill learned through doing- and redoing- over and over again. This apprenticeship is an opportunity to immerse yourself in that practice, to ask questions, to work alongside me, and to learn what it means to live and tan in rhythm with the animals and seasons of this place.

What I am looking for

I am looking for someone who can dedicate one day a week from mid May through early September.

Start Date: Week of May 18th

End Date: First Week of September

Hourly requirement: Roughly 100 hours

Start time/ End Time: 8am-3pm each day

Day of the week: Flexible, based on our schedules.

Where: Wheelock, VT

What a typical Day is like

90% (roughly 90 hours) of our time we will spend bark tanning sheepskins. Most days will look like making tanning solutions, cleaning hides, making pickle solutions, fleshing, rinsing, stirring, dry scraping, racking, and dressing. Cleaning hair, pumicing and generally cleaning up the space (rinsing buckets, organizing, cleaning tools, etc.) is also part of the deal. This is very physical work. It requires moving a picking up wet hides, it requires lots of upper body strength, and it is entirely outside.

What you will Learn

  1. how to successfully bark tan a hair on hide

  2. tips to make a hair on hide softer vs. denser

  3. how to dry scrape

  4. how to make effective pickle solutions

  5. how to flesh a hide

  6. how to make hide dressings

  7. how to rack a hide

  8. how to make effective bark tanning solutions

  9. how to preserve a hide

  10. other potential skills (the 10% of time/ if you choose to spend more time tanning with me)-

    1. brain tanning deerskins and moose hides

    2. brain tanning bear hides

    3. acquiring wild bark

    4. dry scraping beavers, and bark tanning beavers

Next Steps?

Application for Summer 2026 is now OPEN.

Apply

Interested in the apprenticeship? Fill out some info and I will be in touch shortly! I can't wait to hear from you!