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Are you an aspiring ecological farmer who wants hands on experience working the land and living in community? Lady’s Hat Farm in Castor, Alberta might be the place for you!
About the Farm
Lady’s Hat Farm produces seasonal and ecological cut flowers and is also home to a floral studio where Nikki designs arrangements for weddings, weekly bouquet subscriptions, packs wholesale orders for florist customers, and dries thousands of stems for wreaths in the fall and winter.
They grow thousands upon thousands of cut flowers in a Zone 3 climate, without the use of chemical inputs, for florists, markets, weddings, on-farm events, and weekly bouquet subscriptions. Farm-dried floral creations (such as wreaths) are offered in the fall and winter, and ready-to-grow seedlings are offered in the spring to help launch others’ flower dreams.
They are proud to grow for The Cooperative Flower Network – a group of Alberta flower growers, cooperatively marketing and selling their flowers to Edmonton-area florists.
Website: https://www.ladyshatfarm.com/
Facebook: @ladys.hat.farm
Instagram: @ladys.hat.farm
About the Farmers
In 2017, Nikki found her way back to her parent’s farm, after studying and working in journalism. Over the years, she fell deeply in love with everything floral and everything fuzzy – and in finding a way to love these things in a way that also regenerates the land, builds community and encourages other young women to pursue a career in farming. In 2023, she convinced her city-boy accountant boyfriend Chris to move to the middle of nowhere and pursue this farming dream together.
About the Apprenticeship
At Lady’s Hat Farm, the apprentice will learn the process of starting seeds and caring for seedlings in a greenhouse setting, transplanting, harvesting and arranging flowers, as well as some livestock husbandry.
The apprentice will work 35-40 hours a week, with some flexibility around dates and times as long as it fits within the farm’s busy days. You will be part of a team of 6-8 part-time and full-time employees.
The ideal duration of employment is from mid-April / early May to the end of September or end of October.
The job requirements are:
- Driver’s licence
- Vehicle
Apprentices are willing to learn these skills:
- Feeding & watering
- Greenhouse management
- Seeding & transplanting
- Harvesting crops
- Crop storage & preservation
- Setting up irrigation
- Crop planning & rotations
- Marketing & packaging
- Record-keeping & basic bookkeeping
- Annual budgeting & planning
Compensation
Depending on the apprentice’s experience, wage will begin between $16-$17.50/hour
About the Community
Lady’s Hat farm is located between open prairies and sage-filled badlands and wild blue skies, near Castor, Alberta. Castor is the nearest town and has all of the amenities – grocery stores, gas stations, outdoor pool, gym, etc. A farming community, Castor is incredibly welcoming to new faces, and is supportive of the Prairie Farm Project – especially the farm-to-table dinners!
Accommodation
Accommodations: yes
Accommodation details: Lady’s Hat Farm is happy to provide on-farm housing in a renovated and fully furnished fifth wheel, complete with water, power, wifi, a bbq/bonfire ring, and everything you need to be comfortable living at the farm!
Accommodations shared with other employees/apprentices: maybe
Access to a full bathroom with running water: yes
Type of dwelling: Single season
Accommodation checklist:
- Furnished
- Running water (potable)
- Clean
- Private bathroom
- Shower
- Private kitchen
Pets permitted: no
Guests permitted: yes
Rent: $500/month plus cost of propane
Accommodation Agreement: yes
Other information: You will have access to our gardens for food, some meat, and we commonly share a few meals a week.
We look forward to seeing you!