Learn & Stay on the Ranch
We offer volunteer learning opportunities. We know not everyone has a ranch to learn on and we have decided to open our ranch gates to a few people throughout the year.
We welcome you whether you are local to the area & want to come learn OR you are from farther away or maybe out of Canada & want to come stay & learn from us.
Do you dream of experiencing the quiet yet busy life of the Ranch Way of Life? Do you love being out in a remote area, surrounded by many animals and others who enjoy the life of the cowboy/cowgirl?
Would you love to have the cultural experience of how to grow your own food and live mostly off the land? We can offer a quiet place in the country surrounded by many different farm animals. In the spring and summer our place is busting with babies and lots to do outside including running equipment to make hay, building fence, working with animals and more. And in the winter there is much to learn on how to grow and care for the animals as well as training young horses.
We offer insight and training and knowledge of how to build something great from nothing. We have approx. 30-40 horses roaming the ranch, and we foal out 10 plus mares a year, 50 ish cattle to care for with approx 20 calves to come this spring!
We also raise table eggs (farm to table) so have approx 200 laying hens. Not to mention the pigs, baby piglets, chicks that are on their way, dogs, and puppies when we welp a litter. And we can’t forget our barn cats, so if you're an animal and nature lover, and enjoy this type of work we would love to have your help.
We offer the unique experience of sharing our knowledge of building a successful Ranch from the ground up. We have experience of direct marketing, advertising, promoting our services, and are continually learning ourselves how to thrive in the ever changing Ranch Business and are more than happy to share this knowledge with others who are passionate. We can offer food (we will have meals both together and separately) and accommodations (in the summer would look like a 5th wheel holiday trailer close to the house with power, bathroom amenities are inside the house and laundry for your use), winter is your own room within the house. We welcome couples and have a beautiful Queen size bed in the room.
How does this work?
Hosting & Accomodations: In the winter: can host one guest or one couple In the summer we can host up to 4 guests/couples. In trade for some hard but very rewarding and very enjoyable work around the farm. KD Ranch is a Ranch has been built from the ground up by a young passionate family, and we are constantly growing so there's so much to experience here! Our kids help along side us, so enjoying the little joys of having kids around is a must. Our kids are 2 and 6 yrs so enjoying the busting life they bring is important for our guest to know that we are an active busy household. We are hoping to become more and more involved in taking in opportunities to showcase our horses and cattle in the future and this is something you could also be a part of as well. We have local rodeos and events you could also attend. And sometimes in the winter we make a trip to the local indoor riding arena to ride and work with young horses. Our little area has things to explore & experience with a welcoming small town feel. Please note we are 25 minutes to the nearest town, 15 to the nearest hamlet with a small store and restaurant, so you will have to enjoy being secluded and your own transportation is a bonus but not required.
Benefits for the volunteer helper: - Learn the ins and outs on building and running a ranch - Gain valuable experience on animal husbandry skills - Gain valuable experience on training and marketing animals - Gain skills of hard work, dedication, and how to critically think - Enjoy the beauty nature and the animals bring & ride some great horses - Experience the learning and opportunities our area has - We are looking for someone who has the same level of passion, compassion, and enthusiasm for animals and the ranch way of life as us. Someone who loves learning and being part of a team, but also loves the quiet and peace this life brings. Someone who finds joy in hard work, and a natural love for doing what's best for the animals and the land. - Free WiFi access For the right person we can give you riding experiences. And we can train and advance your skills in horsemanship, especially with groundwork. And depending on your confidence level we offer opportunities for horseback riding.
Examples of the expected work in trade for the experience, accommodations, food and learning experience: We expect an average of 4-6 hours a day or 28-42/hours a week of help in exchange. Depending on what works for our guests we often have it scheduled so you will have 1-2 days of rest or for you to explore the area outside of experiencing our ranch. Work may include tasks such as: • Labour work: must be able to and willing to do physical work • Assisting with calving and foaling • Treatment and care for cattle, horses, chickens, pigs, dogs etc. • Fencing • Cleaning manure • General farm clean up and maintenance • Driving machinery (if not trained we are willing to train) • Assisting with halter breaking and basic training of horses and cows • Cooking, cleaning, and yard work • Good and comfortable with children as our children will be working along side many jobs • We believe in safety first, and will train in all the tasks and are often working along side, and always in the bigger ones.
A bit more about us
A couple unique things about us to know is better besides growing up on and now building our own ranch from scratch. Kenny is a heavy duty mechanic and equipment operator and has utility operator. He is very skilled in running equipment and for those who are interested and pay attention to detail and are careful operators he can help teach you skills. Denay has been in the emergency fields as a medic and fire fighter for almost a decade and a half and now teaches first aid. She has worked in the mental health fields and working through hours towards her in equine facilities wellness certification. She is passionate to teach others if they are too about both and brings much of the sensitivity care training to her training for the horses and handling of all the animals. We have truly enjoyed hosting before and are excited to continue to open our home and ranch to help them grow and learn as they enjoy this life as we do. You will become a part of the family, & the gorgeous life we do. It work be exactly like the movies, you will get to learn the real grit it takes to live this beautiful life. Prepare for hard work, great feelings of accomplishments, laughs, lots of animal and nature time, and an experience of a lifetime! We look forward to meeting you.
What we are & What we are not We are not a fancy stable & if you're looking for perfection you won't find that here. What you will find is a down to earth family who is always looking for ways to learn & grow. We strive to be innovative & care for the land, our animals, & the customers we serve.
