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Looking for farm accommodation for work trade? FarmKids Therapy in the beautiful Cowichan Valley might be the right fit for you!
ABOUT FARMKIDS
Farmkids is located on 30 acres of lakefront in the Cowichan Valley, 5 minutes from Downtown Duncan. The farm is owned and maintained by my husband and I, as well as our 3 children. Farmkids Therapy is a small animal-assisted therapy program located on the property, where a few select farm animals are used to work with children with special needs. These animals include: 4 horses (2 miniature and 2 full-sized), 3 goats, 3 pigs, 2 sheep, and a handful of ducks. Farm property consists of about 20 acres of land used for hay, forested areas, numerous grass paddocks, as well as about 2-3 acres of divided unused land that could be used for growing crops or other areas of interest (this is not our area of expertise but we are happy to provided the land for opportunity!). The property is not irrigated, however being lakeside, there are areas of moist soil that would be ideal for crops such as corn.
We are seeking permanent live-in help.
DESIRED QUALITIES
Farm experience (experience with horses as asset), good with tools, physically and mentally fit, clear communication skills, strong work ethic, self motivated, passionate about animals and farm-based living.
JOB TASKS
- daily care of the animals (feedings, grooming and mucking of barn and paddocks)
- helping to stack hay bales (once per year)
- farm-sitting when owners away
- regular maintenance of the barn and property (such as ground maintenance, building repairs, plantings, use of farm equipment to help keep the property maintained.
- based on an individual’s skills, assistance on special projects which could include include: woodcutting (using a machine), building of a chicken coop, or other animal shelters, operating equipment to help with fencing repairs, drainage, etc.
ACCOMMODATION AT THE FARM
Currently we are offering our guest unit, but hope to eventually offer a more permanent option located on a private section of land on the farm property. The guest unit is 700 foot self-contained, furnished upper suite (the Farmkids clinic is located below the suite) with full kitchen, full bathroom, 1 bedroom and living area. The suite is bright and sunny and has a private deck attached that could be used to grow potted plants. We just installed a heat pump so the suite has both heat and air conditioning. The farm also has city water. Cable is included. Wireless Internet and Hydro are extra but minimal cost due to shared internet and new ductless heat pump to replace baseboard heat. $1200 equivalent per month.
Job Details
Term: Sept 2020 start. Permanent position for suitable candidate. Temporary accommodation provided.
Hours: Flexible hours per week, but about 15 hours/wk (depending on needs of the farm and our travel schedules as some weeks could be heavier than others). Anticipate working most mornings (8-10am) and evenings (5-6pm) when animal turn-out and feedings are required
Wage: $20/hour for average 15 hours per week exchanged for housing ($1200 equivalent)
To apply
To see if this might be the right fit for you, please contact farmkids@telus.net
Learn More About Farm Kids
For more information on Farmkids Therapy and to view additional photos of the animals and farm, please check us out on Facebook.
When applying, please mention you saw this posting at youngagrarians.org