About OUR Ecovillage

OUR Ecovillage is a sustainable learning community and permaculture demonstration site located in the beautiful Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. We base our work on permaculture principles and offer learning opportunities for Natural Building, Sustainable Food Production, and Leadership.

Please visit our website for more information.

About OUR Farm

As farmers at OUR, our first task is to grow highly nutritious organic food for the community throughout the summer and to put away for the winter. We have a small holding of no-till raised beds for intensive annual vegetable production, including two 75-ft greenhouses. We are in the process of establishing about nine acres of integrated perennial food systems, including fruit and nut trees, bushes, herbs, and berries. We raise sheep and pigs for meat, and chickens and ducks for both meat and eggs. We have a dairy cow for milk and make our own yogurt, butter, and cheese. OUR long-term goal is nothing short of food self-sufficiency!

Our second task is education. We run a farm-based internship that introduces students to permaculture design, organic gardening, basic livestock management, and of course, community living. We offer courses in these topics that are also open to the public, and host school groups and learning volunteers of all ages in hands-on experiential programs.

Time Commitments

40 Hours per week (will shift and change depending upon garden needs and the rhythm of the growing season).

Responsibilities would include:

Managing annual vegetable production in our raised-bed gardens and greenhouses
Managing perennial food production in our developing orchards, food forests, and perennial systems
Expanding food production by designing and developing new garden and food forest areas as well as improving upon the designs of existing areas and systems
Managing farm animals, which currently include sheep, pigs, a milking cow, chickens, turkeys, and ducks
Facilitating and leading visiting students and volunteers in hands-on garden activities
Facilitating and leading the annual farm internship
Facilitating on-site gardening courses (There is potential to teach in them as well)
Maintaining and repairing existing farm infrastructure as well as building new infrastructure
Liaising with the kitchen to coordinate crop plans and harvest schedules
Processing and storing excess yields, in co-operation with the kitchen team
Creating income-generating products such as nursery plants, preserves, etc

Community involvement/expectations:

Working as a team within our governance structure (weekly meetings)
Contributing an average of approx. 10 hours/week in community service
Participating in OUR Care Schedule (general housekeeping chores)
Attending weekly community meetings
Attending a weekly council circle

The ideal candidate(s) would have:

A strong commitment and desire to live in community
Permaculture training or a willingness to be trained
Experience or interest in ecological landscape design
Dedication to sustainable farming practices
5 years experience growing annual vegetables organically on a medium-to-large scale
Working experience with fruit trees and other perennial food plants
Working experience with larger farm animals, such as sheep and cows
Working experience in and an excitement for education: facilitating, teaching, leading groups, etc
Strong self-initiative
A handiness with tools and general repairs

Additionally, this position would work well for someone who might want to have their own business (nursery, etc) on site. It is also possible for this role to be shared between two people and divided according to interests and experience. There is also the opportunity for the right person to become a permanent land partner.

Timing

The new farm manager(s) would need to start as soon as possible to have overlap with the current farm managers, who will be here to help facilitate a smooth transition.

Compensation

Will be dependent on the experience and needs of the candidate(s).

Application Process

Please email us at:
grow-food@ourecovillage.org
*and*
education@ourecovillage.org
with a resume and cover letter.