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The Young Agrarians Apprenticeship Program (YAAP) provides opportunities for aspiring farmers to learn about ecological land stewardship practices while developing a network of community and support. Through this program, participants gain hands-on training and an understanding of what it takes to create viable farms that are environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable.
In 2025, Young Agrarians placed 41 apprentices on 30 Host Farms across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. One of those apprentices, Rachel Luce, worked at Lady’s Hat Farm in Castor, Alberta and is now building a new enterprise on her own farm because of it.
We asked Rachel a few questions about her apprenticeship at Lady’s Hat Farm and here’s what she has to share:
Please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your farming journey.
My name is Rachel and I live and work on a Certified Organic Ranch that focuses on beef and grain. Our farm is located in Central Alberta and has been in our family for 105 years. Everything done on the farm is based on a holistic goal to demonstrate responsible stewardship of our land and resources. Our new venture, Lucends Flowers, will operate with those same goals. For now the business will focus on farmers’ markets and workshops, with an aim to expand towards subscriptions, wholesale and weddings.
What made you decide to apply to the Young Agrarians Apprenticeship Program (YAAP)?
Last year (2024), a family member was asking me about my future plans after I had just completed a Prairie Horticulture Certificate from Olds College. I mentioned maybe starting a flower farm or greenhouse but I wasn’t too sure what my plans were yet, as that seemed like a big step. She told me to check out Young Agrarians. I thought the apprenticeship looked so exciting, but I had just missed the deadline for applying. So I worked at home on the farm all summer and waited for the minute I could apply for the following year.
Tell us about your experience in YAAP. What were the highlights for you?
The whole experience was great, there’s so many resources and lots of support to help you not feel overwhelmed and lot’s of opportunities to meet other apprentices.
My highlight was getting to deliver and set up for a wedding by myself. I think prepping for weddings is really fun, bridal bouquets and arrangements are definitely my favourite to make. They can be pretty stressful sometimes but the end result is always worth it! It also made me really happy that Nikki (Lady’s Hat Farm) trusted me to set up a greenery garland and make bud vases by myself.
What inspired you to dive into farming yourself? Were there any influences in your life that helped you to decide to pursue this path?
I decided to be a farmer in a roundabout way after I dropped out of University. I was going into my third year of an undergrad in Art History/Museum Studies and realized it wasn’t the right path for me as I couldn’t really see a future for myself with it. I also realized I preferred being at home on the farm chasing after cows, or driving a tractor over anywhere else. In 2022, I had been working at a wedding venue for the summer and loved seeing all the floral arrangements from each different wedding. So I decided instead of going back to school in the fall I would take a floral design class. In 2023, after floating around a few different jobs I decided to go back to school and got my Prairie Horticulture Certificate and took another floral design class. I’ve also been very lucky as my parents have always been very understanding and supportive of my choices, and are letting me have some space for growing in.
Did your Host Farm, Nikki from Lady’s Hat Farm, help you in any capacity with starting your own farm?
She gave me a lot of really great advice on how to start, and I know that if I ever need help or have a question she’s willing to give advice. But I mostly watched and learned throughout the summer which I guess is kind of the point of the apprenticeship!
What excites you the most about the future of your flower farm?
Seeing what I can grow and experimenting with new flowers. I’m also excited to teach my nieces who are 2 and 5 year-olds about gardening and flowers. My main garden will be the garden where my grandparents grew their veggies and flowers, so I think that’s pretty special that so many generations have gotten to use that bit of dirt.
Do you have any favourite flowers to grow, and why?
My long term favourite flower is definitely sweet pea, I’ve loved them since I was little. They are so cute and delicate and smell so good! They also love the cold and if you treat them right they can bloom all summer. My more recent favourite is a peony. Once they are established they are pretty low maintenance and the leaves from the bush are great for arrangements so you can use them all season, even when they’ve finished blooming!
Do you have a favourite farm tool or resource that you couldn’t do without?
My unserious answer for this would be my earbuds because listening to music or a good podcast definitely makes weeding a lot more enjoyable! My serious answer though is my Hori Hori, which was a gift from Nikki. It’s a little trowel with a blade and serrated edges and it’s a really great multitool for pulling out weeds or planting. I also really like browsing seed companies like Vesey’s or West Coast as they are a great learning resource for growing information or seed starting.
Where can folks check out Lucends Flowers?
If you are interested in flowers you can find me on Instagram or at www.lucendsflowers.com
Thanks to Rachel for sharing her experience in the Apprenticeship Program, and Lady’s Hat Farm for hosting her in 2025! We are so thankful to all of the incredible host farms that are the heart of the program!
About Lady’s Hat Farm:
It is a specialty cut flower farm located in central Alberta, amidst endless prairie skies and sage-filled badlands. They grow thousands upon thousands of cut flowers in our Zone 3 climate, without the use of chemical inputs, for florists, markets, weddings, on-farm events, and weekly bouquet subscriptions.
In 2017, Nikki Wiart found her way back to her parent’s farm, after studying and working in journalism. Over the years, she fell deeply in love with everything floral and everything fuzzy – and in finding a way to love these things in a way that also regenerates the land, builds community and encourages other young women to pursue a career in farming.
Web: www.ladyshatfarm.com/
Facebook: facebook.com/ladys.hat.farm
Instagram: instagram.com/ladys.hat.farm/
Interested in apprenticing on a farm? Or, are you a seasoned farmer who wants to train the next generation of farmers? The Apprenticeship Program could be for you! Learn more on our website: youngagrarians.org/apprenticeship-program/
Questions? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with a member of our Apprenticeship team.
Kiyomi Ito, YA BC Apprenticeship Coordinator
Email: kiyomi@youngagrarians.org
Steve Olsen, YA Alberta Apprenticeship Coordinator
Email: steven@youngagrarians.org
Alieka Beckett, YA SK Apprenticeship Coordinator
Email: saskatchewan@youngagrarians.org
Sara Yagelniski, YA MB Apprenticeship Coordinator
Email: saray@youngagrarians.org