Grow local food

Role: Food growing / gardening
Farm: Thea Farms
Location: near Odessa, between Napanee & Kingston, Ontario 

Type: volunteer
Benefits: Food from the garden

Dates: May 1st to Oct 31 (or shorter if necessary, e.g. for summer students)
Hours: 15 hours/week

Thea Farms is a family run, transitional organic herb farm in eastern Ontario. The owner is trained in horticulture and has completed KPU urban farm school diploma. We have a love for plants.

We are offering a unique volunteer position to design, implement and execute a 1/3 acre food production garden to supplement feed the volunteers and a family of 5. This garden will be designed with max yield parameters set at the start and seasonal rotation in mind. Preserving and canning will be part of the design. Record keeping is necessary. The plot will be tilled and ready, organic seeds will be provided, as well as, canning and equipment to do preserving. Water irrigation can be set up.

Managing the livestock is the husbandry component of the food production project.  We are small growers of meat birds and egg layer chickens. This season, we are planning to raise kunekune pigs. Volunteers will oversee water and feed schedule, maintaining a safe and clean environment, moving chicken tractors, collecting the eggs and help construct pig pen. 

This is the ultimate first homesteaders challenge, and successful completion will mean a comprehensive understanding of small scale market farming, integrated pest management, soil science and organic principals of farming. An excellent letter of reference will be available afterward, as well as, full support in the volunteer's next agricultural adventures.

This project will be alongside an organic herb farm. There will be ample bespoke tea blends and herbal remedies to share.

All levels of experience are welcome. Mentorship will be 30 mins debrief session week, as well as, training if necessary. We have a comprehensive library of resources, specific to organic gardening.

Candidates need their own transportation as it is a rural setting near Odessa (25 minutes / 33 kms from downtown Kingston, Ontario)

Please submit a cover letter stating your thoughts on kitchen production garden and livestock project and resume to info@theafarms.com . One work reference will be required.

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