No Apprenticeships Availabel for 2020-2022 Due to Covid
Do you have a natural curiosity;
a desire to be rooted in plant medicine, gaining tools for a lifetime of study,
but to also root deeply into your own personal journey with the plants?
This Apprenticeship Program might be right for you...
Would you like to deepen your connection to the plant world with a dynamic group of herbalists and plant enthusiasts who share your interests and love for nature? If so, our Back to Your Roots Apprenticeship Program is for you. This program is all about learning through three modalities: on the land, in the lab and in the classroom, while all the time having a deeply rooted personal connection with the plants. Created in 2009, the BTYR Apprenticeship Program has grown and flourished; encouraging students to bring plants into their every day life, as daily foods, teas and if desired, a lasting herbal medicine career. All the while understanding it is our responsibility to protect native medicinal plants and their native habitat while ensuring an abundant renewable supply of medicinal plants for generations to come. Our Herbal diploma course is an interictal part of this apprenticeship , bringing a wealth of herbal knowledge, excellent training skills, and a passionate love of herbs.
A beautiful partnership of Faunus Herbs (certified organic herb farm and herbal products contract manufacturer) and The Ginkgo Tree (Herbal Education and Botanical Sanctuary) awaits an apprentice to help with all aspects of life and work on our two farms Located in beautiful Brock Township, Ontario. You will join us for one year, beginning early April 2019.
Penelope Beaudrow, RH
Penelope Beaudrow is an Herbal Educator and Registered Herbalist who earned her herbalist diploma from the Dominion Herbal College in British Columbia. She is Product Development Specialist and Herbal Educator at Faunus Herbs. Penelope is also a board member of the Association for the Advancement of Restorative Medicine, moderator at The Annual International Restorative Medicine Conference and past organizer of this conference for seventeen years. She is also the founder of The Ginkgo Tree, a small herbal business (Education, Teas & Tinctures) located on her family farm, Dogwood & Brambles, where she also facilitates The Ginkgo Tree Herbal Course. They are very proud that their family farm is designated as a United Plant Savers Botanical Sanctuary. A passionate herbal educator, Penelope has lectured for The Restorative Medicine Conference, New England Herbal Conference, International Herb Symposium, Back to Your Roots Herbal Retreat, Heartwood Gathering, Canada Blooms, Toronto Botanical Gardens, Durham District School Board, Richter’s Herbs, Chippewas of Georgina and other various organizations. She also has appeared in the Toronto Star's Gardening Column, by Sonja Day and United Plant Savers 2018 Publication.
Nicholas Faunus
Nick has been involved in the natural foods/organic products industry since 1975. He is the President of Faunus Herbs, North America's original, third party Certified Organic, medicinal herb grower and manufacturer.
Faunus Herbs manufactures medical and consumer herbal and natural food products. Faunus has designed and manufactured thousands of products and formulations for some of the largest distribution companies in North America,
with labelling and production standards that meet all Canadian and U.S. regulatory requirements.
Faunus Herbs is a family farm operation, with 16 full time staff plus seasonal workers. Its manufacturing facilities are also “on the farm” and meet all Health Canada Site License and regulatory requirements.
Nicholas is a past elected Executive Secretary of the _Organic Crop Improvement Association (International) Inc. (OCIA). Also, as Certification Director for OCIA Ontario for two years, Nicholas managed 180 farm certifications per year.
He hired the on-site inspectors, and helped develop the documentation for the Ontario Chapter of the OCIA. Nicholas was also involved in the development of the central document control system for the effective implementation of the US and Canadian federal regulations for Certified Organic products.
Learning Objectives
Outside
- Organic farming and growing methods (Identifying, planting, growing, ethically harvesting)
- Working in vegetable, herb and flower gardens and acres of wild crafting
- Working in greenhouse
- Herb walks (historical/folklore and at risk/endangered medicinal plants)
- Hands on work in the botanical sanctuary (UPS) includes; preparing for planting, planting and watering. Removal of invasive species
- Maintain farm properties
Production Laboratory
- Encapsulation department; bottling and labelling
- Tincture department; making products, bottling and labelling. Including tinctures, oils, ointments, glycerines and other products
- The Art of Tea; Learn everything there is to know about tea, including: how to determine a quality tea; and how to grow, pick, blend and prepare different types of tea (including lunar and solar teas)
Educational
- Peruse extensive herbal library
- The Ginkgo Tree Herbal Course (2 year diploma course) click here
Administration
- Event planning Back To Your Roots Herbal Retreat click here
- Producing marketing material (video, photos, etc)
Included in Program
Unlike most apprenticeship programs where the student pays the teacher, we want to “pay it forward” to the student. This is how we give back to our plant community and to the plants who are our greatest teachers.
- The Ginkgo Tree Herbal Course (2 year diploma course, value $895.00)
- Participate Back to Your Roots Herbal Retreat (Annual event, value $150.00)
- Weekly funds paid to apprentice 300.00
- Certificate from Back to Your Roots Apprenticeship Program
- Certificate from The Ginkgo Tree Herbal Education Program, for more info click here
- Job offer – pending approval Faunus Herbs
Required of Applicant
We are looking for a hard-working individual who would like a quiet reflective place to spend your summer, learning from the plants, fields and the woodlands surrounding this farm, are self-motivated and have basic garden skills. This would be a great opportunity for someone who craves a simplified life, the peace and quiet of the farm, and who wants to have some focused time with the plants themselves.
- Self-motivated, healthy, and hard working
- Garden skills a bonus
- April thru September
- 4 days per week Faunus Herbs (~8:00am – 3:30pm)
- A couple of Fridays working in the Sanctuary for "at risk plants"
- Maximum of 30 hours of work a week
- Herbalism course worked on diligently and unsupervised, with lessons submitted for review
- Apprentice are expected to be in a supportive role during programs/workshops the we may be working on.
- Have own transportation to and from work
Want to apply for Apprentiship?
If interested in committing to this apprenticeship please send a letter of intent to penelopebeaudrow@gmail.com by March 15th. Please include why you would be the best candidate. Interviews will begin shortly thereafter.
We are Grateful to our Sponsor
Faunus Herbs,
Cannington, ON
Location
Back to Your Roots Herbal Apprenticeship Program is nestled in the fields and woodlands of beautiful Brock Township, Ontario Canada. An ideal location for someone who craves a simplified life, the peace and quiet of the farm, and who wants to have some focused time with the plants themselves. Both farms (Faunus Herbs and The Ginkgo Tree) are just a 7-minute car ride apart. An hour from Toronto and Barrie, only half an hour from Lindsay, Port Perry, Uxbridge, Sutton and Orillia.
Contact Us
Please feel free to contact us if you have a question or concern.
General inquiries – penelopebeaudrow@gmail.com
