Organic farming / Regenerative agriculture

Opportunity: Independent Garden & Livestock Business Operator
Location: Northumberland County, Ontario
Housing: Able to provide your own accommodation (eg trailer or yurt)

Are you a farmer looking for the perfect place to grow?

We have an opportunity for an experienced and hardworking gardener, grower or farmer (or team with experience working together) to launch and run your own small agriculture business in conjunction with our growing farm community.

You are:

• Experienced with leading small scale agriculture operations, including both horticulture and poultry/livestock management
• Experienced with the principles and practices of regenerative agriculture
• Community-oriented
• Honest and good at communicating
• Able to provide your own accommodation (eg trailer or yurt)

We have approximately 4 acres of prime agricultural land for you to grow into a productive operation. This includes space for a market garden, and a barnyard (which is currently inhabited by two Percheron horses and some poultry - and there is plenty of space for more!). It would be up to you to develop revenue streams (e.g. produce or farm products for local farmers markets and restaurants, gate sales etc).

In addition, there is lots of potential for different projects and activities in other areas of the property, which we hope you could also be a part of. A successful first year could lead to more permanent long-term arrangements.

About the Farm

In the past, the sandy loam soil of this prime land has produced robust vegetables for market, farmstand and CSA shares, as well as pastured and grazed meat chickens, Shropshire sheep, heritage pig breeds and Percheron Horses.

The area also includes a spring-fed pond we have used for watering during drought years, a geodesic dome and a 40-foot greenhouse, assorted tools and equipment, and more.

(Y)our Farming Practices

We are committed to organic, regenerative agriculture principles and practices, and would expect you to be as well. This includes:

• Protecting and creating habitat for biodiversity (adding to the many species-at-risk that are established here)
• Managing soil health (e.g. no/low till practices, rotational grazing, and zero use of persistent chemical pesticides and fertilizers)
• Extensive use of composting
• Efficient energy use and renewable energy production (eg through turbine irrigation, solar panels etc)
• Hedgerows for pollination /beneficial insect support, Monarch milkweed way station
• Stewarding and enhancing the Provincially Significant Wetland .

We have considerable knowledge and experience in these matters - but always so much more to learn. We support our farming peers in learning and sharing best practices for providing ecological services through our farm work, by keeping water clean, protecting and preserving wildlife, and sequestering carbon.

If your farm vision includes growing community as well as amazing food on your own small farmstead, please email us: hello (at) wholearthfarmstudio (dot) org and tell us about yourselves, your experience, and your plans.

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