YA APPRENTICESHIP 2023: Lac La Biche, AB – Sand Springs Ranch

Are you an aspiring farmer looking to gain hands on experience on a large organic family farm?  Sand Springs Ranch is offering a unique apprenticeship program providing experience in either 1) organic, grass fed beef cow/calf operation or 2) organic vegetable production and marketing.

We are accepting up to 4 apprentices for 2023.

About the Farm

Sand Springs Ranch, located near Lac La Biche, Alberta is run by Ty and Janice Shelton, their daughter Jolene and son Tyler.  Including Ty and Janice’s grandchildren, there are 3 generations working on this farm. A 100 % Certified Organic farm, Sand Springs Ranch includes a large certified organic market garden and Table/Seed Potato enterprise, a large (>200) certified organic, grass-fed cow/calf beef enterprise and pasture-raised pork enterprise. Sand Springs Ranch is focused on continually trying new and innovative crops, farming methods and marketing strategies. They market through their own CSA model and wholesale. This farm also has a strong passion in agriculture education and teaching others about what they are doing.

About the Farmers:

Ty has 45 years of farming experience to draw upon and is very passionate about agriculture. He is the Lead of the Livestock Program, works at a fast pace (as the day’s list is usually long). He is a man of moderate patience and requires serious learners. Ty always has a joke to tell and loves evening campfires.

Janice wear many hats, as the farm bookkeeper and rolling out payroll. She takes on Food Safety Certification, Organic Certification, keeps the livestock records, feed production records, AND seed and table potato records straight. She is the Assistant Veggie Shop Foreman and Field Foreman, Assistant Potato Production Program, and Main Equipment Operator. Janice is passionate about regionally adapted seeds/plants and Bio-regional Herbs and their traditional uses

Jolene is Lead IT (Computer Systems Tech NAIT) and Lead in Marketing and Sales. She is the Area Representative on Lac La Biche County Agriculture Service Board. She has the Organic Master Gardeners Course  under her belt and is passionate about the connection between soil health and human health. She is the Garden Planner of seeds/sowing/harvesting , wife and mother of 2 teenage boys, and avid “ATVer” and snowmobiler that makes her husband groan because he has to fix them.

Tyler is a Red Seal Electrician / Instrumentation Tech (NAIT). He has a Millwright background and is Maintenance Lead for Equipment / Buildings / Fence lines / Livestock Handling Equipment. Not only that, he is a History Buff and loves hiking and knife making. Tyler is passionate about “his” tractors and the future of agriculture.

ALL of us wear different hats every day but pull together to accomplish whatever needs to be done, even the dirtiest of tasks.

About the Apprenticeship

There are 2 Apprentice Streams Available –

• Certified Organic grass fed/finished Beef Cow/Calf Production
• Certified Organic Wholesale Vegetable Production and Marketing

Option to minor in learning of wildcrafting bio-regional plants and handcrafting your own personal products.

Because of the farm’s diversity, this apprenticeship offers you the opportunity to develop your skills in different enterprises and learn about what kinds of production fit you best.

The right individual(s) may earn the right to participate in a Market Garden Crop Share.

As part of the apprenticeship, you will meet with other apprentices across the Prairies who are part of the Young Agrarians Apprenticeship program. Field days, learning opportunities and potlucks will be planned with this group at each hosts farm.

Skills this farm has to teach: 

The following skills are being offered by this farm. While you’ll get exposure to many of these areas, it is likely that not all will be covered. Apprentices will work to identify the skills they want to develop to a learning plan with the host farm.