VOLUNTEER POSITION

Garden Volunteer — Urban Herb Farm

Role: Volunteer at an Urban Herb Farm
Hours: 3 hours (or more)/week from April 23- Nov 17
Farm: Wild By Nature Botanicals
Location: east Toronto, Ontario
Also seeking: Apprentice (live-in option)

This is a unique opportunity to experience hands-on learning at an urban homestead. Experience the farm life, without leaving the city!

About us:

Wild By Nature is a permaculture Urban Homestead in east Toronto, which grows over 70 different varieties of herbs. We garden organically and follow biodynamic practices.

We offer workshops and community focused mentoring as well as a volunteer program.

We also operate a bioregional apothecary (using only the herbs we grow) to formulate our thoughtfully crafted botanical skincare, herbal tisanes, culinary seasonings and herbal remedies which we sell in our community, at the farmers market, select retailers and from our online shop.

Our mission:

We guide earth lovers living in the fast paced city to reconnect to their own rhythm in relationship with nature. We strongly believe it is possible and vital to grow your own food and medicine in the city.

Background of your mentor:

Maria Solakofski cultivates the growing potential in everyone she meets. She is a mentor of everything herbal, a guide for botanical wellness, organic gardening, nutrition and healthy lifestyle practices, community building, self-sufficiency and homesteading in the city. She is an ecological pioneer who has been involved in the local food community for over 25 years.

Terms of Volunteering:

In exchange for your time helping us, you will have abundant learning opportunities. We have three set meeting times per week, which are each three hours long:

• Tuesday mornings, Thursday afternoons, Sunday mornings.

You can choose which time and how often you come in a week.

We prefer applicants who want to cultivate relationships with the plant and people communities we tend to. We will help you get involved in a way that feels meaningful to you.

We will give preference to those who can commit a minimum of once a week, for three months. We can say from experience of previous participants, the longer you are woven in, the greater the benefits – and we welcome you to stay the whole 7 month season.

You will learn by working alongside Maria and the Garden Angels – the alumni who have volunteered at least one full season, or participated in our mentoring program.

About you and your qualities:

• love to be outside in all types of weather
• innately curious and passionate about plants (especially herbs)
• possess a sense of humor
• able to be part of a team and work independently
• willing to work hard and enjoy hands on tasks
• respond well to feedback
• reliant to show up consistently

What you might do/learn while you are here (a small list):

• Organic and permaculture methods and principles
• Soil building, care and regeneration and the magic of mulch
• Medicinal herbs - identification, growing, care and preparation
• Harvest and processing techniques
• Season extenders- seedlings and cold frames
• Garden planning and rotation planting

As well as:

• How to be resourceful with everything you do
• How to improvise in almost any situation
• Living more with less
• Our part in our micro ecosystem as well as the world
• Syncing your rhythm to nature’s rhythm

How to apply:

Please express your interest by submitting a plentiful synopsis of yourself to mariasolakofski (at) gmail (dot) com and include:

• What are your goals with your learning and time here?
• What values and experiences will you share with us?
• Include your résume if you wish, but not at all necessary.

Please indicate you saw this posting at GoodWorkCanada

You can find out more by visiting our webpage: Wild By Nature Botanicals. We will do our best to be in touch with every applicant.

Please indicate you saw this posting at FoodWork.ca.