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Have you been wanting to up your food-growing game? Are you looking for a market garden experience to boost your skills and create connections to start your farming journey? Almost Urban Vegetables is a farm close to Winnipeg offering an apprenticeship!
About the Farm
“We live on land that was settled by the Metis Nation, and close to the forks of the LaSalle and Red River, a traditional meeting place. We encourage everyone to build relationships with the land and community that surrounds the place where you will be learning.” – Bruce Berry
Marilyn Firth and Bruce Berry are the owners and farmers of Almost Urban Vegetables, which is a market garden producing over 40 varieties of vegetables and herbs. Their goal is to produce nourishing food with as little use of fossil fuel as possible and by following organic standards. Their soil is heavy clay and requires amending in order to produce well. They do not use synthetics in either fertilizer or amendments. The farm was started in 2007 to provide food for their family and a little extra to take to market, which has grown to provide seasonal vegetables to 90 families plus a farmers market. They use a low till approach to cropping but also monitor soil organic matter and apply only natural slow release fertilizers and amendments. They also grow cut flowers for market and Marilyn is getting more interested and involved with growing dye plants to dye natural fibres/clothing. Almost Urban keeps a layer flock for eggs and raises pastured broiler chickens once per year, which they butcher on-farm.
Website: https://almosturbanvegetables.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlmostUrbanVegetables
Workplace Culture
There is a thriving staff at Almost Urban with 2 owner/operators (Bruce and Marilyn), 1-2 returning experienced staff and usually 2 apprentices. This allows for more peer to peer knowledge transfer and the apprentice to get to learn from the mentors as well as their coworkers. Employees in their second or third year will also assist on demonstrating tasks to apprentices, besides instruction from Bruce and Marilyn.
Marilyn is good at keeping the work flowing, sticking to timelines, and diligence with staying on tasks. Bruce is really excited about sharing knowledge, demonstrating and answering apprentice questions. Apprentices are expected to use their curiosity and questions for understanding of farm practices. A lot of information transfer takes place in conversation while working, so tasks are usually assigned in pairs. Every few weeks there is a staff potluck which is another chance to delve into farm topics.
About the Farmers
Marilynn and Bruce both came to farming as a second career, having previously held other jobs unrelated to farming. Marilyn worked in television production as a news show director. She received certificates in both Horticulture and Permaculture prior to starting Almost Urban Vegetables. Bruce worked as a mechanical engineer, mostly in the automotive sector, but also in software for semiconductor fabrication. Since starting farming, he has been on a steep learning curve about soil, ecosystems and nutrition.
About the Apprenticeship
The apprentice will participate and work in all stages of vegetable production from seeds to customer pick up. The variety of CSA gardens means that each day’s work is tailored to the demands of crops and weather. So preparation, seeding, watering, cultivating, harvesting, cleaning, packaging, marketing presentation are the major steps in this. Each crop is a learning opportunity in all of these steps. Their animals are aimed at home economy or homestead scale. An apprentice can get involved in all phases of that, or not, as they wish. Marilyn and Bruce value the contribution of the animals to healthy food, and holistic practices such as regenerative agriculture.
Knowledge transfer has worked best when the helper is interested in, and motivated by, personal goals that align with sustainable/regen food production. The owners view ecological farming as an occupation that is not formally taught and must be learned by doing, similar to the way apprenticeship works in established trades.
Duration of Apprenticeship:
16 – 20 weeks – Beginning of May to end of October (flexible, can be discussed)
Hours:
Five days a week of around 35-40 hours per week.
All statutory holidays plus up to two weeks (unpaid) if desired.
Please discuss time off as early as possible.
7 hours/day
Start time is later in the spring and earlier in the heat of the summer.
The job requirements are:
- Happy working outdoors in all weather conditions.
- Curiosity, observant and willing to ask questions.
- Physically fit, without chronic injuries that affect physical work.
- English literacy and fluency.
- Please bring boots, gloves, headgear (hats, sunglasses), and appropriate all weather clothing.
Apprentices are willing to learn these skills:
- Techniques to minimize tillage
- Seeding & transplanting
- Setting up irrigation
- Cover-cropping
- Harvesting crops
- Getting harvest to market
- Implementing weed control strategies
- Networking with new people
- Working the farmers market
Compensation
$16/hour or more depending on experience.
Apprentices can eat any amount of vegetables they like from the farm.
Farm eggs are also available.
About the Community
The farm is located on the edge of Winnipeg, as reflected in the farm name. People can live in the city and commute to the farm for work. There is plenty of wildlife such as deer, fox, eagle, rabbit, wild turkey, and many more. People can access all the cultural events of Winnipeg and also access the urban forest adjacent to the farm.
Almost Urban Vegetables is a 15 minute walk from bus transit in the neighborhood of St Norbert. The St. Norbert’s Farmers Market (which they attend every Saturday) is 2 km away. You can find the farm on google maps.
Accommodation
Accommodations: No on-farm accommodation available.
Accommodation can be found in Winnipeg within a short commute by bus, bike or car. Bruce and Marilyn are happy to help find local places to stay.
The crew at Almost Urban Vegetables looks forward to seeing you!
