Join our family on small hobby farm in Roberts Creek, Canada

Details

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  Description

  We are a blended family (LGBTQ2S) living on a 2 acres getting things established for our vision of a small hobby farm. At the moment, mostly rebuilding soil with the help of horses, growing some food and recently have begun to host cultural and craft workshops.
  
  I work non-profit, my partner is a fashion designer, we are both entrepreneurs and our sons are in school. We have a large playful 3 year old dog (labradoodle), a 3 legged cat, 2 horses and lots of extended family and friends live nearby and come to stay. We enjoy eating delicious and healthy food. We don't drink alcohol but don't mind if other people do casually. We celebrate neurodivergence in our family and appreciate some awareness in those we host. We are only hosting volunteers at this time. Landscaping, horse care and food growing are our priorities.

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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

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  Interests

  

  Politics / Social justice

  

  LGBTQ

  

  Sustainability

  

  Culture

  

  Charity work

  

  Farming

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Art & design

  

  Plant care

  

  Gardening

  

  Animals

  

  Hiking

  

  Water sports

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Nature
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We plan to host community workshops like moccasin making, Indigenous hide-tanning workshops and cultural craft camps a couple times per year as well as animal communication, meditation and yoga.
  
  In addition to experiencing the culture of the small beach side town on the Sunshine Coast, there are opportunities within the community to learn from First Nations knowledge keepers about the local lands, forest and waterways. Please google Sunshine Coast, BC and the communities of Gibsons, Roberts Creek and Sechelt specifically.
  
  There are opportunities to learn animal care and horsemanship, landscaping and gardening.
  
  * Please note we are an politically progressive, queer and an Indigenous family with a racially and gender diverse community and we don't tolerate hate or bigotry of any kind. Plus side - we are a safe space. *

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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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  Host offers payment in line with the minimum wage

  This host offers accommodation and payment.

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  Help

  We are looking for short term stays and open to various forms of exchange. At the moment we are only looking for volunteer exchange.
  
  For the Farm and Family (volunteer)
  - landscaping
  - horse care; feeding, paddock cleaning, arena and barn maintenance
  - horse training (with expertise)
  - firewood
  - math tutoring
  - general property maintenance; recycling, lawn care, powerwashing, leaf blowing
  - vegetable garden prep
  - fruit tree pruning
  - fence maintenance
  - rain water collection system set-up
  - small construction projects: deck + tent platform, painting, outdoor wood oven, firewood wood shed, split rail fence building, carpentry; benches, outdoor tables, stairs.
  
  A typical workday might look like waking up and jumping in the ocean (if you're an early bird), having breakfast in the sun, then feeding horses and cleaning paddocks, filling water buckets and sweeping out the barn, watering and weeding the vegetable garden, painting a shed or harvesting plums and apples (maybe canning them?) , repairing a fence or chopping firewood, running to the hardware store or prepping lunch and then heading off to mountain bike or hike on some local trails or to find some waterfalls and a good coffee. 3-4 hours weekdays would be plenty.
  
  Looking for folks with relevant skill, experience and knowledge who can do some of the things listed unsupervised.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  French: Intermediate

  This 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.
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  Accommodation

  *NOTE* We are in the process of repairing / replacing our tent and stove after a year of hosting. So we will be prioritizing workaways with campers or airstreams or those who are happy in a camping tent (not glamping) in the near future. We have indoor cook cabin and washhouse (does not include sleeping accommodations) which includes sink with hot water, mini-fridge, counter top convection oven, an outdoor BBQ, an electric composting toilet and outdoor shower and bathtub in the forest overlooking the creek. This would definitely qualify as a "glamping" type of accommodation so anyone staying would need to be comfortable with camping. At times, there may be other guests in other tents sharing the cook cabin and washroom facilities.
  
  Across the creek there is a small hobby farm which has chickens, pigs, sheep and turkeys so you get the expected animal noises over the sound of the rushing water. Earplugs if you're a light sleeper are highly recommended. Depending on the timing and duration of stay we can share meals in the main house or we can share some meals and you can prepare meals yourself in the cook cabin. I can provide groceries.

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  What else ...

  We live in paradise in the temperate rainforest, on the side of mountain 5 minutes from the Pacific ocean and many beaches. There is a public transit bus route a 10 minute walk away and world class hiking and mountain biking trails from the foot of our quiet street. Besides obviously horse activities, in the summer months there is every water sport, kayaking, swimming, fishing, stand-up paddle-boarding, even kite surfing when the wind is right. There isn't regular surfing but a few times a year when it's storming some die-hard surfers have been known to ride local breaks. We are a 50 minute journey (including a ferry ride) from the city of Vancouver and easy access to Squamish and Whistler and other local ski hills in the winter months.
  
  Our community has a rich arts and culture scene with many opportunities to see live music, theatre, farmers and artisan markets. We are a small warm family who enjoys hosting guests and spending time outside and we like to entertain, hosting bonfires and dinner parties.
  
  * Note About Allergies: because we are a farm there are a lot of allergens present, dust, cut grass, cats, dogs, horses, farm animals, rogue forest eggs, leaf mold + compost, flower and tree pollen, wood chips, woodsmoke, and sometimes in large amounts all at once. We have learned from experience that people with severe allergies find it very unpleasant to be on a our property and that there are no tasks that totally limit the exposure so this is an important consideration for anyone considering our place. *

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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

  I work from home and can accommodate workers who need internet access to do their work.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  We have space for short term camper van parking if it is in good working order and tidy. Electrical hookup available, not sewage hookup.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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