Hummingbird Farm is certified organic (KOGS#84) and grows food and flowers—see our website hummingbirdfarmbc.com. We live in the scenic Slocan valley on the Slocan river and on farm accommodation is in a furnished yurt that is off in a private portion of the farm. A swimming hole is 100 feet from the yurt. We have kayaks and bikes available. There are fantastic hiking and biking opportunities outside our door. We are 30 min from Nelson.
We are looking for an intern who is hard-working, physically fit, willing to embrace all farm practices and is enthusiastic about sustainable organic farming. Day to day work is busy, intense, challenging but is also rewarding as we harvest beautiful flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables for 2 grocery stores in nearby Nelson and Castlegar.
We strive to provide the intern an opportunity to understand and practice all aspects of organic farming.
Herb, fruit and vegetable production: Interns can learn all aspects of organic small scale farming and organic systems including planting, cultivating, harvesting, soil health, composting/mulching, and saving seeds. The seasonal scope of work includes preparing beds for planting, planting seeds/transplants, mulching/weeding, watering/feeding as needed, weeding, scouting for pests, weeding, harvesting, pruning, hand pollination, and seed saving.
Food preservation: We make various ciders and vinegars; we dry fruit and herbs and we make a variety of canned products in our small scale commercial kitchen. There are opportunities for interns to participate and learn how to preserve and prepare food.
Cut flower production includes planting starts and bulbs in spring, weeding, watering, mulching, cutting stems for bouquets for twice a week deliveries and weddings/special events and lots of deadheading.
There are a variety of other opportunities include caring for chickens, equipment maintenance, building projects, fencing, etc.
We expect a minimum of 40 hours of work per week. Learning opportunities abound in the blend of work/life here. We are looking for someone from available from the beginning of May to the end of August.
Interns will receive on farm housing in the large furnished yurt (see picture) which is set up with a Coleman stove and a nearby composting toilet. Also, there is a monthly stipend of $800, grains such as rice and oats, beans and other pantry basics and access to fruits, vegetables, berries, sourdough bread, and eggs from the farm.
Good communication is a must, as is the use of common sense, the confidence to make decisions and a willingness to go above and beyond. Please contact us if you are positive, self-motivated, respectful of others, a hard worker, a non-smoker, and are seriously considering organic agriculture in your future! The applicant must be between the ages of 18-30 as this job will hopefully be partially funded through the Canada Summer Jobs program.
Please send your resume and contact information to hummingbirdfarmbc@gmail.com by March 1, 2017.
