Heavenly Roots Farm on Salt Spring Island, BC is seeking 2 dynamic individuals to join their Field Crew for the 2020 growing season. Are you interested in being outside, learning about plants and eating local, organic food? If so, they can offer you a great experience during a full season of life on the farm.
About Heavenly Roots Farm
We are Ben Corno and Kaleigh Barton and we operate a 4 acre market garden as well as a fruit, nut, & berry orchard. A smaller garden houses a cut-flower plot and seed garden. Our business has been in operation for 6 years, and we attend the Salt Spring Island Saturday Market, the Tuesday Farmer’s Market, and fulfil wholesale orders to local retailers. We are active seed savers and plant breeders, and have recently become members of the BCEcoSeed Co-operative. This organization helps us collaborate with several other BC seed growers to market regionally adapted varieties to gardeners and other farmers.
We grow without the use of pesticides, herbicides, or synthetic fertilizers. Though we are not certified organic, we accept the standards as part of our lease agreement and as a result of our values. Every year we learn more about what it means to farm ecologically, and our soil improvement program is the cornerstone of our successes. As such, our practices include the use of compost and manure, mulching, minimal tillage, cover cropping and crop rotation.
Desired Qualities
The Ideal Candidate is:
- Optimistic and hardworking
- Physically and mentally fit
- A comfortable communicator, socially affable
- Takes pride in doing a quality job in an efficient manner
- Experience in a labour position (ie. farm-hand, gardening/landscaping, construction)
- Current driver’s license and can operate manual transmission
- Has an interest in cooking and eating locally grown food
- Education and/or interest in ecology, biology, plants, sustainability, environment is an asset
- Able to commit to the full season
- Ready to ask questions, accept feedback, listen, learn and try their best
- Wants to be a part of our local food culture, make connections and be involved in the community
- Non-smoker
- Dog-lover
Tasks & Training
Apprentices will be trained in all aspects of our business, including:
Seeding, seedling care, propagation scheduling, irrigation principles & operation, weeding, preparing and amending beds, transplanting, crop family characteristics & care, organic pest management, harvest techniques, washing & handling produce, market set-up, operating a market stand, seed growing & cleaning, and more.
Education
Ben and Kaleigh will instruct you on the tools and techniques you are expected to use, providing the background knowledge that is required to make decisions on the farm. All tasks will be demonstrated as we work along with you. When we see that your independence doing each task has grown, we will ask you to repeat what you’ve learned on your own. We provide continuous feedback and opportunities to try things with different methods.
Additional Learning Resources
In addition to your hands-on education at the farm, you will also have access to our library of gardening and farming books, a popular online farming course, our greater community of skilled growers, and of course the opportunity to ask us all of your questions.
Life on Salt Spring Island
We live in a 4 bedroom house with three fun, friendly roommates, and our two dogs. As our farm apprentice, you will become a part of our lively household. The kitchen is large and shared by all. You will have access to wireless internet, landline telephone, bathroom with shower, and laundry facilities, all in the house. Household members are expected to clean up after themselves and participate in some chores. The farm crew will share groceries, and also shares the duty of preparing meals. All groceries and vegetables from our farm will be provided at no cost. Farm Apprentices will have the choice of accommodation between a private room in the house or a converted school bus in the yard.
Our home is at the top of a somewhat steep hill, about a 8 minute walk from the main road, Fulford-Ganges. From there, you can hitch-hike or catch a bus into the small town of Ganges… or to the Lake!
Apprenticeship Details
Term: The Field Crew/Farm Apprentice position is active from May 1st – October 31st, 2020.
Hours per Week: 40 / hrs per week
8 hrs / day with 1 hour lunch break
Choose from two schedules: Mon-Fri or Mon + Wed-Sat
Attend 1 market / week, either Tuesday 4-6 or Saturday 9-4
Stipend: $600/month
Accommodation and farm fresh food including staples are provided at no charge. Lunches are shared by the whole crew on work days.
How to Apply:
Send us your resume, and two references to heavenlyrootsfarm@gmail.com. Tell us a bit about yourself and your choice to learn about farming.
Deadline to apply: May 15th, 2020
When applying, please indicate that you saw this posting at Youngagrarians.org.