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Are you an aspiring ecological farmer who wants hands-on experience living and working on a regenerative apple orchard and market garden? Braden Hill Orchard & Farm in Summerland, BC might be the place for you!
About the Farm
This farm is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded land of the Syilx Okanagan people in the heart of Prairie Valley in Summerland, BC.
Braden Hill Orchard & Farm operates a five-acre apple orchard and a half-acre market garden. They are committed to regenerating the land and stewarding a healthy agricultural ecosystem, while growing the food the family loves to eat and strengthening their community.
They grow McIntosh and Spartan apples, berries and a mix of annual and perennial market garden vegetables, and bring their produce to the Penticton (Saturday) and Summerland (Sunday) farmers’ markets, and also sell it at their farm gate and through a small local grocery store.
What makes Braden Hill Orchard & Farm unique is the diversity of crops they grow, with apples as the backbone that provides a steady, year-to-year income. Around their established apple orchards, Ella and Alex have built a thriving, healthy ecosystem that supports both the land and the people who tend it. They are proud of the “double-edged sword” of farming—it’s both their lifestyle and their career, so deeply woven into the family’s daily lives that the farm is truly inextricable from their home. Living and working on the farm allows them to be part of an incredible community in one of the most beautiful places imaginable. For Ella and Alex, sustainability means more than financial or environmental balance—it’s about creating
Ella and Alex manage their orchard and farm without any chemical herbicides or pesticides, following the OMRI list and guidelines even though they are not certified organic. Their practices are rooted in organic, regenerative, and permaculture principles, approaching the farm as a holistic ecological system rather than a collection of separate practices. By prioritizing soil health, biodiversity, and natural nutrient cycling, they work to cultivate a resilient, self-sustaining ecosystem that supports healthy crops while minimizing environmental impact.
Website: bhorchard.wordpress.com
Workplace Culture
Farm work is managed primarily by Ella working full-time, with Alex contributing while also working as a professor at UBC Okanagan. They often host WWOOFers for short stays of one to four weeks, integrating visitors into both the work and the rhythms of daily life. The farm is shared with their two children, a big gentle dog, and a rabbit, creating a warm, lived-in environment where work and life naturally blend. It is very much a lifestyle-based workplace—meals, relaxation, learning, and farm tasks all flow together. The space also serves as a community gathering place where people come to experience healthy farm systems, participate in volunteer harvests, and engage in ongoing research projects, making the farm a hub that ties people together.
About the Farmers
Ella grew up in Washington State. She later moved to Madison, Wisconsin, for graduate studies in astronomy, where she met Alex, a fellow astronomer originally from the Boston area. Their shared journey took them from Wisconsin to Sydney, Australia, then to Philadelphia, before they ultimately settled in the Okanagan Valley in 2017.
Throughout her moves, Ella has gained hands-on agricultural experience: working on a small organic farm in Madison, managing gardens in every place she’s lived, and managing an orchard in Summerland for two years. In 2020, she and Alex purchased a 40-year-old orchard, where they have been steadily building a new farm—broadening their focus to cultivate a diverse mix of crops.
About the Apprenticeship
The typical work day runs from 7 a.m. until mid-afternoon. In the Okanagan’s hot, dry climate, they complete most of the physical tasks early, followed by a break for breakfast. They then return to weeding, seeding, and other less aerobic tasks until lunch, finishing the day with shaded work—such as food preservation, planning, and general maintenance—until around 3 p.m. Fridays are dedicated to harvesting, washing, and packing, while Saturdays and Sundays are market days.
Ella’s teaching style blends hands-on practice with intentional reflection: working on tasks together, pausing for discussion, returning to the work, then moving on to a new task and repeating the cycle. Beyond daily farm duties, Ella places strong emphasis on understanding the broader farming lifestyle—ecology, land stewardship, food systems, and the natural rhythms of sustainable living.
The ideal duration of employment is May 1 – September 30, 2026, with possibility for extension.
The job requirements are:
- Background—formal or lived—in sustainability, agriculture, and/or biology (preferred)
- Ability to follow instructions and work independently once tasks are learned
- Capacity to perform physically demanding work and to be outdoors in all weather
- (We avoid the hottest part of the day during peak summer whenever possible.)
- Willingness to live on the farm in shared accommodation (details below)
- Availability to work Saturdays, and occasional Sundays throughout the season
- Valid driver’s license is an asset, but not required
Apprentices are willing to learn these skills:
- Observing biodiversity
- Techniques to minimize tillage
- Crop planning & rotations
- Seeding & transplanting
- Cover-cropping
- Harvesting crops
- Seed-saving
- Getting harvest to market
- Compost making & application
- Finding a learning community
Compensation
Hourly wage: $18–20/hour for 37.5 hours per week.
About the Community
Summerland is a charming agricultural community on the shores of Okanagan Lake, a gorgeous place known for its stunning scenery, lakeside activities, and thriving tourism destinations. In the warmer months, the town buzzes with concerts in the park, local coffee shops, and vineyard tours, offering a fun, laid-back atmosphere. Winters are quieter and slower, with fewer tourists and a peaceful, relaxed vibe, perfect for those looking to escape the bustle of larger cities.
The farm is located just 4 km outside of Summerland and is within easy reach of larger centres—20 km from Penticton and 50 km from Kelowna—with bus access to all three communities.
Accommodation
Accommodations: yes
Accommodation details:
Accommodation is provided in one of two guest bedrooms within the family home, with a shared bathroom and kitchen. The family encourages apprentices to take part in cooking and sharing meals. Apprentices are invited to treat the house as their own home, with the expectation of mutual respect among all who live there.
Accommodations shared with other employees/apprentices: yes
Access to a full bathroom with running water: yes
Type of dwelling: four seasons
Accommodation checklist:
- Furnished
- Clean
- Running water (potable)
- Shared bathroom
- Shower
- Bath
- Shared Laundry
- Shared kitchen
- Heating
- Air conditioning
- Electricity
- Wifi
Pets permitted: maybe
Guests permitted: yes
Rent: $1,300/month for room and board (all meals and utilities included)
Accommodation Agreement: yes
Other information:
Most dietary needs can be accommodated; however, severe food allergies may be difficult to manage in a shared kitchen.
Ella, Alex, and family look forward to seeing you!
