Filter by Popular CategoriesMEET YOUR FUTURE FARMERS – 2026 YA APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
Posted on June 11, 2026
Filter by Popular Categories
“I’m so grateful for all of you, to know that I am not alone in this – you are all just so amazing!”
These words from an apprentice to their peers during the final meal at the Manitoba and Saskatchewan Orientation reminded me of why we do the work that we do.
Young Agrarians Apprenticeship Program matches aspiring farmers from across Canada with Host Farms in BC and the prairie provinces. This year, there are 41 apprentices working on 27 farms, from market gardens to cattle ranches to fruit operations. Apprentices are trained and mentored in their placements for 4 – 8 months, with ongoing support available from our provincial coordinators.
As I sat at the long table full of apprentices at Orientation, I took a moment to appreciate the hopeful energy in the room and the incredible potential that these people have. Their excitement about the upcoming growing season as well as what other opportunities were possible in the farming network that YA is working to build were infectious. My hope is that YA can help them develop and follow their farming hopes, while also learning important knowledge and skills to succeed in their dreams. As I soaked in their enthusiasm shared through stories and ideas, I brought the group’s attention together for a moment and said in my most inspiring voice I could muster up: “This is the beginning of a journey you are all on together – I hope you can continue to support each other through the summer.” Many of them smiled at each other with a growing sense of belonging.
Building community between new and established farmers is at the heart of Young Agrarians (YA). For many apprentices, YA’s Apprenticeship Program is their first entry point into the world of regenerative and ecological agriculture. Many apprentices continue on to participate in other YA programs such as the Business Mentorship Network, BC or Alberta Land Matching Programs, or by taking one of our many online courses.
After apprentices connect in person at their orientation weekend or through an online meet-up, they begin to build a peer support community that can last a lifetime. In addition to the apprentice-only events we organize in the Apprenticeship Program, our provincial coordinators organize public farm tours in partnership with our network of Host Farm.
Join us in welcoming this inspiring crew of learners as they dive into a season of regenerative farming! And keep your eyes on our social media and newsletters as we fill you in about their adventures this season, and any upcoming Apprenticeship Program farm tours.
– Kalynn Spain, Manitoba and YA Apprenticeship Program Manager
MANITOBA APPRENTICES
Sierra P: Oak Knoll Farm – Oakbank, MB
Sierra will be apprenticing at Oak Knoll Farms this summer! She joined the program because she is passionate about learning where our food comes from and how farming can work with nature rather than against it. As a dietetic student, she is interested in the connection between agriculture, nutrition, and community health. She is also excited to gain hands-on experience, learn more about regenerative growing practices, and develop practical skills that she can carry forward in her career. In the future, she’d love to see more sustainable, local food systems and ecological farming become the norm. She is really excited to learn, contribute and to grow this season!
Hoi W: Hnatiuk Market Gardens – East St. Paul, MB
Hoi is a graduate in Agriculture from the University of Manitoba. He is interested in gardening is what made him decide to apply to become an apprentice at Hnatiuk Market Gardens. Hoi hopes to gain hands-on experience in no-till vegetable production and understand farm operations. He shares, “This is a good chance for me to learn about ecological crop management from experienced farmers. I hope to build a career in environmentally responsible farming business.”
Jake Knox: Skinner Native Seeds – Roblin, MB
Jake Knox’s interest in agriculture started through his university courses and is excited to gain hands-on experience in seeding, harvesting and learning how-to operate a farm equipment at Skinner Native Seeds. He shared that he hopes to build a career as an agronomist in the future; he adds, “I hope that in the future of ecological agriculture, we see sustainable practices become the standard adopted by both farmers and corporations, as sustainable agriculture is the best way forward for a healthy future.”
Raven G: Ferme Fiola Farm and Long Way Homestead – Ste. Genevieve, MB
Raven G grew up in rural Ontario surrounded by dairy farmers and corn fields. She experienced a renewed interest in animal husbandry specifically after taking up knitting seriously a couple years ago and slowly become more interested in where the yarn comes. She has also been learning about the history of wool production but, felt limited in how much knowledge she could acquire through books and videos alone. Additionally, Raven felt the calling to learn more of the hands-on skills by living the daily routine of a shepherd. She went on to say, “I’m extremely excited to get the chance to work in an industry that always felt somewhat out of reach to outsiders, and to connect with other individuals passionate about Canadian agriculture. I hope that this first step inspires me to continue working with sheep and contributing to the wool industry in Canada.”
SASKATCHEWAN APPRENTICES
Denzel Gordon: Upland Organics – Wood Mountain, SK
Denzel has special interest in learning about soil health and rotational grazing and is looking forward to gaining hands-on experience in regenerative farming, livestock management, and sustainable crop production on a large scale at Upland Organics. He shared that his intention in joining the Young Agrarians Apprenticeship Program is to develop practical skills and gain the confidence in running his own diversified, ecological agri-business in the future.
Kinley Taylor: Groveland Farm – Lanigan, SK
Kinley decided to do the apprenticeship at Groveland Farm because she love the community aspect, and all the hands-on learning. As someone who is a visual learner and enjoys working and learning alongside others, she thought this would be a perfect opportunity! She is very excited to learn more about farming with all types of livestock, as well as increasing her knowledge on soil health and meet other young farmers! Kinley is from a cattle farm near Clearwater, Manitoba and volunteers with the Harvest Moon Society.
Tyan Cherepuschak: Springer Family Farm – Foam Lake, SK
Tyan just graduated with a degree in Environmental Science and Anthropology, and is looking forward to continue learning as he get his hands and boots dirty with his Young Agrarians apprenticeship placement. Having travelled far from home over the past few years, he looks forward to spending this next season of his life in the part of the world that he calls home. Tyan has family that farms and have worked alongside rural landowners in the past, but never got to experience farm work himself. His curiosity for agriculture has only grown in recent years, so he is excited for what lies ahead!
alberta apprentices
Hannah Paddock: Triple Lyoness Farm – Dapp, AB
Hannah is hoping to learn and absorb all she can about farming with animals, especially cows, at Triple Lyoness Farm! Her long-term dream in agriculture is to become a large animal vet, as she has just finished her first year of pre-vet studies in Manitoba. She was raised on a grain farm in rural Manitoba, and has been passionate for animals since the first time she met her grandpa’s horses!
Henry Bartsch: Vetsch Farms – Valleyview, AB
Growing up in a small rural town, Henry became intrigued by the agrarian lifestyle. After graduating with a major in Agricultural Sustainability this spring, he applied for the Young Agrarians Apprenticeship Program to gain hands-on experience on an organic farm. He hopes to learn about crop production and raising cattle in a grass fed system. Along the way, he is looking forward to connecting with like-minded people in the industry as he learns the practice of ecological farming. After working on a dairy farm, Henry is thrilled to gain experience in another sector of Canadian agriculture, with the goal of becoming a producer in the future.
Josiah Clow: Reclaim Organics – Pigeon Lake, AB
Josiah is apprenticing at Reclaim Organics this summer through Young Agrarians. He is excited to dig into the day-to-day while building an understanding of how it all fits together as a business and a holistic approach to land stewardship. His longer-term dream is to eat as locally as possible and share that vision with others through a sustainable business. He believes ecological agriculture can offer a middle path — neither exploiting nor simply preserving nature, but stewarding the land by working with it.
Lauren Kyle: Triple Lyoness Farm – Dapp, AB
Lauren is an apprentice at Triple Lyoness Farm in Dapp, Alberta. She is driven by a desire to gain hands-on experience in regenerative agriculture and joined the Young Agrarians Apprenticeship Program to bridge the gap between academic theory and sustainable practice. Lauren is currently completing her degree in Animal health at the University of Alberta, specializing in food animals. She recently completed a capstone project evaluating the feasibility of the Canadian beef cattle industry achieving net-zero emissions. Looking ahead, Lauren aims to balance a career as an animal nutritionist or agricultural consultant while managing her own ecological homestead. She is passionate about the widespread adoption of regenerative practices across Canada.
Naomi Hanna: Lady’s Hat Farm – Castor, AB
Naomi is apprenticing with Lady’s Hat Farm, located in Treaty 6 territory on the boundary of Treaty 7, close to Castor, Alberta. After almost 7 years on her academic journey in environmental and agricultural science, she has decided to leap into a new journey of on-farm learning. She is passionate about regenerative agriculture, land remediation, and food security for all. With some hands-on experience behind her, she sees herself building a career that focuses on giving back to the earth, growing better food, and making sure that food gets to those who need it.
Amy Wandler: Common Ground Garden Project – Red Deer, AB
Amy Wandler will be apprenticing this summer at ReThink Red Deer, working at Piper Creek and Common Ground. Her reason for joining the apprenticeship program was to learn more about farming, gardening, and how food can be self-sustaining. Amy is entering her third year of university in elementary education, and she’d love to incorporate an after-school program where children learn about a variety of plants, how to care for them, and how to grow their own food. One of her hopes is to better educate herself through the Young Agrarians program to help become a better teacher for my future students through hands-on experience.
She also hopes for the future of ecological agriculture that more people start to participate in community events that share knowledge about the land we live on and how to use the different resources we have access to. One thing she learned a lot about from opportunities like the Young Agrarians Apprenticeship Program is how to create, map out, and design a food forest.
Violet Neumann: Common Ground Garden Project – Red Deer, AB
Violet will be apprenticing this summer with ReThink Red Deer. More specifically, she will be working at Piper Creek, which is a restoration agriculture site, and Common Ground, an urban farming project. She joined Young Agrarians to broaden her horizons, explore opportunities in agriculture, and deepen her understanding of agricultural research and practice. She hopes to gain knowledge from her experience so she can eventually have her own at-home mini farm that is moderately self-sustaining and provides food for her family. She hopes for a future of ecological agriculture where community gardens and farms can become more normalized in cities to help provide food for the community, as well as add more ecological diversity to urban landscapes.
Sarah Muir: Reclaim Organics – Pigeon Lake, AB
Sarah is an apprentice at Reclaim Organics, Pigeon Lake, Alberta. Currently, she is studying Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Agriculture at the University of Alberta. After her degree, she is hoping to work on Smart Farms, and research how AI can maintain farm efficiency in lieu of climate change. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, cooking/baking, urban gardening, drawing, playing with the dog, dinner with friends, and strength/flexibility training! This summer, she hopes to learn about greenhouse management and sewing!
British Columbia Apprentices
Aidan Kolousek: Gathered Farm & Florals – Powell River, BC
Aidan will be an Apprentice at Gathered Farm & Florals in Powell River, BC. He joined Young Agrarians Apprenticeship Program because it’s awesome and he wanted to learn how to farm selling to his own local community/country successfully. Food independence, eating organically grown, ecologically sustainable and bioavailable plants, and working in a non-chemically poisonous atmosphere are core values for him. His long term dreams are to own and run his own land, utilizing BC’s favourable climate to grow niche produce and fruits. He also dreams of half of that land being a wellness and education centre where he and his partner, Gabby, can inspire others to be part of the change and appreciate nature in a powerful way.
Catherine Rocchi: Solstedt Organics – Lytton, BC
Catherine will be heading to Solstedt Organics in Lytton, B.C with Ashala this summer. She discovered the young Agrarians Apprenticeship Program at a University of Guelph job fair, where she recently completed her undergraduate degree in Agriculture Sciences. She is passionate about holistic, sustainable agriculture practices that work with the planet rather than against it. She is eager to gain hands-on experience, immerse herself in the farming lifestyle, and spend meaningful time outdoors! For years, Catherine envisioned operating a biodiverse farm that supports her family and also gives back to the community in a unique way. She sees this Apprenticeship as a crucial step in building the skills, confidence, and lived experience necessary to pursue these goals. Whether she eventually runs her own farm or contribute to an existing operation, she is committed to supporting resilient food systems and a healthier planet. She is grateful and excited to learn, work hard, and grow through this opportunity!
Chantal Gering: Lost Farm – Smithers, BC
Chantal is an apprentice at Lost Farm in Smithers, BC (unceded traditional territories of the Wet’suwet’en people) and their journey began with moving into a community home near 41st and Cambie in Vancouver with a few people who tended a huge food/medicine garden in the front and backyard. The following year, they worked on a permaculture farm in Costa Rica, and this year they are interested to learn about regenerative farming and agroecology. Their dream is for food to be the center hearth of communities once again, to diversify crops perhaps moving into agroforestry models, for all farms to grow seeds local to their community – saving seeds (Chantal is learning from Mohawk Seedkeeper, Rowan White) – and for local food to become more accessible and affordable as a pathway to sovereignty, good health, and liberation. They are a queer artist (they/she/we pronouns) of many disciplines and a student in this life, learning from many teachers and now learning from the plant teachers!
Dee Gorn: Glorious Organics – Aldergrove, BC
Dee Gorn will be apprenticing at Glorious Organics for the 2026 growing season. She started her career in agriculture through a summer job as a farm worker at the Sharing Farm during her undergrad. That experience sparked her passion for this field! After graduating, she eventually joined the E.S. Cropconsult team and became an integrated pest management (IPM) consultant in berry crops. Dee spent almost six years scouting fields for pests and diseases, helping growers with soil fertility management, and working with the team to promote beneficial practices and pollinators. She hopes that undertaking this apprenticeship will help her fill the gaps in her applied farming skills and gain the confidence and ability to slide into the research farm and plant breeding sides of agricultural science.
Elizabeth Johansson: Lost Farm – Smithers, BC
Elizabeth will be apprenticing at Lost Farm in Smithers, BC this summer. It has been a dream of her for the last 7 years to live and work on a farm, and do a farm apprenticeship. Now it is finally happening with the Young Agrarians Apprenticeship Program and she is so excited to learn in depth about regenerative and organic food production!
In 2025 and early 2026, Elizabeth travelled to Malaysia, Borneo, Northern Ireland, Egypt, and Italy where she volunteered on different farms through the Workaway program. She met so many interesting people from different cultures, who were all tending their land in different unique ways as forms of independence and resiliency.
For her future, she definitely envisions living and working on some type of farm. Elizabeth thinks growing the majority of her own food and preserving it to last until the next growing season will be a very important part of her life. She also really loves being near animals and working with them. She sees herself learning more about ethically raising animals as a source of nourishment in her future.
Elizabeth loves medicinal herbs, food foraging, cooking delicious food from quality ingredients and exploring new places in nature. She has a curiosity to learn about all things related to ancestral and indigenous knowledge, and homesteading. She believes that the future generations will greatly benefit from modern society rewilding themselves and relearning the skills our ancestors knew so well to aid them in thriving and surviving.
Gabbie Douglas and Alex Gallacher: Amazia Farm – Smithers, BC
Gabbie and her partner Alex will be apprenticing at Amazia Farm this summer, and are excited to be part of the Young Agrarians Apprenticeship Program. They are eager to learn as much as they can and to ask thoughtful questions about what it takes to become farmers today.
One day, they hope to run a diverse, regenerative farm built on homeostatic systems. They are passionate about using agriculture as a way to connect with their community, themselves, and the natural environment, and to support healthier, happier, and more sustainable lives.
Harlan Schulze: A Rocha Farm – Surrey, BC
Born in the Yukon, Harlan (they/she/he) has been passionate about sustainability their entire life. They have worked on wilderness surveys, in classrooms, and in restaurant kitchens. They know firsthand the value of connecting with nature, the wastefulness of modern society, and the power of education in changing people’s values. They are completing a degree in Geography and Environmental Studies, where they discovered a passion for permaculture and community-engaged learning. Harlan loves cycling, reading, strategy games, and loud music.
Harlan is passionate about social equity, and the intersection between gender, class, ableism, and environmental justice. Their dream is to create an ‘Intentional Community’, where people of all identities can access their basic needs and live free from oppression. They are excited to connect with farmers and environmentalists at the A Rocha Centre, and learn the skills needed to contribute to a sustainable future.
Ivy Langberg: Spray Creek Ranch – Lillooet, BC
Ivy will be spending the season at Spray Creek Ranch near Lillooet, BC. She grew up on a hobby farm/homestead, and has always enjoyed working hard, being outside, and being around animals. She is super excited to learn all about running a mixed regenerative farm, and to gain the skills and knowledge she will need to start her very own farm! She knows that regenerative agriculture can revitalize tired land, promote biodiversity, and work with nature, and she wants to be actively involved in making that kind of farming the future.
Jenn B: ntamtqen Community Garden & Food Hub – Cawston, BC
Jenn is new to farming and excited to learn new skills, support indigenous food sovereignty, and feed the community at the Ntamtqen Community Garden & Food Hub! She feels cooped up in the city and is drawn to life living on the land and working outdoors, and dreams of a future someday running her own small-scale farm. She is Metis and excited to work with and learn from her mentors and supervisors, Knowledge Keepers, community members, and volunteers.
Sahar Serwonka: Glorious Organics – Aldergrove, BC
Sahar made the trek from Winnipeg to Aldergrove, BC to work at Glorious Organics Co-operative this summer. She joined this program to get the chance to receive one-on-one training in growing vegetables. She has previous experience in both horticulture and vegetable production, and is excited to get the chance to continue her growing journey in a more regenerative fashion. She hopes to come out of this experience with the skills and connections necessary to one day grow enough food to sustain herself and her loved ones. She would like to witness firsthand some of the benefits associated with organic agriculture, in part to help persuade some of her friends and family to adopt more gentle farming approaches.
Vishwas Nayak: Terra Nostra Farm – Powell River, BC
Vishwas will be apprenticing with Terra Nostra Farm in Powell River, BC this season. He is doing this to deepen his skills in improving soil, growing food, and living sustainably. He hopes this experience contributes to his long-term dream of starting or joining an off-grid holistic community that lives in harmony with the planet, fully independent of systems that harm our species’ longevity.
Feeling inspired to apply as an apprentice next season? Or, are you a seasoned farmer or rancher who wants to train the next generation of farmers?
Young Agrarians paid apprenticeships offer a comprehensive immersion experience, allowing you to dive deep into the daily operations of managing a farm business. Our network of host farm mentors boasts a wide range of expertise and skill sets, providing ample opportunities for learning. They are selected based on their farm philosophy, rooted in ecological and holistic values that acknowledge the interdependence between the land and people. While specific tasks will differ across farm types, apprentices will acquire knowledge in soil health, integrating livestock in pasture and grasslands, direct farm marketing, community building, growing vegetables, fruits, and so much more.
Learn more about becoming an Apprentice or a mentor in the Young Agrarians Apprenticeship Program.