Regenerative Farming Apprenticeship

Position: Regenerative Farming Field Hand
Farm: Jubilee Forest Farm
Location: Havelock, Ontario (near Peterborough)

Jubilee Farm is a farm-to-consumer food business located in Havelock, Ontario.

Our mission is using regenerative agriculture principles to heal this country's land and broken food systems while helping busy, informed consumers gain access to safe and ethical foods they can eat with confidence. We are passionate about animal welfare, and we feel strongly that the care we give to them is returned in the quality of the product they give to us. We produce 100% grass-fed and finished beef & lamb, as well as pasture raised and organically fed chicken & eggs. We practice rotational grazing methods to help grow and improve our soils. Maple Syrup is produced in the late winter-early spring. You can check out our website at Jubileeforestfarm.com. Here is an example of the daily chicken move: Watch video

This apprenticeship includes a tremendous amount of education time which allows the apprentice to dip their toes into all aspects of running a farm. Housing is provided along with a monthly food credit to be put towards the farms meat freezers (plus garden produce).

Accommodations:

Large park model trailer on site that has a full kitchen, bath and 2 sleeping areas which can accommodate a worker plus spouse and children if need be.

Hours & dates:

• Hours: 7 days on & 4 days off a month. 40-60 hours/week. All Saturdays are necessity chores “2-4hrs only”). Some work could be divided/shared with spouse if desired.
• Start Date: Beginning of April
• End Date TBD (Seasonal Housing is all we can provide at this time but there is a possibility of winter housing if there’s interest in part-time work during the off-season).

Tasks:

This is not for the faint of heart. Basically you get out of this what you put in. This is hands-on, in the dirt, blood, and mud, real life stuff.

Throughout the season daily tasks are diverse and may include a combination of but are not limited to:

• daily livestock moves
• milking homestead cow
• moving chicken tractors and electric fences
• setting up electric fencing
• feeding and watering animals
• collecting & washing eggs
• moving shade mobile

• livestock handling (sorting and loading)
• animal health checks
• doing hay
• veggie gardening (you would get a share of the produce)
• assisting in building and maintaining permanent and portable farming infrastructure including fence construction
• inventorying product and pulling and packing orders from freezers
• forestry/firewood
• Maple syrup season clean up

We seek to hire a responsible individual who is just as passionate about regenerative agriculture as we are.

The successful applicant will have:

• A strong work ethic and positive attitude
• Full of ambition and eager to learn and work
• Strong problem solving, organization and communication skills
• Strong observation skills and be detail oriented
• Ability to adapt to changing job priorities and conditions
• Of sound character
• Have Situational awareness
• Valid drivers' license
• Legally allowed to work in Canada
• Believe that heath cannot be found at the end of a needle or behind a mask.

Key Assets:

• Previous physical labour experience
• Ability to absorb, integrate and execute detailed instructions and feedback
• Some experience driving tractors

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to repeatedly lift 50lbs
• Ability to kneel, bend and squat repeatedly for long periods
• Ability to withstand and enjoy working in all weather conditions, including freezing temps, extreme heat, rain and mud
• Some early mornings and some late nights

Warning: you will be sore, ache, dead tired, and might even be sick for 3 days in your first two weeks. Once you get acclimated, you’ll be more physically fit than you’ve ever been in your life. But it won’t feel good getting there.

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Wages:

We are working towards finding and training a permanent employee. 

To be perfectly honest, most either want “full pay” immediately and spend 3 of the 7-8 months working at full pay to quit once the knowledge desired is gained from working here. This has left us numerous times shorthanded part-way through a demanding busy season after investing extensive time training and educating said apprentice/employee. New employees only “pay off” in their training year on the 5-6 and so on months. The first 3-4 months we invest in an intensive time of training, so to hopefully create another future farmer or a lasting employee.

So with that all being said, this is the format we have established for a fair pay scale considering the entire situation and season. We now start 1st time workers on an expedited apprentice/employee basis. This is like getting 3 years of Joel Salatin’s Polyface Farm experience in just 1 season. The wages are minimum wage but we do charge for accomodations, food and an educational fee which decreases each month.

Month 1:

• 17.20/hr ($4,128)
• Education fee: -$2,078
• Accomadations: -$500
• Food: -$550
• = $1,000 take home

Month 2:

• 17.20/hr ($4,128)
• Education Fee: -$1828
• Accommodations: -$500
• Food: -$550
• = $1250 take home

Month 3:

• 17.20/hr ($4,128)
• Education Fee: -$1578
• Accommodations: -$500
• Food: -$550
• = $1500 take home

Month 4:

• 17.20/hr ($4,128)
• Education Fee: -$1328
• Accommodations: -$500
• Food: -$550
• = $1750 take home

Month 5:

• 17.20/hr ($4,128)
• Education Fee: -$828
• Accommodations: -$500
• Food: -$550
• = $2250 take home

Month 6:

• 17.20/hr ($4,128)
• Education Fee: -$578
• Accommodations: -$500
• Food: -$550
• = $2500 take home

Month 7:

• 17.20/hr ($4,128)
• Education Fee: -$78
• Accommodations: -$500
• Food: -$550
• = $3000 take home

Month 8:

• 17.20/hr ($4,128)
• Education Fee: -0
• Accommodations: -$500
• Food: -$550
• = $3078 take home

* A second year / returning employee would receive a living wage.

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APPLY 

If you would like to apply please send a resume and brief cover letter to: jubileeforestfarm@gmail.com

Please mention you saw this at FoodWork.ca.