Come live at Akesi Farms!
We are looking for a person/couple/family to rent our mobile home and work part time for us.
About the rental:
Spacious 3 bedroom 1 bathroom mobile home (~1350 Sq Ft) for rent 20 minutes’ drive SW from Sundre on a rural farm. Rustic feel with a private well and drive way. Full kitchen with dishwasher, fridge, stove and lots of cabinets. Large dining room and wood burning stove in living room. Master bedroom and two smaller bedrooms (or office space). Partially furnished. There is a deck with a view of the mountains. Property owners live on site full time and run a working farm with chickens, geese, 2 dogs and a cat. You can enjoy the 53 acres of forested land on foot or by snowshoe to respect the natural surroundings (no ATVs, dirt bikes or snowmobiles to be used on the property). You will get peace and quiet but still be only a short drive away to amenities such as the River Valley elementary school, Sundre community center, pool, and library. The property is within the bus zone for the schools. Dogs and cats are welcome with a damage deposit. This mobile home is a great place for anyone looking to get away from big city life and who wants some room to run! The 1.3 acres included gives you lots of room for a garden.
- Rent: $1,300/month
- Utilities not included (internet, gas, electricity)
- Pets negotiable
- Partially furnished
About the job:
Akesi Farms, a 53-acre permaculture farm, is in the beautiful foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The closest town with services is Sundre, Alberta – approximately 25 km away.
Akesi Farms was purchased in the fall of 2014 by Meghan Vesey and Kwesi Haizel. The farm has been evolving over time with various construction and garden projects.
We are searching for a person or couple (two people who can share a mobile home) to help on the farm with a variety of tasks. We have a mobile home for rent on the property and are looking for approx. 5 hours/week of help around the farm.
You would have to have employment off the farm or there are some possibilities to start your own business using the farm infrastructure.
Background
Kwesi is disabled and his disease will continue to progress over time. Kwesi can currently walk with a walker and does many tasks around the farm, but we know he is able to do less over time.
Meghan works full time at an IT job and runs Fungi Akuafo with her business partner to bring in extra income.
Basics
Mobile home rent: $1,300/month plus utilities (gas/electricity/internet)
- Includes approx. 1 acre of land around the home
- Private driveway
- Access to all the walking paths on the farm
Farm tasks: $20/hour for 20 hours/month (this is negotiable and can change over time)
Priority Tasks:
- Care for chickens (feed/water/open and close/collect eggs)
- Care for geese (feed/water/open and close)
- Care for dogs (feed/water/walk/brush)
- Drive to Sundre/surrounding area for various errands (such as picking up feed, taking waste to the transfer station, dropping off packages at the post office or picking up items from Home Hardware)
- Plow snow on driveways in winter
Other tasks could include (depending on interest/skills):
- Care for bees (feed/inspect/harvest)
- Various construction and maintenance tasks
- Help maintain the water capture systems on the farm
- Help plant/weed/water/harvest/plan the kitchen garden (currently 52 raised beds of 4’ x 8’)
- Help plant/weed/water/harvest/plan the main greenhouse
- Help clean/harvest/maintain the mushroom greenhouse
- Help preserve food for winter (canning, drying, freezing, etc.)
- Keep the farm clean and tidy
- Drive Kwesi to appointments in Calgary when necessary (we usually know ahead of time and can plan who is available and make the trip to Calgary worthwhile)
- Mow lawn in summer (usually bi-weekly)
- Work with Meghan on making spawn for Fungi Akuafo and preparing packages for shipping
- Ensure to-do list is kept up to date
- Attend weekly planning meetings (time/day flexible)
- Other farm projects that are not on this list
- If interested, help research new projects for Akesi Farms
Requirements
- 5 hours of work/week
- Valid Drivers’ license
- Own vehicle (4×4 recommended, winter is long!)
- Physically fit and able to lift heavy items
- Positive outlook and be willing to participate in a variety of farm projects
- Legally able to work in Canada
- No smoking
Compensation
- Hourly wage of $20/hour (CPP, EI, etc will be added)
- Opportunity to build your own farming business if your plan/use of resources are in line with organic and permaculture principals
- Animals/pets negotiable
Our Challenges
Other notes
We will do a trial period of one month (negotiable). We wish people to be happy living at Akesi Farms and will strive to either make that happen or choose to end our agreement.
Meghan works full time at an IT job. Meghan works from home Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm and is on call (currently) one week out of three. Meghan is not available for questions/help during these time periods.
Meghan works on her own company, Fungi Akuafo evenings and weekends.
Meghan’s parents, Bob and Maurita Vesey often visit the farm and may stay overnight. Bob and Maurita help with various farm projects.
Kwesi has a tool shop that is heated and setup with many tools. We are ok with others using these tools as long as the tool shop is kept tidy, and the tools put away and maintained.
Things break and mistakes are made all the time at the farm. We ask that all of us be honest with any problems or mistakes made or items broken. Our priority is safety first!
Closing thoughts
We aim to find the best way to work together so that everyone enjoys and thrives at Akesi Farms. We aim to be open and honest.
Contact Information
Meghan/Kwesi | info@akesifarms.com
