Profile information
Host rating
85 %
Last replied
14 Nov 2023
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 1 day
Feedback
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Email verified
Details
Description
My partner and I are both 72 now and we do need some help with maintaining the property. I have built up a productive small scale farm on top of a big chunk of granite. Until a few years ago I could work like a Clydesdale but, not so slowly, my ability to maintain the basic operations has declined. This last period of time has been very hard on us and the farm is now at its barest operational level. I am consolidating the garden area and now concentrating more on the permaculture aspects, looking for crops that are perennial and easy to care for rather than more of a market garden orientation. My partner has very little interest in the operation and does not engage in much of the activity so the volunteers would be mostly interacting with me.
I have spent 10 years building this place up. From the time I was 65 until 70 I worked hard to try to achieve a viable economic organic farm. Because of the very small population in our area, I could not find anywhere to market my produce so after 5 years of busting my butt, I decided to downscale and only grow enough for ourselves and some to share with our community. I regularly donate parts of my crop to our local First Nations community. We live on the unceded land of the Sto:lo people, part of the great Salish Nation and our local Band is the Chawathail.
I would also like to mention,just to be clear, that although everybody checks off the LGTBQ friendly box as a matter of procedure, members of the LGTBQ community will truly find themselves welcome here with friendship and respect. We do not ask nor speculate on a person's situation or preferences. If they feel a desire to tell us or discuss with us we are comfortable with that but we allow everyone their personal space.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Language practice
Elderly Companionship
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
I have years of experience and a lot of knowledge to share regarding living a very simple life, in harmony with my surroundings. When I was 21 I built a small cabin out of all salvaged material, including the nails and only using a hammer, a saw, a square and a crowbar for tools. I had no electricity, so no power tools and that year I even cut my firewood by hand because I did not have a chainsaw. That little cabin is still standing after more than 50 years. The total cost of building was $15.
I have renovated a number of homes and taught numerous volunteers building skills as we built shops and storage on the property.
We have had over 200 volunteers from 29 countries stay with us from another program similar to this and have had many rich experiences and made a lot of friends in the process.
It is safe to say that I am very well read and have a broad range of interests not just in gardening and sustainable living but also in philosophy, history, science and mathematics, computer science, music and poetry.
One of our previous volunteers released a very good CD and acknowledged me on the leaf and, I am happy to say, borrowed one of my original lines to use in one of his songs.
If a person is looking to improve their English language skills, I can be extremely helpful and enjoy doing it. I love the English language. My parents both had careers in print media and proper grammar, reading skills and vocabulary building were part of everyday home life. I started writing poetry when I was 15 and have continued to write poetry, music and small stories throughout my life and have studied the art of writing as well.
Help
Right now we are trying to dig out and recover from a devastating time for us because of situations surrounding the pandemic and other issues related to health. The person we need now will be helping me with general homestead projects, especially at this time cleaning up and organizing the property.
We will also be doing some home renovation projects which will involve woodworking for which I will provide the necessary training however the more experience a person can bring to this the better.
I am consolidating the homestead to something more manageable for myself as I adjust to the aging process. I have grown food naturally with an eye to regenerative methods that feed back hopefully more than they take. There will be some gardening help involved and also lots of opportunities to learn from my years of experience growing food and living in harmony with nature.
I have been having mobility issues so the person I am looking for will be helping under my direct supervision and will essentially act as an extension of myself. Though I can walk and get around, I have had nerve damage in my feet and that limits the amount of time and the distances that I can walk so I need a second set of legs to minimize my own movement.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Beginner
French: Beginner
Japanese: BeginnerThis host offers a language exchange
This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
You can contact them directly for more information.
Accommodation
We have a small, but very comfortable little hut on the hillside overlooking one of our gardens. It has heat, is well insulated and it has wifi access. It is not far from the house where bathing, toilet and cooking facilities are available.
What else ...
We literally live on the edge of the wilderness. There are about a half a dozen homes in our general vicinity but for the most part our place is totally private and very quiet. Other than our few neighbours, all of whom live on fairly large properties, ours being 4+ hectares, we back onto wilderness in every direction but west where the town of Hope is. We are about 2 hours from Vancouver and we are happy to allow volunteers to use weekends to travel to the city if they like and even arrange the help so that they can take a few days to visit the city. There are tons of hiking opportunities and we have mountain bikes for volunteers use. Volunteers have often woken up to see deer grazing right outside of their door.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
This host has indicated that they love having digital nomads stay.
Space for parking camper vans
This host can provide space for campervans.
Can possibly accept pets
This host has said they are willing to accept those travelling with a pet.
How many Workawayers can stay?
One
Hours expected
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
