Join Rachelle Ternier at her seed farm, where you’ll learn all about seed saving, biodiversity in seeds, gardening, farming, and the broader food system while surrounded by the natural beauty of Murray Lake.
ABOUT PRAIRIE GARDEN SEEDS
Prairie Garden Seeds is located near Cochin, Saskatchewan – Treaty 6 Territory
Prairie Garden Seeds issued their first seed catalogue in 1986, authored by Jim Ternier. Rachelle, his daughter, has been working alongside him since childhood and has now been at the helm of the business for the past decade. The seed catalogue focuses primarily on vegetables, flowers, decorative plants, and a unique collection of heritage grains.
The mission of Prairie Garden Seeds is to support and enhance biodiversity in seeds, gardening, farming, and the broader food system. The company promotes a food system rooted in sustainability and a mindful approach to our relationship with the natural world. Their primary work centers on offering seeds from their private collection, which includes around 800 cultivars of various crops—all public domain varieties.
At the heart of this work is a deep commitment to saving seeds, preserving their stories, and maintaining the diversity necessary for a resilient and sustainable food system. Prairie Garden Seeds also strives to share seed-saving knowledge and skills, emphasizing that seeds belong to everyone, and we all have the power and responsibility to grow and save them. Their vision is a healthy, resilient, and sustainable food system that is by the people, for the people.
The process of maintaining their large collection includes growing, documenting (through notes and photographs), harvesting, processing seeds, and keeping thorough records of their seed storage. These efforts culminate in selling seeds from their collection through their e-commerce website.
Website: www.prairiegardenseeds.ca
Instagram: www.instagram.com/prairiegardenseeds/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/prairiegardenseeds
About the apprenticeship:
The growing season at Prairie Garden Seeds begins in April and May, focusing on determining what needs to be grown, planning the gardens, starting bedding plants, preparing the soil, and direct seeding early crops. This busy time of year continues with activities like transplanting, sowing cold-sensitive crops once warm enough, weeding, and ongoing garden maintenance.
Throughout the season, general farm organization and cleanup tasks are continuously carried out. There is also a limited amount of time set aside for packaging seeds and fulfilling orders at their seed storage facility in North Battleford.
By August, the harvest begins, and seeds are collected and processed as they mature. This starts mostly with flowers, peas, tomatoes, and grains. Harvesting and processing continue into September, with beans of all kinds, vine crops like cucumbers and melons, peppers, and numerous other seed crops being gathered. The final garden cleanup usually happens in late September or early October, depending on when the frost arrives and how much longer crops can mature in the gardens.
About the farm mentors:
Rachelle Ternier has been deeply connected to seeds and gardening for as long as she can remember, as she and Prairie Garden Seeds grew up together. After living in Europe for two years and subsequently earning a BA in Languages (Spanish and German) and Linguistics from the University of Saskatchewan, Rachelle chose to return to her roots at the family farm.
Her passion for people, the land, plants, local food, seed saving, and different cultures drives her work and has shaped the company’s philosophy. She is passionate about encouraging everyone to grow some food, to develop a meaningful connection to land and the earth that sustains us, to save some seeds, and to localize their diets as much as possible. In her free time you can find her playing board games and salsa dancing.
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 these skills they want to develop through a learning plan with the host farm.
| seed saving of many crops | tractor operating |
|---|---|
| seeding garden | off grid living |
| bedding plant care | sole proprietorship business management |
| patience with detailed work | Basic Accounting book keeping |
| record keeping | Language learning 🙂 Spanish, Dutch, German, and French |
Skill required of the apprentice
- This apprenticeship works with the government summer job grant and is available to people under 30 and are a Canadian citizen or has refugee status.
- A valid class 5 drivers license
- An apprentice will need their own vehicle for off-farm travel
- A Cell phone
- Work boots, or rubber (steel toed) boots an asset
- Seasonal work attire
- Someone who is passionate about seed saving
- Gardening and outdoor work
Housing, Wage, and Duration
- Wage: is 17$ an hour.
- Duration: Apprenticeship is flexible with start and end dates but runs approximately from May 1st – September 30 (exceptions made for students)
- Hours: 30-35 hours/ week
- Housing: Housing will be provided on site in a 27 foot camper trailer. The trailer is equipped with running water, a bathroom, fridge, stove, microwave. The trailer runs off solar power and a generator.
- Internet will be available on site in the house – the house is a 5 minute walk from the trailer
- The apprentice will have access to laundry facilities at the seed storage facility in North Battleford half an hour from the farm (there will be regular weekly trips to the facility), or at a laundromat in Cochin or North Battleford at the apprentices own expense
- Meals will be on your own with the possibility of afternoon and evening meals together as much as hosts and apprentices schedules allow.
- Weekends are generally off with flexibility to change if wanted, to accommodate some weekdays instead at times
- Perks – living lakeside during the summer, flexibility of schedule, host fluent in 5 languages, host an avid board game player for social time
About the Community and Land
Prarie Garden Seeds is located in Treaty 6 Territory, on the north east edge of Murray Lake near Cochin, SK and Moosomin First Nation. It is a gorgeous location with plenty of trees, water, rolling hills, bird watching, pasture, wildlife, and native prairie close by. The land is off grid in terms of electricity with only solar power at the main house.
Land Acknowledgement
At Prairie Garden Seeds, we find ourselves on land situated within Treaty 6 Territory and the Homeland of the Metis peoples. Treaty 6 was signed in August 1876 as an agreement between the Canadian Crown and the Plains and Woods Cree, Assiniboine, and other band governments at Fort Carlton and Fort Pitt. There are 29 First Nations communities that have signed Treaty 6. Prarie Garden Seeds acknowledges and honours the rich heritage, wisdom, and presence of Indigenous peoples on these lands long before our family arrived here.
More Details about this Apprenticeship and How to Apply
Deadline to apply – January 31, 2025
Contact Saskatchewan Apprenticeship Coordinator with questions:
saskatchewan@youngagrarians.org
Interested in an Apprenticeship but this isn’t quite the right one? Check out other Young Agrarians Apprenticeships being offered in 2025 here.