Are you an aspiring farmer looking to gain experience on a vegetable farm? Are you interested in learning organic farming management? Sundog Organic Farm is offering a unique apprenticeship; join their team!
About the Farm
Both Jenny and James have a heritage of market gardening that extends to their families in the Netherlands. Farming is literally in their blood! Sundog Organic Farm (est. 2009) started out on the Vriend Organic Farm land and after two years there, moved to its current location in Sturgeon County, near the Sturgeon river. James and Jenny now have one dog, three boys, twelve hens, fourteen acres, and five hundred rubbermaid bins! As a certified organic farm, you will learn the principles of organic market gardening as well as gain experience in direct marketing as James and Jenny move their produce through The Organic Box and at the Edmonton Downtown Farmers market.
Our farming practices begin with respect for the soil. Soil covers only a small part of the earth, and what we have has been built up over millennia to become the life-supporting substrate that we can grow food in. It is teeming with organisms, all of which work together to become a nutrient-dense matter that supports plant life (along with sun and water). We work together with these elements to grow vital foods for our customers and our family. We seek to farm with a balance of efficiency and sustainability. We farm on a small scale; this leads to less reliance on large-scale equipment as well as increased human interaction with soil and plants.
Check out Sundog Organic Farm on social media and the world wide web!
About the Apprenticeship
An apprentice on this farm will work alongside James or Jenny, and sometimes with other staff or independently as experience permits. The apprentice would participate in all levels of market gardening from planting (seeds in the greenhouse, seeds in the field, transplanting both mechanically and by hand), weeding and cultivating (with hand tools), to harvesting a wide array of crops from carrots, beets and potatoes to herbs, lettuces, broccoli, beans and more, as well as washing, packaging and selling produce in a farmers’ market setting.
As part of the apprenticeship, you will meet with other apprentices across Alberta who are part of the Young Agrarians Apprenticeship program. Field days, learning opportunities and potlucks will be planned with this group at each hosts farm.
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 with the host farm to identify the skills they want to develop and create a learning plan.
| MARKET GARDENING | DIRECT MARKETING |
|---|---|
| Crop planning | WHOLESALE MARKETING |
| crop varieties | organic certification |
| WEED MANAGEMENT | GREEN HOUSE MANAGEMENT |
| POST HARVEST HANDLING | SOIL FERTILITY / NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT |
Requirements of the Apprentice
The apprentice must be willing to work hard, to be curious and to remain inquisitive. A vehicle will be necessary to drive to and from the farm.
Housing, Stipend, and Duration
Housing will be off farm and apprentices are responsible for finding their own housing. Fort Saskatchewan is just a few minutes away. A stipend will be paid depending on length of stay and expertise. You will work alongside other staff and employees. This apprenticeship is 6-8 months – beginning late May and going until late October.
About the Community
For Saskatchewan is a hop, skip, and a jump from Sundog Organic Farm and has full services. It is 45 minutes away from Edmonton.
More Details about this Apprenticeship and How to Apply
NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS. Apply by January 31, 2023.
Interested in an Apprenticeship but this isn’t quite the right one? Check out other Young Agrarians Prairie Apprenticeships being offered in 2023 here.