Come and play with the plants in our small market garden Near Nelson B.C., Canada

Details

• 

  Description

  Welcome! Come and learn how to play with the plants. We are looking for apprentice/ helpers from March 15 /April 1st and on wards until the end of October & possibly a short way into November (weather dependent). We prefer Helpers who can stay for at least 8 weeks, though depending on our needs and the time of year we will consider a shorter stay.We are a small organic market garden, providing vegetables, berries ,herbs and edible flowers to a farmer's market, restaurants and families in the Nelson area. My husband and I have been running the market garden for 17 years. Gardening experience is not essential, we prefer a desire and willingness to learn. There is room for your inspiration and creativity here. If you have an interest in guiding and teaching others you can take on various challenges in the leaderships aspects of the garden & kitchen.
  
  Although we are a market garden your tasks as an apprentice/volunteer helper, will be learning and participating with myself & other volunteer helpers in the smaller garden that we use for our own personal consumption, planting, weeding, harvesting ,mulching ,pruning and learning how to make vegetable compost, and other tasks that are all part of growing a successful garden .We will be doing some yard & property maintenance such as lawn mowing ,weed whipping , small landscaping & raised garden bed building projects on the property In the fall help is needed with canning, drying & preserving foods ,making soups for our consumption & winter storage .
  
  We are looking for apprentices/Helpers with a serious and genuine interest in learning organic gardening skills, You must be teachable, able to follow directions , ask questions as needed, and to participate cooperatively with others as well individually .If you are reliable, honest, responsible, physically fit, enjoy outdoor activities in most weather conditions then we would be happy to host you.
  
  We provide a wonderful opportunity to learn about organic gardening, perm a culture, a large variety of different food plants, drying and processing ,as well as local food networks,
  
  We are an easy 20 minute car ride from the cafes , pubs and stores of Nelson, and 10 minutes from Balfour. There is a very dependable bus service available just minute from the garden to get you to Nelson and other destinations. There is forest to explore above the property with many hiking and biking trails. Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park is a 10min bicycle ride . A semi-private beach is just 5 minutes down the road for swimming, fishing, canoeing and kayaking. We have bikes for you to use, a badminton court, and two hammocks under the walnut tree as well as a fire pit to cozy up to & enjoy with friends on those starry nights .

• 

  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Language practice

  Teaching

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Farmstay help

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
• 

  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

  ×

  ...

  ...

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  What's this?
• 

  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Travelers will learn Canadian country culture how to live simply & prepare for winter ,always the ultimate goal when growing a garden in the north. We will share Conservative homesteading knowledge like how to make do with what is on hand & think on your feet & how to keep from getting mauled by Bears or cougars ,.as well as letting the weather dictate our daily living and what it means to live in a place where the forest & nature are your entertainment centers with little need for money.They will learn about the first homesteaders ,the gardens are situated on the original homestead for this area and was a sheep farm at that time .We spend many nites around the outdoor camp fires exchanging stories & local lore .
  
  ... WE also have helpers from many different countries at one time ( now July 2017 we enjoy sharing with 2 Chillain ,& a German woman and 2 men a Scott and a ,Swede who are always happy to share details of their homes & culture .

• 

  Help

  We understand the need for balance between work and recreation, so we offer a different arrangement to traditional " Helper/Apprentices ". We are asking for only 2 hours a day in exchange for accommodation and utilities only. Share fully furnished kitchen and living area and laundry ,wireless Internet provided. Sorry, we can’t provide meals (except for some garden produce that you can arrange to trade extra hours of help for) you will need to have enough monetary funds to supply your own personal needs . We allow Helper`s to help for 2 hrs per day or two 7-hour days if they like ( or we can try and arrange for personal schedule ) and have 5 free days for exploring the Kootenays. We have lived here for 30 years and know a lot of people in the area .. it seem that lots of locals look for some temporary help on & off during the season . Helper`s have a private clean room in our home or in one of two of our caravans, Or Tenting ( we call this Glamping as you have a large tent complete with futon frame bed & mattress) please ask about what will be available ( if you are concerned about this) .. Adult oriented (sorry no kids or pets) No smoking in the house. Please bring appropriate clothing and foot wear as well as a good head light or flashlight .

• 

  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent

• 

  Accommodation

  A clean place in one of our caravans ( we have 3 ) or a room in the house .

• 

  What else ...

  We are an easy 20 minute car ride from the cafes , pubs and stores of Nelson, and 10 minutes from Balfour. There is a very dependable bus service available just minute from the garden to get you to Nelson and other destinations. There is forest to explore above the property with many hiking and biking trails. Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park is a 10min bicycle ride . A semi-private beach is just 5 minutes down the road for swimming, fishing, canoeing and kayaking. We have bikes for you to use, a badminton court, and two hammocks under the walnut tree as well as a fire pit to cozy up to & enjoy with friends on those starry nights .
  Many countries require a work visa in order to be a volunteer helper abroad. Several countries, including Australia, New Zealand, UK, Ireland and Canada have Working Holiday Schemes for young people from certain countries, which you may wish to investigate further. You may need a work visa to come to Canada as a workawayer.. ask me about this

• 

  A little more information

  • 

    Internet access

  • 

    Limited internet access

  • 

    We have pets

  • 

    We are smokers

  • 

    Can host families

• 

  Space for parking camper vans

  This host can provide space for campervans.

• 

  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

• 

  Hours expected

  2 hours per day (no food provided)

Feedback (22)