Apprenticeships, Free Work Weeks and Independent Stays

Free Work Week dates

April 24 – 30

May 22 – 28

June 19 - 25

July 24 – 30

August 21 – 27

September 18 – 24

October 15 - 22

Apprenticeships/Work Weeks 

We have run an informal farm/Algonquin tea apprenticeship program for thirteen years. The last few years have proven to be challenging, keeping up with life and work demands and still having the time and energy to give the apprentices what they deserve for their commitment. This year the program is taking a new approach. There is no longer a full-time apprenticeship program. In its place, one 7-9 day week per month (the last full week of each month) from April to October, we are having “Free Work Weeks”. The apprenticeship has evolved into this series of workweeks.

 The Free part is that there is no fee for staying at the farm and you will have a great experience, learn tons and be fed three excellent local/organic meals a day for your help.

  The Free Work Weeks are a way to experience the land and daily life here at the Little Black Bear Earth Wisdom Centre, also known as “The Algonquin Tea Farm”. During each Work Week, you’ll participate in a variety of seasonal activities associated with the farm, Wisdom Centre and Tea Co. The workload and hours are easy for most people in reasonable shape.

The Free Work Weeks are open to all, but an “apprenticeship” would involve coming each month, or to most of the 7 weeks in order to experience a whole year unfolding on the farm. You could be helping us seed in April, plant out from the greenhouses in May, water, weed and watch it grow in the summer months, then be there for the same plants harvest in September and preservation in October. As well this year, you’ll participate in and see a log cabin being build from foundation to cedar shingles, and many other activities. While this workweek approach still gives the apprentice a continuum of knowledge, it also affords them time to reflect on the lessons of the week, and the freedom to work on and experience other things off the farm during the 7-month period. An added bonus of this system is that by having more folks here for a shorter time the atmosphere tends to be more festive and happy, and we still get the much needed help with various projects and farm work from the helpers and apprentices.

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Independent Project Stay

A NEW option for a stay here at the farm other then the Workshops and Free Work-Weeks is an “Independent Project Stay”.

The way it works:

You propose an idea for doing a project during your stay here.

If we like your idea, or you like one of our project ideas, then we work out the details; cost of materials, if any, where you’ll stay and the length of your stay. Ideally, but not necessarily, the project stay would occur simultaneously with one of the seven Free Work Weeks. This makes it a more communal event, time for cross-pollination of ideas, as you would share meals and evening activities with the group.

The project idea could be practical, such as something you would like to learn-through-doing, but have no place to do it. Or, it could be something you want to do but need a little more input from others with experience. Or it could just be something you think the farm needs and you’d like to do here.

For example, last year Mikey, who has been to a few workshops and who is a home-reno enthusiast, proposed starting the outdoor shower for us. We paid for the parts and gave him some honey, herbal tea, eggs and veggies. He came up with his family for most of the free workweek to do the job. His family got a free vacation on a farm by gorgeous lakes, he got some farm goodies and more importantly to make something outside, problem solve and build (which he likes), and we got a new shower. Not to mention everyone who comes to the farm now also benefits from the hot shower. Smiles all around.

 The idea could also be artistic. Both Megan and myself have an artistic leaning and background, and are missing the interaction and expressiveness around such activities. You may want a retreat time to work on your own project or you may propose to do something here on the farm like a mural, sculpture or performance.

 However it works, the idea is that you come up with a project idea and a time line. One of the requirements for the project is that your work independently, which means that for the most part you are self motivated and don’t need much practical help. Opinions are of course always readily available. If we like your project, and it involves your expertise and or physical materials/equipment that your bringing to the farm and you feel you need something for that then we would be glad to give you a modest payment or barter. Conversely, if you are using the space and or the farm resources for your own project, like writing a piece or making small art object(s), and are taking it away with you, then you would pay us a moderate “retreat” fee which would be worked out before the stay. Maybe you’d just like to hang out on the farm and draw/paint/photograph for a few days.

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Ideas:

Here are some of our ideas that we don’t think we’ll have time for this year, but that we would love to see happen and can supply the materials for.

Cob Bread Oven (estimated time for one person- 10 days.)

Roof for the Oven- Before the outdoor oven gets built, it needs a palapa or roofed area big enough to cover it and ten face cords of wood. (4 days)

Rebuilding screened palapa and grape trellis that was knocked over in a hurricane a couple years ago. (4 days)

 Murals (2-7 days)

Other trade or paid positions:

Food Preparation and Childcare

 We are always looking for experienced people to help with food prep and with Oscar care during the workshops. You would be working primarily with Megan in both capacities. Megan’s years as “head chef” during workshops has yielded both great meals and a fantastic range over the years. The emphasis of the menu is based on what’s local and in season, either picked wild, grown on the farm or locally. This works for many helpers because the cost of the workshops is reduced to half price for about four hours of your help a day. Then they still get to attend the teaching sections of a workshop.

Carpentry

 This summer we are looking far someone with framing and or basic carpentry experience, to help with the reconstruction of a log cabin.

Passive Solar Heating

 We are also looking for anyone who has passive solar heating experience; we would like to install a collector panel and a heat exchange unit, tied to the house hot water system and radiant floor in the greenhouse.

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