Canada
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Six years ago I started a started a market garden business to sell mostly lettuce mixes and microgreens. My partner Alan came as a Woofer 11 years ago (and hasn't left) and we are passionate about growing our own food as well as providing it to other islanders. This is a very agricultural island and I spent 10 years on the Board of the DI Growers & Producers Alliance. Their motto is Denman Feeding Denman. I believe the climate crisis makes it essential that people know how to grow food. I love to educate people about how they can feed themselves, even within a small space.
Unfortunately we can't accept pets as we have four cats (3 of which are feral) and they aren't comfortable around dogs.
Alan loves to cook especially our own food. You can also meet young people who have recently come here to farm. There is so much going on on this island! It's a fabulous, caring community and we love it here!
2021 has been a strange and challenging year with covid but we hope to have helpers in the Fall even though we don't plant much then Another challenge was a bout with breast cancer so I am immunosupressed having had chemotherapy in 2020 so we have to be careful and anyone who comes here has to be fully vaccinated. I am doing fine now but need to take care. We look forward to having helpers in 2022!
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
If you are interested you can learn about how to run a market garden business and about rural life on an island that has lots of community events. We have lots of artisans, painters, potters, weavers and a vibrant community. Alan and I are both ex-Brits now Canadians who are well-travelled and love to engage in discussions over dinners on the deck.
We will need help in the Fall with cleaning up the garden and getting the garden ready for the next season. In Spring we need help seeding, transplanting and planting in the raised garden beds, watering, and general garden maintenance work. We do not use chemicals or anything toxic. We make our own soil and compost. There are three greenhouses.
In season, we mostly eat our own and island produce that is organically grown. We welcome people who enjoy physical labour and who like to learn new skills. You don't need a lot of gardening experience we can show you. Micky our gorgeous cat loves to help with keeping the mice down and being petted!
English: Fluent
Spanish: Beginner
French: Beginner
Our guests stay in a lovely 12x12 Annexe room next to the house which contains a queen-size bed, dresser, desk, wardrobe, tea/coffee-maker, and bath/shower. There is wifi.
Alan does a lot of bbq-ing in summer and most of the cooking but we love to taste other peoples' dishes so encourage help with the cooking. We like to know what you like to eat (or not) before you arrive so we can stock up.
We are close to the ferry to Hornby Island which is a very touristy island with gorgeous beaches (ours are rocky). There is a bicycle for getting around. We live in a quiet place but have an active social life and usually invite our helpers to social and cultural events. There is a potluck dinner each week at one of the farms where you can meet young and older people and there are dances at the Hall each month. You can hike/walk the trails, watch the wildlife, swim in the ocean, get a tan, play pickleball and other games at the Denman Activity Centre.
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
This host can provide space for campervans.
Two
Maximum 4 hours a day, 5 days a week
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