Wicklow Way
Wicklow Way is a certified organic farm situated on the Waterfront Trail by the shores of Lake Ontario, east of Grafton in Northumberland County. We are a 40-acre property, most of which is early stage forest with groomed trails meandering among seasonal streams with benches to meditate, read and write. Currently our farm business is a 4-acre market garden of heirloom vegetables. We have a small apiary where we care for our honeybees using horizontal hives and top bars. We also raise Muscovy ducks for meat and eggs as well as heritage breed laying hens and meat chickens. Plans for the 2012 season include baking and selling sourdough breads from our outdoor wood-fired oven, the cultivation of 2-3 additional acres to expand our market garden, introducing dairy goats to our lives for milk, cheese, and yogurt, and pastured heritage breed pigs.
We are looking for 4 passionate apprentices/interns for the 2012 season –two interns will be at a senior level with at least one years experience working on an organic farm. This senior intern should have a goal of owning his or her own farm in the near future or becoming the Farm Manager at Wicklow Way. We are looking for interns who are serious about small-scale farming and who are on their way to becoming farmers themselves. The senior intern(s) will start in early March and the others will join us the first of April. We offer room and board, plenty of opportunity to learn and a weekly stipend which varies depending on experience. You will learn about seed starting, green manures, greenhouse and hoophouse options, planning your crop rotation, tractors, ploughing and discing, rototilling, tool sharpening and tool maintenance. We will be installing an irrigation system in our second meadow with a dug well and trickle down set-up. As well, Gregory works with wood and there is always something that needs building and/or repairing on a farm. The spring of 2012 we will be building housing for our pastured pigs and laying hens. We attend a farmers market in Port Hope, we have a farm gate stand affectionately known as The Mall, and we wholesale to produce markets and restaurants. We have a 100-member CSA program with pickups twice a week at various locations.
Our meals are a collaborative effort. Elaina has worked as a restaurant chef for 16 years so there is a lot of fun and sharing around food preparation and eating. All interns will be involved in canning and preserving as required and, if interested, in learning about bread production and cheese making.
If you are interested in our farm and would like some more information, please forward your résumé and a cover letter explaining why you wish to be an apprentice/intern at Wicklow Way Farm, what skills and experiences you bring with you, and explain your future farming plans and ideals to:
Contact: Elaina Asselin & Gregory Hill
Wicklow Way
188 Lakeport Road
Colborne, Ontario
K0K 1S0
Tel:(905) 355-5260
Email: elaina dot asselin at wicklowway dot ca
Website: www.wicklowway.ca
