YA Apprenticeship Program Spotlight: Haden Harrison

It’s been another successful year for the Young Agrarians Apprenticeship Program! In 2025, we placed 41 apprentices on 30 Host Farms across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba to learn about ecological and regenerative agriculture. One of those apprentices, Haden Harrison, apprenticed at Solstedt Organics in Lytton, British Columbia. Solstedt Organics is a woman-owned and operated Certified Organic commercial vegetable farm and fruit orchard in an off-grid, remote mountain setting with five cultivated acres divided into gardens and orchards. They sell to some of Vancouver’s best restaurants and at a farmer’s market weekly from July through October. 

The gardens grow heat-loving crops, like hot peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, and squash, while the orchards grow peaches, cherries, apricots, plums, apples and pears. All field crops are grown outside, not in high tunnels. Recently, a small focus on medicinals has been explored and small batches of herbal teas and salves are created for market sales. 

Haden had this to share about his apprenticeship at Solstedt Organics: 

“The Young Agrarians Apprenticeship Program has been such a formative experience for me, both personally and professionally. Programs like this are rare, and I truly believe they need to continue so more people can participate and learn from them.”

Hayden was born and raised in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, where he helped on his grandparents grain farm growing up. He is currently attending school in Calgary. He writes:

“My story is probably a bit different from many others who took part in YAAP this season. I’m a business student who happens to be deeply interested in agriculture. I have a strong appreciation for our food systems, and I wanted to understand a different approach to production than what I grew up with — conventional cropping systems and cattle ranching. Small-scale organic vegetable and fruit production is about as far from that as it gets, yet I found so many unexpected parallels. As a student at the University of Calgary, this experience has also contributed enormously to my professional development. Because the farm I worked on was quite small, I was exposed to every part of the operation — from sales and horticultural practices to adaptive problem-solving and creative planning. That hands-on learning gave me a depth of understanding that books, podcasts, and videos simply can’t match.”

Haden applied to apprentice on several farms in B.C. as he was looking for a different working and living experience than what he was used to. 

“When I learned about YAAP, I knew it was exactly what I needed: time on real farms in Canada to build deeper empathy and understanding for what it takes to grow food in northern climates. I now know that I want farming to be a part of my life in some capacity — that much is certain.

In terms of experience, I learned a great deal about the realities of the work. You quickly discover your “bottlenecks” in production. You learn to be more efficient with your time and resources, to cultivate a strong community — because that community becomes your “insurance” when things inevitably hit the fan. Most of all, you begin to understand the rhythm of the ecosystem and how to co-adapt with it to grow nutritious, delicious, and marketable food.

The experience has also allowed me to connect more deeply with farmers and understand what would make their lives easier, more affordable, and more profitable. In Calgary, there’s a growing startup ecosystem around agricultural technology that’s driving positive change — and I want to be part of that movement. YAAP helped me see how my future in business and technology can stay grounded in empathy for the land and the people who work it.

Thanks again for a wonderful season — and for creating a program that truly makes a difference.”

-Haden Harrison, 2025 Apprentice, Solstedt Organics

Thanks to Haden for sharing his experience in the Apprenticeship Program, and Solstedt Organics for hosting him this season! We are so thankful to all of the incredible host farms that are the heart of the program!

Learn more about Solstedt Organics:

Website: www.solstedtorganics.ca/

Facebook: facebook.com/solstedtorganics/ 

Instagram: solstedtorganics.ca/

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.

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:

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