Are you an aspiring farmer looking for hands-on farming experience on an ecological farm? Flowers, chickens, lambs, cows, bees and more! Spend your summer helping out at two small farms under the endless skies of Central Alberta. Lazy T Farm and Lady’s Hat Farm near Halkirk, Alberta are looking to share an apprentice this upcoming spring and summer. The two farms work closely together under the umbrella The Prairie Farm Project – an informal co-operative of farms in the area that hosts dinners, plans workbees, and markets collaboratively.
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About the Farms
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Brett and Jenna Hauck of Lazy T Farm moved back to Jenna’s parents farm four years ago. The fifth-generation family farm has been practicing Holistic Management since 2002 and is powered by solar. Jenna and Brett raise pastured poultry, hens and grass-fed/finished beef. The apprentice would be expected to help the couple rotate 1,000 meat chickens onto new grass each day, collect eggs and help with other general tasks on the farm. There is a small farm house on the property that the apprentice would be able to stay in for the duration of the apprenticeship.
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Just 10 minutes away is Lady’s Hat Farm. Nikki Wiart is a third generation farmer in her sixth season. The farm produces seasonal and ecological cut flowers, honey, eggs and grass-fed lamb – and is also home to a floral studio where Nikki designs arrangements for weddings, weekly bouquet subscriptions, and dries thousands of stems for wreaths in the fall and winter. At Lady’s Hat Farm, you’ll learn the process of starting seeds and caring for seedlings in a greenhouse setting, transplanting, harvesting and arranging flowers, keeping bees, raising lambs and more.
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About the Apprenticeship
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Between the two farms, the apprentice will get a wide-range of hands-on experience, and hopefully leave at the end of the season with a clear understanding of farm life. Because the farms are small, the apprentice will need to assume a lot of responsibility and independence.
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As part of the apprenticeship, you will meet with other apprentices across Alberta who are part of the Young Agrarians Apprenticeship program. Field days, learning opportunities and potlucks will be planned with this group at each host’s farm. You will also be invited to attend the 2022 Organic Alberta Conference.
Because the Prairie Farm Project also works with RedTail Farms, the apprentice will be able to learn from Ian and Dana while helping out at work bees throughout the summer. The crew gets together a lot for dinners, bonfires and drinks!
