Farm #3
Primary products: Preserves, ferments, teas, spice blends, whole foods, eggs, salad dressings, dried fruit and herbs, body care products, herbal medicines, botanical sodas, farm to table feasts.
This farm accepts couples
This farm could possibly accept children
This farm will not accept smokers
This farm offers a wage
Apprenticeship Term: mid-April to January
Shared life PERMACULTURE collective house eco project. Greet the spring in a traditional teepee, treehouse or cob house in a faerie forest on the wildlife wetlands @ McArthur Island Park. Perhaps the last heritage farm in the city center, we are the original Huxley farmhouse in Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc. Big rivers, lakes, mountains, rock climbing, skiing, paddle sports, Kamloops is a small city immersed in big nature. Skate park, running trails, white sand river beaches. Share music jams, board games, movie nights & ETHICALLY OMNIVOROUS farm to table meals. Watch eagles, owls, ducks, beavers, lynx, deer. Wild & whimsical this waterfront oasis in the desert grasslands will wow you. Immerse yourself in organic wonder & bohemian hippie fun!
Want to learn to urban homestead & wild harvest? Are you a natural eco builder or fixologist? Do you have beautiful handwriting for labels or artistic faerie skills for decorating - the goodies box - with cones, sprigs, berries & forest harvests? Do you like to sweep, clean, climb trees, pick fruit, harvest herbs, repair, read, play music, swim, hot tub, do yoga or lie naked in the sun, beach walk, hike, skateboard, downhill bike, trampoline?
Current projects: deep cleaning, garden clean up, pruning & prep, sewing patches in the teepee, juicing, bread, soup & jam-making, labeling; assemble gorgeous goodies boxes for mail orders on Etsy's earthmarket. We grow native indigenous & wild botanicals; harvest, dry & rub herbs, herbal teas, spice blends, botanical sodas, pick berries & fruit, preserve, dry, ferment, freeze, gather, harvest, repair, clean, organize, clean guest rooms, change beds, care for chickens, find eggs in the faerie forest, mud the cob house, earth ship, rocket stove, cob pizza oven, root new fruit trees & make 3 Michelin star-worthy whole food feasts twice daily to WOW our international farmstay guests.
This little piece of the spiral is collaborative, co-created, self-directed, entrepreneurial in focus with each of our core peeps taking turns to lead, follow & hold sacred space for equitable growth in new found tribe. Collaborative visitors are a vital part of this sphere; we each focus on 3-5 hrs per day with simple chores in our home kitchen, house & forest gardens to keep everything clean, organized & running smoothly. Daily work here is maintenance - "the laying on of hands" - it's how we get more love in the world. Kahlil Gibran says "Work is Love made visible." We work hard, play hard, nourish our shared earth, one another & love doing it together. Engage, accomplish, collaborate, learn about urban homesteading, earn your culinary permaculture certification & share in our culinary adventures!
Location: Kamloops
Farm #4
Primary products: vegetables, mushrooms, microgreens. New farm, currently developing buildings and infrastructure.
This farm accepts couples
This farm could accept children
This farm offers a stipend
Apprenticeship Term: April to end of October
We have 16 acres of forest in the mountains. There is a creek that runs through the property. We apply permaculture and regenerative practices. There is a large pristine lake 5 minutes away. There are biking and hiking trails nearby. We are 5 minutes from Silverton, BC and an hour from Nelson, BC.
Your host is a homesteader who is all-in on homesteading. He’s following mentors and a healthy dose of trial by fire. Your host enjoys cultivating food (vegetables, microgreens, and mushrooms). Your host likes fun kitchen experiments (kombucha, colloidal gold/silver, sourdough, medicinal tinctures, mead etc).
This farm is new. This year, we offer an opportunity to join in expanding the farm and developing infrastructure. They get to see what its like to build systems and start a farm. The farm is moving towards a focus on aquaculture (multi-pond system) and aquaponics (trout/greens). We love to cultivate soil-- although we have some of the best water in the world on this land, cultivating water, aquaculture, is of a particular interest here!
Ideally, a group of two apprentices will stay with us this year. We have a large space that can easily accommodate 2 people. Apprentices will learn about fencing, farming with chickens, biochar, tree nursing, cultivating annual crops, and systems for developing/building soil for production. There is ample opportunity to learn about building/carpentry/milling, too.
Apprentices will be staying in a trailer in the woods. It comes with water/power, a bed, woodstove, and some furnishings. The creek is audible and a 2 minute walk down a path. Good energy.
Community is valued on this land. We all eat breakfast, lunch and dinner together. The food is mostly vegetarian, mostly organic, and fairly simple. Some dietary preferences can be accommodated, but not several.
We are offering food/shelter/money, community living, and a unique learning experience! We are seeking humans with shared values that are keen to learn, and/or ready to live harmoniously with nature!
Location: Silverton
Farm #5
Primary products: chicken, eggs, live birds for sale, market garden veggies
This farm accepts couples
This farm could accept children
This farm offers a stipend
Apprenticeship Term: April to mid-October
This farm has signed SOIL's Host Pledge
We are located in the South Shuswap, five minutes away from Shuswap Lake. There are tons of lakes, hiking opportunities, and of course the beach! In summer, our community rocks with live music events every week. Lots to do here, we have a vibrant arts & food-oriented community.
Your host is a sustainability geek into cultivating food (vegetables, fruits, happy livestock, healthy soil). Your host likes fun garden experiments like how to put chickens to work in the garden; how to make and apply organic fertilizers, including biochar, animal manures and green manures. This farm is not new but needs significant garden renovation and reclamation, which is already underway. This year, we offer an opportunity to join in expanding the farm and developing infrastructure. They get to see what it is like to build resilient systems into a farm. The farm is moving towards becoming a turn-key operation - maintenance only in summer.
Ideally, two apprentices will stay with us this year. We have a large space that can easily accommodate 2 people. Apprentices will learn about fencing, farming with chickens and rabbits, biochar, fruit tree pruning and care, pasture management, livestock care, cultivating annual crops, and systems for developing/building soil for production. There is ample opportunity to learn about building/carpentry/milling, too, if one is so inclined. We are looking for positive energy helpers with enough initiative to stick with a full season of crop management, learning and developing diverse skills in all aspects of the farm. Work projects vary over the season and include planting, livestock care, fence repairs, weeding, pruning, picking, packing and even market sales. Your host is actively involved in local food systems work with a non-profit society, so part of this year's learning will include public gardening and food preservation workshops. You can expect tons of research requests. We like to build things out of recycled materials and I have tons of plans ready to go, just need hands to build them.
Apprentices will be staying in our home with myself and my 15-year old daughter, with a bedroom and sitting room of their own and shared kitchen and bathroom. There is also space for a tiny home/trailer.
We are offering food/shelter/money, community living, and a unique learning experience!
Location: Sorrento
Farm #8
Products: Apples, plums, pears, herbs
This farm accepts couples.
This farm offers a stipend: minimum wage or higher
Apprenticeship term: March 1 to October 31
This farm has signed SOIL's Host Pledge
We are a family of five, farming 20 acres in the BX area overlooking Vernon and the lakes. Our main crop is apples; 6 acres of high-density trees growing mainly Gala and Ambrosia. This year we added trees to another 4 acres of low-density plantings based on permaculture principles mixing fruit varieties and companion plants.
We are a certified organic farm with NOOA and market our own produce. There are plenty of opportunities for apprentices to learn about growing apples including permaculture techniques, storage, packaging, sales and marketing while contributing towards the farm. This coming season we will continue to focus on soil building, replanting aged out sections of the orchard and establishing the new orchard.
We are looking for positive energy helpers with initiative to stick with a full season of crop management, learning and developing diverse skills in all aspects of the farm. Work projects vary over the season and include thinning apples, planting, fence repairs, weeding, pruning, picking, packing and even market sales. There are often many hours of repetitive work that may be part of a team or solo. Pay is from $15-18/hr and hours are based on 30-40hrs/week with some flexibility between times of the year. Tenting is welcome on the farm, there is an airstream trailer with kitchen and sitting area, outdoor shower in summer and outhouse if you camp. Also a furnished private room in our shop or you can sleep in the airstream, or if available, pay for accommodation in a private studio with kitchen, washroom etc.
Location: Vernon
Young Agrarians Apprenticeship Program
Are you an aspiring farmer looking to gain skills and knowledge that match the ecological and regenerative values you hold? Are you feeling the farming bug, but not quite ready to take the plunge and launch your own business? Young Agrarians and our network of exceptional mentor farmers are now offering advanced, hands-on farm apprenticeships in regenerative agriculture. Participants with a serious interest, curiosity and commitment to full-time farming are invited to apply.
Our apprenticeships are a full immersion program that puts you into the heart of running a farm business, day in and day out. Our carefully selected family of farm mentors have diverse expertise and skill sets – their farm philosophy is guided by a holistic framework that recognizes the connectedness of the land and people. Although farm activities will be different on each farm, the core activities will involve care of soil, pasture and livestock, farm direct marketing, and using sustainable practices for cereal, grain, and vegetable production.
As part of the program, you will also visit other farms that are hosting apprenticeships. This gives you the opportunity to learn from other ecological farmers and make connections with other apprentices in the program. Learn more about the Young Agrarians Apprenticeship program and apply here. Host farms will conduct video or phone interviews with select applicants. Confirmation of successful applicants will be in late February/early March. Apprentice start dates vary by farm; however, are generally in April or May.
Compensation: Room, board, and wage/stipend packages vary from farm to farm. Housing is safe, secure and the internet is available on each farm. Enjoy access to farm fresh food and some shared meals.
Listen to what former apprentices have to say about their farming experience with YA!
Application deadline: Jan 31