Veg & Medicinal Farm Seeking Experienced Farmhand

Farm description

I have a 2-acre parcel located in a semi agro-zone inside a highly agro-zone, 30 minutes from Montreal. I cultivate 1 acre in medicinal plants and vegetables and the land is enclosed by two very small ‘’forests’’ where we also grow medicinals (I also harvest wild plants from surrounding land and on a friend's organic farm nearby). The soil is mainly a sandy loam I arrived here in 2014 we've created a garden from scratch, all by hand on land that had been abandoned for 30 years. A big proportion of the plants we use medicinally are perennial, naturally leading to a permaculture system. I raise seedling, cultivate plants, create therapeutic products and collect and sell seed all for medicinal plans. Additionally I do consultations, and one of my main activity is teaching. I do traditional herbalism with the objective of producing the most effective and powerful plants possible. The production is unmechanized (everything is done by hand), so that we use only the active part of each plant when it is at its optimal stage. There is a house I live in and rent rooms to students or potential workers in the summer. The recent garage building is now a workshop with dryers and seedling room on the ground level, and transformation and teaching smaller room that we built upstairs in 2019. In the garden, I built a large covered deck where we have a functional kitchen and classroom (since COVID rules did not allow me to teach inside). We literally live in the garden on working days.

Farm opportunity

I am actively looking for a passionate GARDENER-permaculture. I have no need for people who want to do only light harvest and cosmetics. The biggest challenge and time consuming work is in the garden (maintenance, weeding especially, which can become a rich source of food and medicinals in itself providing we are fast enough with the essentials to have time left for those) and the harvests who need to be done in a very timely manner, with efficient methods and a keen sense of details. There will also be a good proportion of work in the workshop and apothecary. I need a farmworker with experience in unmechanized land work (raised bed preparation, weeding of perennials, planting, evaluating irrigation needs, organic pest control with home-made concoctions, etc.) I will teach everything needed to identify, grow, harvest and process medicinal plants. It will be between 8-10 hours a day, 5 or 6 days a week, with occasional rush with more hours and up to 10 consecutive days. Room and board will be provided, either in a 30' ‘vintage’ clean and comfortable trailer or room in the house depending on weather and availability. I will provide healthy food that you cook for yourself (but no ''industrialized/frozen stuff''). There will be a stipend according to the experience and efficiency, and a possible bonus at the end of the season depending on the results. If you are a regular user (whether it is any form of cannabis, ketamine, MDMA, or any other drugs), we will not be a good match. A beer or a glass of wine AFTER work hours is okay, providing you are on time and in good shape the next morning. In a few words, this is NOT a party place and I do not grow plants for psychedelic trips! If this sounds like an opportunity for you please message me and share: - a little bit about yourself and experience (and include the web address for your Farm Seeker profile) - why this opportunity appeals to you Serious inquiries only would be greatly appreciated!