Heyday Farm,Farm Apprentice Jobs in Canada

a key part of our farm, helping to grow an
array of vegetables, berries and cut flowers for market as well as seeds for
the farm and staples for the house such as quinoa, flint corn, dried beans and
a variety of other legumes.

We are offering a 6-7 month farm immersion on our seven acres in the Fulford
Valley on Salt Spring Island. We grow delicious and healthy food for our
community and ourselves while creating a beautiful, diverse naturally healthy
environment on our farm. We concentrate on many fall and winter crops and are
known for having big beautiful markets late in the season. We enjoy searching
for and trialing the best vegetable, fruit and flower varieties we can find. We
sell these from June until the end of March. We sell at two local markets and
this year we are planning to open a small farm store. We have a century old
pear orchard which provides us with juice, cider, vinegar and fresh fruit well
into the winter. We keep a small flock of heritage chickens which provide the
farm with eggs and meat.

We care for our soil by using a carefully planned crop rotation, semi-permanent
raised beds, reduced tillage and by adding organic matter like mulch, manure
and covercrops. Reduced tillage requires us to do a lot of work by hand, using
a broadfork and hoe to prepare our 110’ beds. We put a lot of care into our
work and this really shows in the quality of the food and flowers Heyday
produces. We pride ourselves in producing the freshest, most beautiful,
delicious and diverse array of produce possible.

2016 will be Heyday’s fifth season. It is run by an experienced farming couple
with diverse growing backgrounds. We both prepared for our farming careers by
studying philosophy at McGill and making art! Sofya worked in urban agriculture
in Montreal, apprenticed at a 250 member CSA farm near Montreal and managed the
farm at the Salt Spring Center of Yoga for three years. Her favorite things
about the farm are growing flowers, pulses and grains and teaching people about
growing. Colin ran a gardening business in Montreal for 15 years, apprenticed
at Foxglove farm on Salt Spring and managed Golden Maple farm on Salt Spring
for three years. He loves to prepare lunches for the crew, care for the old
orchard and watch the farm get better every year. We both love to cook and eat
food from the farm. Eating well is one of the greatest pleasures we derive from
farming.

We want applicants to know that growing for market is challenging and takes serious
dedication. It demands an incredible amount of time and energy. We try to
maintain a steady pace throughout the season but the work load does vary. We
experience a crunch in July when we juggle harvesting for market, caring for
established crops, preparing beds and transplanting fall and winter crops.
Another crunch occurs in October when the days get shorter but we are still
harvesting for market, cleaning seeds and preparing beds for the following
year. Our field plan and planting schedule help things run smoothly throughout
the busy season and, in spite of all the hard work, or maybe because of it,
farming is a wonderful and satisfying lifestyle with many rewards.

The Fulford Valley where Heyday is located is a great place to spend the
farming season. It is home to community farmland, organic beef, lamb, and dairy
operations, vineyards, a micro-brewery and a young olive orchard. There is even
a cookie bakery where you can get ice cream sandwiches and coffee on your lunch
break. The farm is close to lakes, beautiful oceanside trails in Burgoyne
Provincial park, the Tsawout reserve and Ruckle Park. We are also on the bus
route. The bus can be hailed at the end of our driveway.

Apprentices who would like to work with us must be able to commit to working on
the farm from the beginning of May until the end of October or November. They
will help us with (and learn about) most aspects of running a market garden:
planning, preparing beds, seeding, transplanting, harvesting, post harvest
handling, weeding, seed saving, record keeping and selling at market.
Apprentices work between 40 and 50 hours a week. In general work days are
Monday to Friday from 8 am to 5 pm with a one hour lunch break. On harvest days
the work hours are longer. Apprentices also help with 1 or 2 Saturday markets a
month.

In exchange we offer a $500 monthly stipend, accommodation and incredible
produce from the farm to cook with. We also supply some bulk dry goods. The
team eats lunch together a couple of times each week but otherwise apprentices
are responsible for preparing their own meals. Each apprentice will have a
private cabin, trailer or bus to live in and they will share a common cabin
that has wi-fi, a shower and kitchen/ living room and an outdoor composting
toilet. There is a washing machine and dryer in our house.

We have a weekly check-in to discuss the week’s work. These meetings are also a
good opportunity to taste and compare new vegetable varieties, share feedback,
questions and suggestions and to keep track of personal goals and intentions.
Bi-weekly farm walks help us and apprentices view the farm as a whole as it
changes throughout the season. Taking the time to do this keeps us aware of
crop health and any areas that need attention. It also allows us some time to
appreciate the results of our daily labour. There will be opportunities to
visit several local farms throughout the season. These visits will be tailored
to suit apprentice’s particular interests. Apprentices will also be able to
schedule a one week vacation sometime during the season.

The ideal candidates:
• Bring a positive attitude to their work
• Can pay attention to detail while maintaining an efficient pace.
• Have good physical and emotional stamina. The season is long and we will be
working long hours together in all kinds of weather.
• Love food

If you would like to apply please email a resume, two references and a cover
letter describing what is motivating you to do a farm apprenticeship and any
farm or gardening experience you have to:
cjr.mcnair@gmail.com
We will respond to all applications.