INTERNSHIP: Zocalo Organics, Hillsburgh, Ontario

Posted by Kristen Nammour on March 10, 2015 1 Comment

Zócalo Organics is seeking motivated, humble, and passionate individuals to join us this coming season at our organic community farm.

Position: Farm Intern/ Learning Exchange

Type: Internship with food, accom., stipend (see below)

Website: zocaloorganics.ca  

Location: in Hillsburgh, Ontario.  Close to Guelph, Fergus, Orangeville, and Erin, and 1 hour from Toronto.

We offer several Internship/Volunteer positions:

Our FULL SEASON internship program runs from April 12-November 21.  This is the most beneficial of our programs for aspiring farmers and special care will be taken to offer an enriching learning experience for these individuals.  This includes a monthly stipend of $250.  Both beginners and experienced applicants will be considered for this position.

We also offer a PARTIAL SEASON internships from either June 1-Sep 1 or from Sep 1-Nov 21.  These include a monthly stipend of $200.

Finally, we offer a PART-TIME Internship where-by the intern works for three full days a week.  There will not be a stipend for these interns and some adjustments to food/accommodations are made.  Locals do not have to live on farm to participate in this program.

Farm-Stay Volunteers: When timing is right we welcome short-stay volunteers for a minimum of 2 weeks.

Other VOLUNTEER positions: We welcome one-day or half-day volunteers on week days and potluck Saturdays.  You must have access to your own transportation to and from the farm.   If you are available we benefit greatly from having daytime volunteers on the same day weekly/bi-weekly.

Zocalo Organics Ontario - Chickens
Our farm:
We are Seb and Bethany, owners of Zocalo Organics. Our farm is a home to 2 families, a rural hub for community, a haven for wildlife and trees, a place for learning, growing, exploring, and listening to the natural world! (Read about us here: http://www.guelphmercury.com/news-story/4614546-young-guelph-couple-takes-on-the-challenge-of-organic-farming/).  Features of our farm include:
  • A century old barn used for community events, storage, and vegetable washing
  • A 7500 sq foot glass greenhouse with raised growing beds and heating
  • Three 100 ft long un-heated hoop-houses (these allow for extended season production and enhance our tomato/cucumber production)
  • a 23 acre wetland in conservation
  • 20 acres under organic certification where the gardens and orchards are
  • 2 large hay fields
  • Various permaculture installations and tree-plantings – artic kiwi growing on the barn, herb gardens, nut and fruit guilds, asparagus and rhubarb patches, etc.
  • A Yome (similar to a Yurt) which is rented out for visitors and used for groups
  • A camping area and compost toilet
  • 2 families live on site, and interns are accomodated either in main farmhouse or the cottage apartment with all amenities

What we do:
We sell to 11 restaurants, and through our 80-100 member CSA (Community Share Agriculture) program! We specialize in organic salad greens, and grow a wide range of organic vegetables in both the field and greenhouses. We also have some fruit crops, and chickens. 

Also on the horizon for 2015:  monthly potlucks, a nut grove installation, rhubarb and asparagus plantings, school group visits, opening our “family campground”, and more!
Zocalo Organics - Greenhouse
We offer:
Delicious food, accommodations, community connections, and learning opportunities! We offer one “Lunch n’ Learn” per month where Seb and Bethany offer an informative workshop over an extended lunch break covering a fundamental Organic Farming topic such as as soil health, cover cropping, crop-planning, weed management, farm financial planning, forest gardening, marketing, animals in the farm system, holistic farm management, etc.  We take full season interns on 4+ field trips through the season to other Organic Farm operations, and partial interns on 1-2 field trips.  The season promises to be informative and engaging!
Our Work Activities Include
  • all aspects of growing and managing a successful small-scale market garden.   We use a walk-behind tractor and work to grow as much as possible in a small amount of space to conserve materials and build the soil.
  • harvesting, delivering to restaurants and CSA, caring for seedlings, setting up infrastructure (irrigation, washing stations), weeding, working in the orchard, greenhouse maintenance, and more!
Food
Everyone eats lunch together on week-days.  We are happy to cater to vegetarians or other food needs/preferences. Food and Accomodation exchange vary depending on the position.
Our philosophy
  • Growing food to build community resilience and connection
  • Stewarding and appreciating the land, air, and water
  • Inclusivity: we aim to provide a safe space for all persons on our farm and do not tolerate discrimination
  • Mindfulness, health, and compassion; we work to provide spaces for healing, learning, and growth on the farm
  • We are Certified Organic and members of the Ecological Farmer Assiciation of Ontario
To inquire or for further details please send resume and reasons for applying to zocaloorganics(at)gmail.com or call 2268210572.
We’d love to meet you in person or via skype for an interview (does not apply for day-time volunteers or farm-stay volunteers). Please include your age, your preferred gender pronoun, and any questions you have for us. Feel free to be creative in your application – photos, recipes, poems, and favourite quotes, are a fun addition for us to read!

Learn more about us at facebook.com/zocaloorganics

Zocalo Organics - Market

One thought on “INTERNSHIP: Zocalo Organics, Hillsburgh, Ontario

  1. it is very good program for new learners to experts & for all the people who wants to stay close to the natural environment. really appreciative the work sharing with us.

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