Ignatius Jesuit Centre in Guelph, Ontario is seeking interns for the 2024 season!
ABOUT Ignatius Jesuit Centre
Ignatius Farm is the community organic training farm of the Ignatius Jesuit Centre (IJC). IJC nurtures spiritual growth and ecological engagement through agriculture, retreats, and restoration work. Ignatius Farm grows certified organic produce for Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) members, markets, local businesses and service agencies. Farm programs include community gardens, community orchard, Small Plot Agriculture rentals, Farm Immersion Internships, New Farmer Training, working shares, volunteering and community events.
FARM WORKERS grow, harvest & distribute quality organic produce in fields and greenhouses, and support Ignatius Farm community programs.
Ignatius Farm expresses the Program Objectives of the Ignatius Jesuit Centre through organic and relational farming.
Organic farming focuses on management practices that restore, maintain, and enhance ecological harmony. We build and sustain healthy soil through the use of composts, complex crop rotations, and green manure crops. The result is that the crops grown in our soil taste delicious and full of life! No synthetic fertilizers or pesticides are used on the farm. Ignatius Farm is certified organic through ECOCERT, a third-party international organic certification and accreditation body.
Relational farming focuses on nurturing human-scale economics. You can have a Zero-Mile Diet by coming to the farm for food we grow, or growing your own in a garden plot! We hold that eating locally and in season does more than reduce the travel distance to our food – farms and communities need each other to survive and thrive. In order to make farms and organic food more accessible, we offer opportunities to get involved with farming activities, to sponsor harvest shares and garden plots for families and service agencies, and to be mentored in organic agriculture practices.
We need our community to be your community farm!
DESIRED QUALITIES
Do you love working outdoors rain or shine? Working productively as a team? Creating big community benefits for ecosystems, local food, and farm access for everyone? Join the Ignatius Farm team. Work immediately north of Guelph, Ontario in a place of peace and community impact.
DREAM FARM TEAM candidates have/are:
- Demonstrated interest, knowledge and/or experience with gardening, ecological farming, greenhouse work, field work, hand tools and/or equipment
- Physically fit and able to work outside rain or shine; Math & customer service skills
- Commitment to ecology, health & safety, collaborative team work, community building
- Assets: Valid G class drivers license, First Aid/CPR, spreadsheet experience
INTERNSHIP TASKS
Activities includes:
- Plant, transplant, weed, harvest and clean crops per Organic, food safety, and quality standards
- Perform field activities efficiently and effectively, a model for volunteers, trainees, and co-workers
- Provide wonderful customer service for CSA, Community Gardens, U-pick berries
- Lead farming activities in assigned areas of responsibility based on aptitude and experience:
o Strawberry cropping & U-pick coordination
o Indoor crop production & greenhouse maintenance
o Field work coordination
o Equipment operations & maintenance
o Irrigation & maintenance
o Harvest coordination; Post-harvest handling
o Community Shared Agriculture market facilitation
o Community Orchard
o Community Gardens
o Community Field Days, volunteer groups & seasonal events - Utilize and maintain tools, equipment and structures safely, according to training provided
- Log activities; Support logistics & system improvements of all farming activities and programs
- Support training of staff, volunteers and program participants
JOB DETAILS
Term: Contracts start April 22 & May 1. Contracts end Aug 31, Nov 22 & Dec 20.
The Ignatius Farm New Farmer Training Program is offered in collaboration with EFAO, NFU-O and Everdale. NFTP is 4 terms of online and field day trainings from April 8 – Nov 20, 2024.
Hours per week: Farm workers 35 hours/week average; evening or weekend work may be required
Training time is additional to the 35 hours of the Farm Worker contract. The internship is full farm immersion combining the Farm Worker contract, NFTP knowledge and skill-building training, and personal Farm Mentorship. Count on 5-10 hrs/week learning time outside of contract hours.
Wage: $17/hr
Optional Housing may be available: $650/month rent includes utilities & internet
TO APPLY
Please submit your resume and cover letter to officecoordinator@ignatiusguelph.ca
Submit a CLEAR LETTER OF INTEREST with your resume, including:
- Contract timeline availability
- Which funding criteria you meet (below)
- Relevant experience, skills, and values
- What you hope to learn and any plans for farming and food work in your future
- Availability to work scheduled evenings and weekends for chores, events
- If you seek on-site accommodation
- If applying for the Farm Immersion Internship or only the Farm Worker contract.
- For the Internship, confirm you have read the 2024 Farm Immersion Internship package.
Deadline to apply: Round 1: Feb 26, 2024; Round 2: March 3, 2024
When applying, please mention you saw this posting at youngagrarians.org
LEARN MORE ABOUT Ignatius Jesuit Centre
Website: https://ignatiusguelph.ca/get-involved/employment/