Gardening, cooking and carpentry at our homestead in Nova Scotia, Canada

Details

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  Description

  We are a small group of 3 (Lila, Jonathan and 1 year old Koda) looking for help for the 2024 season! Must enjoy children! We live a slow, low-tech life centred on the cycles of nature. I used to volunteer on farms and love meeting people.
  
  Daily we need help with gardening, cooking and chicken care/processing.
  There are many other possibilities for projects on the property involving carpentry, foraging, maintenance, etc. A detailed list can be found in the Help section.
  
  *There will be a 1 year old baby around 24/7* (no childcare required on your part).
  
  About us:
  We have a small homestead on 1 acre with a garden, chickens and barn cats. We currently produce for our own use:
  Organic vegetables and herbs, metal and wood crafts, meat birds, eggs, lumber milled on-site, firewood, birch and maple syrup, canned goods/preserves, apple cider, various berries and wild-crafted medicine.
  In the future we envision having a larger property, goats, ducks, rabbits, a dug greenhouse, an outdoor kitchen, root cellar, hide tannery, weaving loom and more...
  
  We are glad to share with you in return for your volunteered labour:
  Country living
  Healthy food
  Truthspeaking and open-hearted communication
  Space for self care
  
  RULES:
  - Respect all life. We condone hunting when proper acknowledgement is given.
  - No racism, sexism or homophobia
  - ***SCENT-FREE PROPERTY*** I am allergic to fragrance in soap, shampoo, cleaners, etc. Please do not arrive with clothes washed in scented detergent, wearing scented deodorant, bug spray etc!
  - No cigarettes, drugs or alcohol abuse. Weed outdoors is fine.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  General Maintenance
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  What's this?
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  What you can learn here is how to live traditionally with the land. Johnny and I are both passionate about connecting to the ways our ancestors lived. You will learn to respect water as we conserve our supply. We know many local plants and animals and can teach you identification, how to respect wildlife, how to forage sustainably, and uses/medicinal properties of harvested plants. You can camp, have a campfire, stargaze. Here in Cape Breton, Mi'kmaq and Scottish history is at the forefront. You may take a trip to a local museum, visit trails and waterfalls on the island or participate in local festivals to learn more about the people, culture and land.
  
  Lila loves medicine and offers knowledge on health, primal posture coaching, intuitive yoga, respectful childcare, holistic nutrition, herbalism, self-guided pregnancy and ancestral living.
  Jonathan is a master of all trades and offers knowledge on any physical hands-on skill you'd like to know.

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  On-site projects may include:
  
  Carpentry:
  Greenhouse
  Cabinets
  Animal shelters
  "Zome"
  Shelving
  Outhouse
  Woodshed
  Siding
  
  Garden prep
  Fruit, veggie and herb growing
  Harvest, canning, drying, batch freezing
  Setting up solar power
  Making kindling and firewood
  Foraging
  Fencing the garden
  Chicken butchering
  House renovations
  Litter/yard cleanup
  Setting up irrigation
  Ditching
  Sustainable forestry
  Slaughter, butcher
  Skinning, hide tanning
  
  Please let me know what you are interested in so we can prioritize.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  French: Intermediate

  This host offers a language exchange
  On peut parler français si tu veux.
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  Accommodation

  Sleeping:
  Either an indoor room, a tent or a van with screened windows. Volunteers are welcome to bring their own accommodation.
  
  Amenities:
  Outhouse in the woods
  Woodstove
  Rainwater at the kitchen sink for washing hands and dishes
  Locally collected spring water for drinking and cooking
  Indoor flush toilet
  Oven/stove-top
  Clothes washer
  A small dishwasher
  *No shower yet* --- For washing, you can heat a big pot of water and take it into the woods with a cup, or fill a water jug with a spigot and rig it up on a tree. Only all-natural soaps are allowed to prevent harming wildlife, we can provide. On hot days we go swimming in the saltwater lake nearby.
  
  Food:
  We are omnivores but can accommodate other diets. In general, we eat whole foods and avoid processed foods. Please help yourself to cooking what you'd like. I'd appreciate if you made food for all of us at least once a day as the baby keeps me busy. You can buy yourself any special treats such as coffee or chips at the Whycocomagh Co-op 10 mins away.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  This host has indicated that they love having digital nomads stay.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  This host can provide space for campervans.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  Hours expected

  5 hours per day, 5 days per week.

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