Do you love animals, want to learn more about regenerative livestock management practices and raise food for your community? Rusty Oak Simmental is excited to offer a hands-on apprenticeship just for you!
About the Farm
Rusty Oak Simmental is located near Minnedosa, MB – Treaty 2 Territory
Rusty Oak Simmental is a beautiful family farm run by a whole family; Barry Ross lives and works on the land and farms with his family and his brother’s family. They are a regenerative beef operation that consists of 120 cow calf pairs. After twenty five years experience raising sheep and a ten year hiatus, Rusty Oak Simmental is excited to welcome back a small flock of American Black Bellied sheep in 2025. The farm is also home to a gregarious Llama named Seamus who is would rather make friends with coyotes than scare them away!
Rusty Oak Simmental is a farm that incorporates many regenerative agriculture practices such as balegrazing, rotational and high stock density grazing. All the land they steward is in grass or forage. They have had many young people, related or not, work on the farm over the years and looking back they consider these experiences to be the best part of being on a farm. They are also a farm that makes a point of taking the time to enjoy the nature in in their area. This includes spending time down in the valley near or in the river that runs through their farm.
About the Apprenticeship
Here is a seasonal outline of the find of work you be doing at Rusty Oak Simmental Farm:
April: Preparing for lambing and calving, feeding cows and sheep.
May: Lambing small flock of 5 ewes calving large herd of 100 cattle.
June: Treating cattle in corrals sorting sending out to pasture
July August September: Haying (driving a tractor), fencing, setting up barn for expansion and adding water systems, floating down the river and other fun activities too!
October: trailing cattle home, hauling bales home setting up bale grazing system
As part of the apprenticeship, you will meet with other apprentices across BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba who are part of the Young Agrarians Apprenticeship program. Field days, learning opportunities and potlucks will be planned with the Manitoba group at each host’s farm. You will also be invited to attend a regenerative or organic food conference during or following the apprenticeship.
About the Mentor
Barry Ross was raised on the family farm and grew up with sheep, horses and cows. One of which they hand milked for our own daily use. Barry spent four years taking Agriculture in Winnipeg and returned to the farm to work with his parents. At the time they also had a grain operation and grew wheat, barley, oats, canola and flax. They have been strictly livestock for the last 25 years and use regenerative agricultural practices such as rotational grazing with higher stock densities and experiment with new techniques such as corn grazing.
Barry is also the General Manager of the Association of Manitoba Community Pastures (AMCP) a not-for-profit producer-led organization committed to enhancing and supporting the livestock industry by providing high quality grazing balanced with sustainable rangeland stewardship. Comprising over 325,000 acres, community pastures represent some of the largest intact areas of remaining prairie lands in Manitoba that also provide habitat for numerous sensitive species and other wildlife. Managed livestock grazing systems and prescribed burns are the key land management tools to preserve and enhance the ecosystem services of prairie lands. In 2024, AMCP was awarded The Environmental Stewardship Award from Manitoba Beef Producers’.
Skills this farm has to teach:
The following skills are being offered by this farm. Apprentices will work to identify the skills they want to develop to a learning plan with the host farm.
| Animal Handling, health and Safety | Machinery Maintenance |
|---|---|
| Calving and Lambing | livestock watering systems |
| Fencing | Soil health & Fertility |
| Holistic Grazing Planning | Assessing Forage Quality & Pasture Health |
Skills Required of the Apprentice
A great willingness to learn and interest in sheep and cattle.
Physically capable and willing to work outdoors in all weather conditions.
A valid full class 5 driver’s license is essential and access to a vehicle is helpful.
Housing, Wages, and Duration
Housing is a 26 foot camper that is very clean and has a bathroom and small kitchen and will be provided at no cost. Apprentice would have space to cook own meals but would be welcome to eat with the family.
Starting wage would be above minimum wage, how high above is based on experience.
Duration: April to October
About the Community and Land
Their farm is located alongside the Minnedosa river approximately 7 miles north of Minnedosa near #10 hwy. We are 25 miles from Riding Mountain National Park. Minnedosa is a vibrant community with many activities. See link Minnedosa – Valley Life Recreation
Rusty Oak Simmental farm acknowledges they are in Treaty 2 territory, the traditional lands of the Anishinaabeg, Cree, Oji-Cree, Assiniboine, Dakota, and Dene Peoples, and the homeland of the Métis Nation. The First Nations communities of Treaty 2 are: Dauphin River, Ebb & Flow, Keeseekoowenin, Lake St. Martin, Lake Manitoba, Little Saskatchewan, O-Chi-Chak-Ko-Sipi, Pinaymootang and Skownan. Their farm’s closest neighbor is the Ojibwe community of Rolling River First Nation, who are signatories of Treaty 4.
More Details about this Apprenticeship and How to Apply
Applications due: January 31st, 2025
Contact Jenn Sparling – Manitoba Apprenticeship Coordinator for questions:
jennifer@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.