Some of you are well acquainted with Wwoofing… but hopefully this list offers some new info for all.

WWOOF [World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms] is an exchange program, started in the U.K. and is now international in scope.- In return for volunteer help, WWOOF hosts offer food, accommodation and opportunities to learn about organic lifestyles. Several organic farmers in NL are listed in this program: http://www.wwoof.org/

SOIL (Stewards Of Irreplaceable Land) is Canada’s Sustainable Farm Apprenticeship Program.  Since 1989, SOIL has been linking Canadian farmers willing to take on and train apprentices with folks wanting to work and learn on an organic farm using sustainable practices. Now, ACORN and SOIL have partnered to promote the exciting organic farm learning opportunities that exist in Atlantic Canada. New farms and interested apprentices can sign-up or learn more by visiting www.soilapprenticeships.org or www.acornorganic.org/training.html.

The Organic Agriculture Centre Canada lists  Job and Student Opportunities in Organic Agriculture here: http://www.organicagcentre.ca/Jobs/job_postings.asp

FarmStart is a program for new entrants. Of its many programs is the New Farms Incubator Program which supports new farm enterprises by offering access to land, equipment and infrastructure at reasonable rates, along with business planning support, technical training, mentorship and experience with ecological and emerging farming methods. http://www.farmstart.ca/

New Brunswick Organic Farm Apprenticeship Program is a collaboration between Falls Brook Centre (FBC), the Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada (OACC), New Brunswick Department of Agriculture (NBDAFA), the Atlantic Canadian Organic Regional Network (ACORN) and New Brunswick organic farms in the design of a program to build the Atlantic Canadian organic sector. For application forms, farm descriptions and more information about the program, visit Falls Brook Centre’s website www.fallsbrookcentre.ca or contact Shannon Herbert, Organic Agriculture Program Coordinator at shannon@fallsbrookcentre.ca or (506) 375-4310.

National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service (US) offers a directory of on-the-job learning opportunities in sustainable and organic agriculture in the U.S. (and some in Canada) . Published since 1989, it’s a tool to help farmers and apprentices connect with each other. The listed farms are primarily seeking interns/apprentices from North America. http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/internships/

Newly minted program by gov’t of P.E.I. is a Farm Technician Apprenticeship Program. This is a combo of more traditional classroom instruction and on farm experience. check out: http://nsac.ca/cde/programs/PEI/apprentice.asp 

FEEDBACK: if you are a NL farmer who has experience with any of these programs, we’d like to here from you. Leave a comment. Or if you’re a student, aspiring farmer who’s had experience with apprenticeships – let us know! thanks.

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