Blog Category: Maritimes

Maritime Agrarians: Join The Farm Apprentices and Workers Network!

Posted by Bernard Soubry on April 17, 2016 1 Comment

Friendly soil-diggers! Friends of soil-diggers! Are you working on a farm this summer as an apprentice or fieldworker? FAWN creates bonds of fellowship and support for aspiring farmers, farm apprentices, and farm workers, as well as a platform for exchanging knowledge and opportunities. We do this through the magic of work-parties and really good cake. It was started out of the recognition that, while the Maritimes have an incredible network of support for beginning and veteran farmers, it’s more difficult for those of us who aren’t yet farming to get access to the same network—hence, a dedicated platform. How does … Continue reading Maritime Agrarians: Join The Farm Apprentices and Workers Network! →

APPRENTICESHIP: Holdanca Farms, Wallace Bay, Nova Scotia

Posted by Moss Dance on March 21, 2016

Holdanca Farms (http://www.holdanca.ca) is a family farm under the direction and management of John Duynisveld. We raise grass-finished beef, lamb & pastured pork and poultry with a focus on long-term pasture productivity and animal health & welfare. The farm includes ~300 acres of pasture, plus woodlands. In 2016, we’ll raise ~5000 pastured chickens, ~800 pastured turkeys, the piglets from four sows (~70 pigs), multiple herds of cattle (cows, calves, and finishing beeves), 50 ewes and their lambs. We’re on the cutting edge of pasture management, employing Holistic Management, high density mob grazing, and careful observation to build soil and pasture … Continue reading APPRENTICESHIP: Holdanca Farms, Wallace Bay, Nova Scotia →

Soil Matters: Register for the Largest Organic Conference in Atlantic Canada

Posted by Monica Allaby on November 09, 2015

The Atlantic Canadian Organic Regional Network (ACORN) will be hosting its 15th Annual Celebratory Conference and Trade Show from November 23rd-25th, 2015, at the Delta Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown, PEI. The conference is an exciting, three-day event, that brings together organic farmers, processors, and businesses from across the region. Over 50 workshops will highlight Atlantic Canada’s diverse agricultural community, including: A Soil Symposium celebrating 2015 International Year of the Soils, featuring Rodale Institutes’s Jeff Moyer; A dedicated Farmer’s Market Stream in partnership with Farmer’s Markets of Nova Scotia and the Charlottetown Market; A range of workshops on Horticulture, Livestock, … Continue reading Soil Matters: Register for the Largest Organic Conference in Atlantic Canada →

August 27-31: Farm Knowledge-Sharing at the Tatamagouche Free School!

Posted by Bernard Soubry on July 15, 2015

Calling all Maritime farm apprentices, farm workers and farming enthusiasts! Do you have a specific farm-related skill or area of knowledge you want to share with the world? Of course you do. Here is your chance to do so! This year’s Tatamagouche Free School will feature – along with amazing local food, wonderful people, music and much more – a series of farming-focused workshops taught by YOU! FAWN is collaborating with the folks at Radical Imagination to organize these workshops but we need your ideas and knowledge to make it happen. If you want to teach a farming-focused workshop at … Continue reading August 27-31: Farm Knowledge-Sharing at the Tatamagouche Free School! →

JULY 25: FAWN Meetup – Open Sky Co-Op, Sackville, NB

Posted by Bernard Soubry on July 04, 2015

The Farm Apprentices and Workers Network is pleased to announce its third apprentice/worker mixer/potluck/wonderment on 25 July (Saturday), at the Open Sky Co-Operative in Sackville, NB! Where: Open Sky Co-Op, Sackville, NB (Map) When: Saturday July 25, from 11:00 – 16:00ish (Facebook event) What: A tour, a help-out, and a potluck lunch! What to bring: Work clothes (for working), delish food (for potlucking), and perhaps a bathing suit (for canoe-paddling!). Fabulous farmer Norm Hunter, program coordinator for the Open Sky Co-Operative, will take us around the farm’s systems and delve into the Co-Op’s relationship with social entreprise, mental health work, … Continue reading JULY 25: FAWN Meetup – Open Sky Co-Op, Sackville, NB →

Farmer Profile: Eva Rehak of Ferme Alva, New Brunswick

Posted by Ayla Fenton on May 30, 2015 1 Comment

Eva Rehak is the 32-year-old co-owner of Alva Farm with her partner Alain Rousselle, located in Saint-Maurice, New Brunswick. For the past 5 years they have been cultivating mixed organic vegetables and fruits on 1,5 acres for their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares and farmer’s market. She acted as women advisor for the National Farmers Union (NFU) in NB and represented the NFU Youth at La Via Campesina’s 6th Global Conference in 2013. I grew up in Mississauga with no background in farming, but always had an interest in nature. I went to the University of Guelph graduated as an agricultural technician. I worked on a CSA farm … Continue reading Farmer Profile: Eva Rehak of Ferme Alva, New Brunswick →

May 17 – Apprentice Meetup! Four Seasons Farm, Maitland, NS

Posted by Bernard Soubry on May 05, 2015

The Farm Apprentices and Workers Network is delighted and super-duper pleased to announce its first gathering on May 17, at Four Seasons Farm in Maitland, NS! What: Hügelbed Hootenany, Potluck and Farm Tour (Facebook event) When: May 17, 2015 (Sunday), 11:00-15:00 Where: Four Seasons Farm, 8244 Hwy 215, Maitland, Nova Scotia (Map) What you should bring: Food (for the potluck), work clothes (for the workshop), and a hankering for some fun Join apprentices and farm workers from across the Maritimes for a fantastic day filled with food and glory as formidable farming duo Owen Roberts and Sina Wagner from Four Seasons Farm take … Continue reading May 17 – Apprentice Meetup! Four Seasons Farm, Maitland, NS →

Apprentices of the Maritimes, Unite!

Posted by Bernard Soubry on March 27, 2015 1 Comment

Are you working on or managing a farm in the Maritime region of Canada this coming season? Do you want to help form a network of engaged, fantastic apprentices and their farmers who meet up to discover new techniques and swap black bean brownie recipes? Hoo, boy. Have we got a plan for you! Here’s the rationale: apprenticeships are lovely, intense periods in every up-and-coming farmer’s education. You get an immense amount of knowledge from farmers, you work hard, you see the same four to six people every day for seven months, and you learn to love it. For those … Continue reading Apprentices of the Maritimes, Unite! →

Bethany Garden Apprenticeship Program, Antigonish NS

Posted by Jennifer Cline on December 17, 2014

This program is a unique opportunity for someone to have access to land, resources, and experienced mentors as they start small-scale gardening. The Sisters of Saint Martha are the land-owners and program sponsors for the Bethany Garden Apprenticeship Program. The purpose of the program is to provide the opportunity for an Apprentice Gardener to learn about small-scale gardening and the best practices for sustainable food production in an environmentally friendly and responsible manner. David and Jennifer Greenberg, the project managers and mentors, will develop a new garden site, set up infrastructure, and host workshops on topics relating to the garden … Continue reading Bethany Garden Apprenticeship Program, Antigonish NS →