Farmstay Program

Program Description

Canada is defined by it’s wild and untouched nature – and the Farmstay program lets you go out into that nature, and experience it first-hand. In Farmstay, you will be matched with a Canadian farming family and go and live and work on their farm for between 2 weeks and 4 weeks. There you’ll get to care for and experience animals and enjoy the freshest food Canada has to offer, right out of the ground.

Farmstay placements are done during a break from studies, or after your period of studies is completed. When you join farmstay you will be matched with a family in a vineyard, ranch, family farm, or craft farm in a rural area of Canada – away from all the major cities.

While farmstay is unpaid, your farmstay host family will provide you with free accommodation in their home, and all your meals.

At a Glance

● Farm work and accommodation placements can be done in French in Quebec, or in English in Ontario, Alberta, or BC.

● All placements are isolated, far from cities, and students will not be able to commute from a city to their farmstay

● Minimum placement is 2 weeks, maximum placement is 4 weeks with a visitor’s visa. Longer placements (at a single homestay or consecutive) are not available.

● All placements are unpaid.

● Students are required to work between 15 and 25 hours per week to help offset the cost of their stay.

● Students must be registered at least 6 weeks in advance of their start date.

● 6 types of placement to choose from ­ all on family farms

● Placements available year round at most locations, apart from a December/January blackout period.

● Register at least 6 weeks in advance of your desired start date.

● Students must be physically able to perform farm work (this includes being able to lift 20kg)

● No animal or wild grass or pollen allergies

● English or French at a lower intermediate level or above

● Age 18 and above

NB: Students wishing to work with horses must have previous experience, as must students wishing to work with machinery

Placement Options

● Vegetable / Fruit Farm : Small farms specializing in mixed vegetables or fruits. Includes orchards.

● Poultry Farm : Farms raising chickens, turkeys, and geese.

● Arts/Crafts / Artisanal Food Processing : Farms specializing in production of small craft foods or craft products like certain types of jam, or specialized lamb, or heirloom vegetables.

● Mixed Farms (animals and produce) : These are typical ‘family’ farms that students would be used to seeing in TV and movies. They include a small collection of animals, and a medium sized patch of crops.

● Ranches : Cowboy placements, usually done on a small guest ranch. Occasionally done on larger cattle ranches. Students must have experience with horses.

● Vineyards : Small hobby vineyards producing regional wines.