Are you a young, aspiring farmer curious to learn about seed saving, Co-ops, veggies and cows in beautiful Kispiox Valley, British Columbia? WoodGrain Farm may be the apprenticeship for you!
About the Farm
We are a small-scale diverse organic farm in the Kispiox Valley, northwest BC. This land that we steward, and the communities who we grow food for, lie within the homelands of the Gitx̱san and Wet’suwet’en peoples. We take to heart our responsibility to nurture and respect these lands and waters, so they may continue to provide for future generations as they have always done.
Using a traditional mixed-farm system, our animals capture the fertility of sixty acres of pasture and hayland, harnessing the nutrients to feed our one acre of intensive vegetable production in a sustainable closed loop.
Growing dozens of varieties of vegetables for market and flocks builds resilience into our farm and enables us to remain adaptable in a changing climate. As northern growers, we utilize greenhouses and tunnels and curate the varieties of the seeds we grow to take full advantage of our intensive short growing season.
Food sovereignty requires growing more local farmers and gardeners as well as food, which we support through our off-farm work and the selection of regionally adapted seeds we offer. In 2018 we brought more farmers in and in 2020 we evolved our market garden into the WoodGrain Farmer Cooperative, as a more suitable business model for avoiding burnout and bringing new farmers into the fold. In 2023 we scaled back from farmers’ markets and shifted focus to seeds, retail and bulk orders (garlic, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and carrots).
Discover more about WoodGrain on their website & their socials
About the Apprenticeship
The apprenticeship season runs from the end of April/early May to early October.
The spring consists of a variety of tasks including working in the greenhouse, crop planning, preparing the beds, seeding, building soil and farm infrastructure (i.e. tunnels and irrigation systems).
Summer will include weeding, planting, bed transitions, moving animal systems and harvesting for sales. Fall activities will include harvesting of storage seeds and crops, cover cropping, building soil, cleaning up the fields & breaking down tunnels and other infrastructure.
Apprentices are expected to use their labor for the daily work of the farm as a major part of their learning experience. Apprentices work in all aspects of farm production from soil preparation to harvest, seeding to cultivation, wheelbarrows to hand hoes, and farm planning to marketing.
You will meet with other apprentices across the province 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
The apprentices will be working alongside a variety of folks, including Woofers, volunteers and the main mentors Jolene Swain & Jonathan Knight.
With a background in Biology, Jolene has done fieldwork in Northern Alberta, the Yukon and the Cascade mountains. With a growing interest in food, she shifted to a Masters project looking at insect pests in Organic apple orchards. This journey into agriculture led her to WoodGrain Farm, where she shifted her focus from crops to seeds. Growing seed crops also means being part of a growing network of seed savers and keeping seeds in joining the BC Eco Seed Co-op, to work with farmers across the province to increase the quantity and quality of seed grown in the province.
Jolene would be the main mentor as Jonathan is going to be focused on building a house this summer. Jonathan will provide mentorship with animals, grain and carpentry/building as projects come about.
For the past dozen years, Jonathan has been fully immersed in small-scale organic farming and homesteading in the Kispiox Valley, growing vegetables for two community farmers’ markets; heirloom grains to mill into flour; lamb, pork and poultry; and milking the cow every morning. Prior to this, Jonathan is an accomplished red seal baker and grain miller.
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, apprentices will work to identify the skills they want to develop through a learning plan with the host farm.
| No till vegetable & grain production | basic operation of hand tools |
|---|---|
| Seed crops & seed saving | Team work & Organizational skills |
| assessing soil health | Harvesting for bulk & retail sales |
| Animal husbandry and integration | Co-op farming models |
| irrigation set-up/use | compost making/processing |
| greenhouse management | Plant & pest identification |
Skills Required of the Apprentice
A keen desire to learn about regenerative farming practices, as Jolene and Jonathan enjoy sharing what they’ve learned on the farm, and giving people space to grow. They also welcome outside perspectives and ideas so everyone can all grow together, and support each other in the ongoing rewards and challenges (and unpredictability) that come with farming. Good communication skills and someone comfortable working independently. There will be lots of learning and teaching, but also lots of afternoons of working away at repetitive tasks in your own company (good podcast activities).
The ability to do physical labour on a day-to-day basis is essential, so being physically fit and able to lift weight in the range of 30 to 80 pounds is essential. The ability to work independently in physically challenging contexts for long hours in variable weather is essential to enjoying work on the farm.
Housing, Wages, and Duration
We subsist primarily on food from the farm, and are happy to share that lifestyle. Some meals would be shared during the week and on some days folks will have the kitchen to prepare their own meals. We have some meat from the on-farm animals as well. Extra treats and snacks can be made or purchased in town.
Most services are here – Wifi, library, laundry. There are opportunities to catch a ride to town or, depending on the current season, we may have the work van insured for deliveries to town. There are bicycles around as well for trips off the farm.
A private room in a separate large A-frame cabin with a full kitchen, bathroom and wifi is available on the farm. Possibility of sharing with other farm help/guests at times.
Apprentices will be paid an hourly wage and will need to pay for housing and food separately. Pay will be $18.00/hour, FTE (20-25 hrs/week).
The apprenticeship has flexible dates: May to September OR July to October.
About the Community
The land that we steward, and the communities who we grow food for, lie within the homelands of the Gitx̱san, wilp Delgamuuk, and the Wet’suwet’en peoples. We take to heart our responsibility to nurture and respect these lands and waters, so they may continue to provide for future generations as they have always done.
We live remotely. The nearest village is 10 minutes away (gas station) and the next town is 25 minutes (library, coffee shop). The ‘big’ town is Smithers, just over 1 hour. A very trendy little town with a nice main street. The valley has a community hall (10 minute drive) where the annual rodeo and music festival are hosted. There are lots of great homesteaders, fishing guides and small farms in the area. There are beautiful hikes nearby, directly from the farm.
More Details about this Apprenticeship and How to Apply
Application opens: December 2, 2024
Application due: January 31, 2025
Interested in an Apprenticeship but this isn’t quite the right one? Check out other Young Agrarians Apprenticeships being offered in 2025 here.