Canopy Farm Management
Champaign, IL
Commercialization Partner
Mentor Farm
Nursery
Canopy provides tree planting and land management services to farmers and landowners in Illinois and Wisconsin. The business establishes perennial crops, timber plantings, conservation practices, and integrated agroforestry systems.
Canopy combines expert staff, thoughtful design, and a mobile fleet of state-of-the-art farm equipment to cost-effectively establish and manage profitable, diverse, and resilient agroecological systems.
Canopy’s initial hub is located in Champaign, IL, although its mobile fleet travels throughout the state and Wisconsin to serve clients with tree planting and management services.
Project Information
Located: Champaign, IL
Social Media: @canopyFM
Website: canopyfm.com
“Canopy will support Midwestern farmers and landowners as we all work to stimulate Midwestern agriculture with profitable perennial crops and effective conservation strategies. We want to enable a second story for every farm.” Kevin Wolz, CEO of Canopy and former co-executive director of the Savanna Institute
Apprenticeship Opportunities
Canopy offers four apprenticeship opportunities each season. Apprentices work as part of a team to establish and maintain perennial agroecological systems. This is an outdoor, field work position where apprentices work closely with Canopy’s technicians. Apprentices will assist with the planting and managing of trees across the Midwest and will have the opportunity to rotate through various crews focusing on tree planting, tree protection, cover crop seeding, and farm maintenance.
Availability: Open
Qualifications
- Able to work 40 hours per week from March to June or August
- Able to lift 50 pounds
- Able to work outside, long hours, in challenging conditions
- Strong communication skills
- Commitment to participating in an open and collaborative environment
- Willingness to work independently with strong self-direction
- Willingness to participate in overnight travel when needed
Benefits
- Pay: $15-$18 per hour based on experience
- Housing: Apprentices will provide their own living arrangements off-site.
- Food: Canopy does not provide meals or ingredients except for during overnight team travel.
- Remoteness: Canopy is located in Champaign-Urbana, which is home to the University of Illinois.
Looking For Plants?
Canopy’s Nursery offers plant material in your region. Find chestnut, walnut, pecan, hazelnut, heartnut, persimmon, pawpaw, black currant, and elderberry for order in their online store. Not only does Canopy increase the availability of high-quality plant material in the region, it also donates part of its proceeds to Savanna Institute’s nonprofit research and education mission.
