Are you an aspiring regenerative farmer looking for an adventure on a family farm, raising cattle and other mixed livestock?
Join Triple Lyoness Farm for a farm apprenticeship!
About the Farm
Triple Lyoness Farm is a mixed operation, primarily raising beef cattle (cow-calf and backgrounding steers), and also raising broiler chickens and turkeys on pasture in the summer, along with outdoor pigs and laying hens. Meat sales are farm-direct for retail and wholesale, and they have an on-farm slaughter license. Their goal is to ethically raise livestock to produce healthy, tasty meat products for their community. Livestock are kept year round, so there are chores and tasks throughout the seasons, but summer and fall are the busiest.
About the Apprenticeship
The Apprentice would engage and assist in almost every aspect of the farm after training and competency is reached. Triple Lyoness Farm is primarily a beef cattle farm, but also raise chickens, turkeys, hogs, and laying hens. The Apprentice would assist with general care of all animals (checking water, feeding, bedding, cleaning, health checks). Calving occurs in April and May so they would assist with cow checks, processing calves, and sorting and moving pairs. Summer would consist of fence repairs, moving cattle for rotational grazing, checking solar water systems, making and storing hay, and equipment maintenance. Fall would consist of more cattle care, mixing feed, building and repairing wind fences and hay feeders, and other projects.
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 host’s farm.
About the Farm Mentors
Rod and Janet are the owners and primary farm operators, and have three daughters that work off farm full time, and help when they can. Andria and her husband Derrick are the closest and most involved. Derrick is a trained butcher and is growing the meat processing capabilities. Andria leads the ag-education events such as Zoom presentations and organizing Open Farm Days. Rod worked for the Alberta government in the Ag division for many years and Janet has worked as a vet tech, custom cattle processor and coordinator for Green Certificate.
The main mentor would be Rod Carlyon, then Janet, Derrick, and Andria. Rod is the primary planner/organizer for all farm activities. Janet leads cattle care and farm-direct meat sales. Derrick leads the on-farm slaughter operation and assists with everything he can. Andria leads the marketing of the farm products and Ag education events.
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.
| livestock husbandry | calving |
|---|---|
| rotational grazing | fencing |
| direct marketing | equipment maintenance |
| making hay | Agricultural education |
| Cattle | poultry |
| egg production | processing & slaughter |
Skills Required of the Apprentice
Positive and willing attitude, ability to work outdoors in all sorts of weather and have a class 5 driving license.
Housing, Stipend, and Duration
We will work with you to find appropriate housing near our operation.
A farm vehicle will be provided for all farm related tasks. It can be available for personal errands as a back up to your vehicle.
A wage will be paid to the Apprentice. Work hours are generally Monday to Friday 8 hours a day for a total of 40 hours a week. Some flexibility is needed as sometimes weather dictates we work longer days and sometimes shorter days. There is the occasional weekend that will need to be worked. We are also happy to work to accommodate days off that the apprentice would like in addition to normal weekends off.
This apprenticeship will last from April/May to September/October.
About the Community
Triple Lyoness Farm has great connections with neighbours and the community to enable an apprentice to learn about many different aspects of agriculture – from breeding cattle, dairy farming, grains and oilseeds, veterinary medicine and feed milling.
The farm is about 20 minutes from the town of Westlock which has all amenities, as well as a vet clinic, farm supply stores, ag equipment dealerships and a feed mill. There are a growing number of farms and small businesses in the area that raise/grow/make products on farm; flowers, garlic, soaps, honey, etc. and there is good consumer/community support for these. There are quite a few lakes and natural areas to explore as well.
Be sure to check out Triple Lyoness Farm on social media and the world wide web!
More Details about this Apprenticeship and How to Apply
APPLICATIONS CLOSE JANUARY 31, 2024
Interested in an Apprenticeship but this isn’t quite the right one? Check out other Young Agrarians Prairie Apprenticeships being offered in 2024 here.