Are you interested in the farm to table movement? Do you want to learn how to grow and raise a variety of vegetables, fruit, flowers and livestock? Oak Knoll Farm is excited to offer a hands-on apprenticeship just for you!
About the Farm
Oak Knoll Farm is located near Oakbank, Manitoba and is a 10 minute drive northeast of Winnipeg, MB – Treaty 1 Territory
Jan and Ralph Regehr purchased Oak Knoll Farm in September of 2016 with the goal of starting a regenerative farm to supply Jan’s restaurant, Pineridge Hollow, with locally grown, spray free vegetables and naturally pasture raised pork. After years of building, planting and learning, along with inspiration from growers like Eliott Coleman and Jean-Martin Fortier and chef Dan Barber of the Stone Barns Center, they have achieved their goal and more! This 48 acre farm, complete with a beautiful red barn, is now home to variety of animals including Nigerian Dwarf Goats (dairy), pastured heritage chickens and pastured Berkshire-Hereford pigs! The farm also boasts a permaculture orchard filled with apple, pear, cherry, and apricot trees inter-planted with seabuckthorn and elderberries. They have additionally established 2 acres of haskaps, along with raspberries, rhubarb and strawberries. In their veggie plots and high tunnels they grow a diversity of seasonal vegetables, herbs and garlic. They have even developed a large plot for growing cut flowers! All of these products are used by the restaurant or sold along with other local food and ingredients at The Farmer’s Kitchen grocery store; another enterprise the Regehrs have undertaken.
Oak Knoll Farms uses regenerative and bio-dynamic principles, along with many of the same principles and practices their grandparents used. Scraps from the garden and the restaurant supplement the chicken and pig foods. Manure from the chicken and pigs to nourish and feed the gardens and orchards. The methods they learned from past generations contributes to a dynamic, self-renewing system of farming that doesn’t need chemical fertilizers, pesticides or other artificial inputs. Their farming practices embrace a philosophy that supports a holistic approach. Their goal is to consider the impact of our decisions on all aspects of our farm, the environment and our community.
Please visit www.oakknollfarm.ca for more information about their farm and regenerative practices.
About the apprenticeship:
This apprenticeship is a unique opportunity to try your hand at growing a diversity of crops, learning a wide variety of farm production techniques and raising animals; along with being able to work directly with a restaurant, chef and market to understand their needs. Work changes seasonally and you will be an integral part of the team and farm production. This year there are plans to build a new potting shed and cooler building which you will also participate in!
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 mentors:
Jan Regehr was raised on a mixed farm in southern Manitoba. With a strong entrepreneurial spirit, Jan started Pineridge Hollow in a small log house on their 5 acre parcel of land north east of Winnipeg in 1992. With a heart for hospitality Jan started serving tea in the gardens and doing garden tours for the people making the trek out from the city. 7 years later after continued growth, Pineridge Hollow was moved to its current location on now 18 acres on the south edge of Birds Hill Park. Her roots on the farm stayed strong and her desire to provide healthy wholesome food grew and grew to the point of wanting to have a farm. Jan’s strength as a business leader has led to many awards and much recognition and helped her build a customer focused business through empowering her team to use their strengths and flourish.
Ralph Regehr grew up in the city, but always had a connection to agriculture through numerous farms run by his aunts and uncles. After 40 years of working in and running a family manufacturing firm, he retired (ha ha) to farming. Oak Knoll Farm is now his main work and together with Jan and Becky (their garden manager) they now pursue the growth of this regenerative farm to become a beacon of healthy land, food and community.
Becky is Oak Knoll Farm’s garden manager and has many years of gardening and greenhouse experience. She currently owns her own greenhouse at Pineridge Hollow as well as running the garden program at the farm. She has a wealth of knowledge, skill and work ethic and will be a key leader/mentor to any apprentice working at Oak Knoll Farm.
Jan and Ralph Regehr
Skills this farm has to teach:
There is a TON of diversity on this farm, so for an enthusiastic apprentice the possibilities for learning are nearly endless! See the list below to get a sense of some of the projects you would be helping with on Oak Knoll Farm next season.
| Crop planning + Field PREP | hand tool + Equipment operation |
|---|---|
| MULTI-VARIETY VEGGIE, Flower, FrUIT Production | Animal Care, HEAlth + butchering |
| assessing soil health | Profitable farm business practices |
| HaRVESTING/WASHING/PACKING | Retail and restaurant sales |
| irrigation set-up/use | compost making/processing |
| greenhouse management | CROP STORAGE + PRESERVATION |
Skill Required of the Apprentices:
A willingness to learn and to try your best are the most important qualities the apprentice needs to have.
A valid full class 5 driver’s license is essential and access to a vehicle is helpful.
Housing, Wages, and Duration:
- No accommodations available. Apprentices are responsible for commuting to the farm daily.
- Hourly wage is minimum to $20 an hour based on experience.
- Duration: Beginning of May to end of September
About the Community and Land:
Oak Knoll Farm is located a short 10 minute drive from the NE corner of Winnipeg. The land has been a working farm for over 120 years. You can find it just south of Birds Hill Park in the beautiful Aspen Parkland Eco-region of Manitoba.
Oak Knoll Farm is located on Treaty 1 Territory, the traditional gathering place of the Anishinaabe, Cree, Oji-Cree, Dakota and Dene people and the traditional homeland of the Métis people.
More Details about this Apprenticeship and How to Apply Applications due: January 31st, 2025Contact Jenn Sparling – Manitoba Apprenticeship Coordinator for questions:
jennifer@youngagrarians.orgInterested in an Apprenticeship but this isn’t quite the right one? Check out other Young Agrarians Apprenticeships being offered in 2025 here.