Our Seasonal WorkStay volunteer program is an opportunity for like-hearted individuals to stay at the farm for extended periods from a minimum of one week to several months in exchange for working in the garden, greenhouse, and food forest.  WorkStay volunteers become a part of our 'farmily' and contribute to the creation of a thriving community culture grounded in sharing time together, growing organic food, making music and dancing!

PLEASE NOTE - this is NOT an application to join our Community Agriculture program or to visit the farm for a weekend.  
If you wish to join us just for a weekend during the season (May-Oct), we ask that you email us a few days in advance of your visit at abundancecommunityfarm@gmail.com.  We will confirm we are accepting visitors, provide up-to-date information about visiting, and will let you know of any weekend activities.
The Community Agriculture program accepts new applications in the winter prior to the season.  Please watch our website or subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates.

A Bit About the Farm:

Abundance Community Farm has created a new community agriculture model that enables city-dwellers to “farm share”. It is an opportunity to connect to a simpler life, connected to yourself, the land and each other  more deeply. The farm was purchased in 2016 by Amir Nourimand,  a fuel cell research scientist originally from Iran. There are three more of us who who are full time residents, living under an ongoing long term work/live exchange. This is the Core Team that operates all aspects of the farm.

See more about our model at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCBp96rFFwpFxww5GLx4HNA

DETAILS OF THE WORKSTAY PROGRAM:

Our needs: 

2 - 3 additional live-in community members to stay at the farm a minimum of one week - longer stays are very welcome - to help us care for the ½ acre organic veggie garden, greenhouses and 1 acre food forest during the growing season.

Weekly schedule :

Total of 20 hours a week including a Monday morning garden team meeting, a Friday morning community meeting and shared workday, plus one or two Saturdays a month to cohost our community in the garden. Time spent in the garden over the week is flexible yet responsive to the needs of the garden. Positions available between May 1st - Oct 31st. We ask for a stay of minimum one week or even better stay for a month or more!

WorkStay Responsibilities:

• Support the maintenance of the garden including seeding, garden bed prep, transplanting, weeding, watering, harvesting

• Contribute to maintaining farming record keeping systems

• Help keep shared spaces clean & clear, tools in good working order 

• Guide community volunteers & visitors in weekend garden tasks one or two weekends a month

• Participation in weekly Monday morning garden team meeting and a Friday morning community check in and afternoon workday.

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You: 

• basic knowledge and/or interest in regenerative, organic gardening methods and caring for plants 

• willing to research & engage in learning and sharing skills, be able to both take direction and work independently 

• open friendly manner & keen to support our community members & visitors 

• looking for a relaxed experience with space for connecting with nature, people and yourself

• good communication and organization skills, understanding of what it means to be self responsible, ask for what you need and be compassionate with others

• willingness to engage in a compassionate communication conflict resolution process if issues arise 

Our offer / exchange

Accommodation is available between May 1st - October 31st. Your private sleeping space may include a tree house, a live-in van or a deluxe tent in the orchard. There is also private bedroom accommodation in the shared (unheated) barn but this may be rented out to community organizations on some weeks over the summer and you would therefore be asked to relocate to one of the other spaces. There is also a large shared kitchen, full washrooms/showers and laundry facilities. 

Fresh fruit and produce is available from the garden during harvest season late June to the end of October. Opportunity to participate in potluck shared meals 1-2 times per week with other farm members and the community. 

Each weekend from May to October we have groups of community members and visitors join the farm for weekend activities - including garden work parties, making music, dancing, camp fires, river swimming, mountain hiking, storytelling, kids activities, Qi-gong, yoga and much more....these activities are a co-creation of our community.

Periodically the farm is also rented during the week to community organizations or progressive companies for retreats. There may also be farm organized events such as yoga retreats or music events.

Our facilities

The farm is 40 acres in size tucked into a beautiful valley in Agassiz, in the District of Kent just 90 minutes east of Vancouver, BC. There are two houses on the property where the full time residents live. There is a large converted dairy barn that has four dormitories of eight beds each and eight private rooms. These rooms are utilized by our farm community to stay on the weekends and periodically for other events during the weeks. In addition to the bedrooms the large barn also houses a 2000 sq foot dance/yoga/gathering space, a living room lounge space, shared washroom and shower facilities, a communal kitchen and a workshop.  There is also a smaller barn used for music and gathering spaces, a series of greenhouses and a chicken coop with a flock of 7. There are two cats and one very handsome and friendly farm dog.

About us 

We are a group of friends that have come together to create a space for our community to gather and thrive. Each of us divides our time between farm activities/tasks, our careers, and our personal lives. We live in the two houses on the property and these are private spaces into which you need an invitation in order to enter. Many of us work from home and privacy is of the utmost importance.