Hey guys, I was just wondering if anyone here had any info on any farm work opportunities in Ontario? Prefferably around the Toronto region? Thanks alot! Peace, -Cate
Your best bet is just to get yourself out to the rural areas of the GTA and chat it up with locals to see what farms are hiring. Last year I basically just hopped on my bike and took a ride around the country side, dropping off my resume at all the small scale and market garden farms. Big cash crop farms (corn, soy, etc) don't hire much because it's all pretty much industrialised with one dude on a tractor working 100 acres. Market gardening(fruits and veggies) and organic operations are likely your best bet...they're ALWAYS looking for hard workers...mostly because they have horendus turn over rates...shitty wages...back breaking work...long hours... ...still sure you want to farm? If your looking to work on a farm just for the experience and not the money you should look into WWOOF, basically an informal volunteer placement organisation for organic farming. Usually the deal is room and board in exchange for work, lots of oportunities to travel, learn and meet wicked people and for that reason almost trumps the fact that you make no cash. Agriculture like any other industry requires education if you want to have meaningful employment, your best bet is some sort of apenticeship (WWOOF has lots of these listed) or for more conventional agriculture there are college and university programs available. IF you have any questions just give me a shout, I've worked one full season on a 250 acre market garden farm, and I'm now puttering around with organic and permaculture stuff (mostly research).
You should try Pelee Island....the have some vineyards that employ migrant workers in the summer time....