Help us establish an organic apple orchard and a cidery in Quebec, Canada

Canada

updated Last minute

Favourited 563 times

Host rating
Feedback
36
Last activity
21/10/2021
Nº of Facebook friends
621
Reply rate
100.0 %
Average reply time:
within 2 days
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This listing is a Last minute host. They have let us know that they are looking for help immediately as well as at other times of the year.

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Availability

2021

Min stay requested: at least 2 weeks

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What's this?

Details

Description
My spouse and I moved to rural Quebec 2014 to grow apples, make organic apple products and eventually cider. In the spring of 2016 we planted the first portion of the orchard.
I am originally from Estonia and Beatrice is French Canadian and we have two young sons who go to school and daycare.
We are living on 160 acres of land near the Ottawa river, between Ottawa and Montreal. We are between the villages of Papineauville and Montebello, a very popular touristic area with the biggest log structure in the world :)!
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Help around the house
General Maintenance
UN sustainablity goals this host is trying to achieve
...
...
What's this?
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
You can help a new apple orchard and be part of making apple products from the organic apples and other garden products (depends on the season).
You will be rewarded by seeing how your work can change things and you will learn to value your work:)
If you like to hike in the forest, read or just sit quietly after the tasks are done, then this is the place for you.
Help
I'm new to farming and I am learning a lot as I go. I need help, for example, in the orchard taking care the trees, making apple products, manage the vegetable garden and all other kinds of odd jobs.
As i can teach volunteers, a volunteer can guide me as well.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Estonian: Fluent
French: Fluent
Accommodation
Private bedroom.
What else ...
We need your help around the organic apple orchard. We are located 80 km from Ottawa and 120 from Montreal. On your free time you can visit either of those cities or go for bike rides ( i have bikes to lend) around the beautiful area. We have long hiking trails on the property which offer the possibility to get lost for an afternoon while exploring and discovering the local nature and wildlife, including deer and wild turkeys.

Our place is NOT for the workawayers who:
1) are not prepared to work hard
2) are afraid to break their nails or have dirty hands
3) have no money left and just want a cheap place to stay
4) want to be paid in exchange for their work
5) are stubborn and unable to follow instructions without arguing
6) know they won’t be able to endure uncomfortable positions such as weeding in a bended position, working under a blazing sun, standing for a good part of the day, lifting heavy loads, etc.
7) have an addiction (drugs, alcohol, etc). We are not a rehab center!
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.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Hours expected
5 hours a day, 5 days a week

Photos

Show all photos

Mont Tremblant ski-resort, #1 in Eastern North America.

Planting the orchard

Planting the trees

Feedback left by and about host (36)

These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.

Accuracy of profile:
(4.9)

Cultural exchange:
(4.6)

Communication:
(4.4)

13/08/2021

Left by Workawayer (Olivier) for host

I had a great experience with Mikhel and his family ! Their projects are awesome and they put so much passion to do it. I have learnt a lot a skills, since Mihkel and Béatrice are really nice, they love what they do and want to communicate it.
I can't wait to see when your cider will be on stores ;)

(Excellent )

10/06/2020

Left by Workawayer (Victor & Quentin) for host

Please see our feedback policy for more info about why this review is not displayed

(Neutral )

28/05/2020

Left by Workawayer (Lia) for host

I spent half a winter at Mihkel's place and it was amazing!
As my first experience with work away and winter, I was very happy to have met with Mihkel, Beatrice, their two little kids and Tartu.
Their energy is very positive and the time spent with them always brought me joy. They're very easy going and their kids are the most lovely kids I've… read more

(Excellent )

25/04/2020

Left by host for Workawayer (Kostas)

Dean stayed with us during the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis in April 2020. His stay with us was unique as he accomplished all his work while in quarantine. During his stay, he renovated a bathroom (tiling the floor) and build a new laundry room (new frame, drywall, floors, piping etc). We were satisfied with the end result. It is obvious that… read more

(Very good )

23/04/2020

Left by Workawayer (Kostas) for host

Mihkel is a nice host and he takes care of his guests. I was workawayer for Mihkel from 8th April till 22nd April. He listened my ideas carefully and he gave great attention. He also gave a decent effort to advice me and enrich me with new ideas. I think he is kind of "workaholic"like me. But for sure he enjoys improving his projects and be… read more

(Excellent )

08/11/2019

Left by Workawayer (Marine & Johany) for host

We had a wonderful time with Beatrice and Mihkel during one month in October. And it was a journey for discovering a lot thing around the apple and all things we can do with apple. We saw how to make cider, beer, apple juice, tomatoes and apple chips. We kept clean their garden and orchard, we made some woodship, we picked up apple on trees... and… read more

(Excellent )

27/10/2019

Left by Workawayer (Clément) for host

It was a real pleasure to come to such a wonderful place. I learned a lot about apples and all the things you can made with. Making cider and apple juice was such a nice experience. And even brewing a beer! I really enjoy to be hosted by a warm and welcoming family and I was lucky to be have been able to share their daily live. Thank you Mihkel… read more

(Excellent )

26/09/2019

Left by Workawayer (Avner) for host

My girlfriend and I spent two weeks at the orchard and were warmly welcomed into their home. They were very nice and even found their guitar and took it out of storage for us. like it says in the profile the work is hard but you get plenty of free time. They gave us great suggestion and we went on an amazing hike in their forest. Along with the… read more

(Excellent )

12/08/2019

Left by Workawayer (Manon) for host

I had a really great time with this welcoming family, my experience lasted 3 weeks and I realized many different tasks : plantations in the garden, apple trees maintenance, help during the campers reception for the Montebello Rock festival,...
Children are players and used to seeing people at home. Mihkel and Beatrice have a beautiful property… read more

(Excellent )

20/07/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Giulian)

Giulian helped us with planting new apple trees from nursery to orchard. As well with maintaining the property and taking care the apple trees.

(Excellent )

10/06/2019

Left by Workawayer (Giulian) for host

Mihkel and Beatrice are good people with a clear purpose, so it was a privilege to have been with them and their family. Une mouche, une mouche! Learned a lot and am carrying some good memories with me. J'suis vraiment reconnaissante.

(Excellent )

04/06/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Mayuka)

It is with great pleasure that we hosted Mayuka for four weeks. She is a very happy and pleasant person and it felt like she was part of our family right away. She is curious and was always eager to take part in a wide rage of tasks around the orchard and the house. She paid close attention to details so that were able to trust her in… read more

(Excellent )

24/05/2019

Left by Workawayer (Mayuka) for host

I was lucky and happy to get to know such a nice family and place. I spent 4 weeks there, and I did various tasks like making maple syrup from maple sap, cleaning and preparing the orchard, planting seeds of vegetables, making and wrapping apple products, taking care of the nursery, making craft of new apple trees, cleaning the other house,… read more

(Excellent )

14/05/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Alexandre & Hector)

Hector was staying with us about 3 weeks. We did enjoy the time with him a lot, he is super positive, always smiling and ready to help you out. He is very easy to guide and he is very particular about details and how things work.
He helped us around the apple orchard, build/design bird houses and install them on trees, general maintenance around… read more

(Excellent )

21/04/2019

Left by Workawayer (Alexandre & Hector) for host

Mihkel, Beatrice, their sons and Tartu, an interesting Family, with a lot to learn and very good examples from them. They are always friendly, attentive, servicial and make you feel very comfortable in their place.
They are a clear example of how to work for your life’s plans.
A lot of things to look after at the orchard, maple syrup trees,… read more

(Excellent )

22/03/2019

Left by Workawayer (Jumpei) for host

I stayed there just for one months but I had a wonderful time thanks to Mihikel’s family and friends. They are so friendly so I really enjoyed talking with them.And I learned a lot from Mihikel, for example, the importance of responsibility. I’m not good at speaking and hearing English but Mihikel always tries to understand me. He is a great man.… read more

(Excellent )

21/03/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Jumpei)

Friendly, polite, clean, curious, hardworking, there is no shortage of positive words to describe Jumpei and our experience with him on the farm. Jumpei joined us in February, in the middle of a very snowy winter. Among other things, he helped us keep up with the snow and ice management around the property and in the apple orchard. He also… read more

(Excellent )

12/11/2018

Left by host for Workawayer (Lucas)

Lucas was a great help around the farm, he helped to build a deer fence and worked around apple orchard as well cleaned a big bushy area with a machete (a job for not everyone :))

(Excellent )

09/11/2018

Left by host for Workawayer (Julien & Irina)

Julien & Irina are amazing couple, they are full of energy, always keen to help and to learn new things. They helped us around the orchard to pick apples, repairing/cleaning deer fence, making different apple products, cleaning the fields and so on. We enjoyed every day we spent with them and wish all the best in their journey!

(Excellent )

20/10/2018

Left by Workawayer (Julien & Irina) for host

We have spent the 3 most amazing weeks with Mihkel's family. It was such changing and helpful experience for us. We learned many things about apple trees and products, about life on farming, hunting and Estonian & Québec cultures. Mihkel and Béatrice are very kind and supportive : they made us feel like at home. We learned how to cook home bread… read more

(Excellent )

01/07/2018

Left by host for Workawayer (Jacques-Antoine)

Jaco and Adrianne were great help around the house. They helped with a wide variety of tasks including to boil and bottle maple syrup, prepare apple tree nursery, graft and plant apple trees and built a greenhouse. They were fast learners. They followed all house rules. We enjoyed many evenings playing board games with them. All the best in your… read more

(Excellent )

29/05/2018

Left by Workawayer (Jacques-Antoine) for host

We spent two enriching months at Béatrice and Mihkel place. Our stay gave us opportunity to learn a lot and not only about running an apple tree farm. How to make maple syrup, cut split and stack heating wood, craft trees by grafting process, craft beer (and taste it), bread, cheese and much more. Sharing the family life was also a good… read more

(Excellent )

01/07/2018

Left by host for Workawayer (Steve & Luke )

Steve and Luke were great help around the farm, forestry tasks (cutting trees and splitting firewood) and fencing the property. They were pleasant, clean and dedicated to their tasks. We recommend them to any host.

(Excellent )

05/04/2018

Left by Workawayer (Steve & Luke ) for host

We enjoyed our three week stay at Beatrice and Mihkel orchard, situated in Montebello the location offers good public transport connections and wild walking to the north of the property. Mihkel took us skiing at Mont trem blanc (we did our best!) which was a great experience, as to was the sauna which was hot, hot, hot!
The tasks at hand were… read more

(Excellent )

01/07/2018

Left by host for Workawayer (Agnese & Michele)

Agnese & Michele
Agnese and Michele were amazing volunteers. They arrived at a busy time at the farm where we had to deal with a caterpillar invasion in the orchard and at the same time prep for hosting 250 campers for the festival. With their vibrant and positive personalities, they helped to accomplish all the tasks at record speed, leaving us… read more

(Excellent )

27/06/2018

Left by Workawayer (Agnese & Michele) for host

We spent two weeks at Mihkel and Beatrice place, right before and during the Montebello Rockfest. We helped the guys in the orchard for a bit but mostly we helped them out setting up a camping for hosting 250 people during the festival. Things can be very crazy and stressful when you have such a huge project but in the end we had so much fun, we… read more

(Excellent )

20/02/2018

Left by host for Workawayer (Isabell)

Isabell stayed with us for two weeks. She was shy at first but warmed up during her stay as she got to know us more. She helped to fix a fence broken by the ice and participated in stacking firewood.
Inside the house she was good at watching over the baby and entertaining the toddler. Isabell also treated us by cooking a delicious traditional… read more

(Excellent )

20/02/2018

Left by host for Workawayer (Léa)

It was an immense pleasure to have Léa stay with us for two and a half months. With her permanent smile and her great laughter, she has the ability to brighten the mood everywhere she goes. Léa is self-confident and motivated towards accomplishing any given task. From the first day she arrived, we knew we could trust her and she proved us right!… read more

(Excellent )

09/12/2017

Left by Workawayer (Léa) for host

I stayed for two and a half months on the farm, and I truly loved it there. From the start I felt absolutely welcomed and taken care of, and Mihkel and Béatrice always made sure I was comfortable.

At the beginning I decorated the sauna, which was a superfun project. After that, general maintenance tasks, blowing the leaves, weeding, cleaning… read more

(Excellent )

07/12/2017

Left by host for Workawayer (Yannick)

It was with great pleasure that we hosted Yannick in May and June 2017. Yannick is a smart, dedicated and valuable helper. He understands instructions and always follows tasks through to the end. When complications arise, he can provide useful suggestions on how to solve them.
Yannick spent a lot of his time here helping us to prepare for and… read more

(Excellent )

30/06/2017

Left by Workawayer (Yannick) for host

These two months were a blast!
Right from the start I felt welcome in this friendly and agile family and that nerver changed during my time there.
We worked a lot, but never too much and the tasks were very diversified and interesting. If mowing lawn, supportnig the trees, building a sauna-table, cutting trees... - it was always fun!
After work,… read more

(Excellent )

17/05/2017

Left by Workawayer (Karolin) for host

My first workaway eperience could not have been better :) From day one I felt very welcome and more as part of the family than just as a guest. I really enjoyed the time with Mihkel, Beatrice and their adorable little son Vidrik. The painting inside the house was meditating and the work in the forest and in the snow were exercising and fun. The… read more

(Excellent )

08/05/2017

Left by host for Workawayer (Karolin)

It was a real pleasure to have Karolin come help us. She is easy going, pleasant, tidy, trustworthy and very good company.
Karolin is one of those people who can follow directions and has good common sense. It was easy and pleasant to work with her. She has great work ethics, learns quickly and does a thorough job on all her tasks. Among other… read more

(Excellent )

03/02/2017

Left by Workawayer (Mélia) for host

We had a very good time with Béatrice and Mihkel, a very nice couple. We spent one month at their farm with their dog and their sweet little boy. We enjoyed very much working outdoors with the snow and the wood. Béatrice's happy mood is contagious. We are very grateful for their kindness and generosity.

(Excellent )

15/12/2016

Left by host for Workawayer (Mia)

Mia and James became part of our family from the start. They are trustworthy, responsible, helpful and a very friendly couple. James is experienced and good at using many different tools. With his help, all the tasks went much faster. He helped build a sauna from scratch and accomplished many different maintenance jobs around the house. Mia was… read more

(Excellent )

11/12/2016

Left by Workawayer (Mia) for host

We cannot even begin to explain how much we enjoyed staying on the farm with Mihkel, Beatrice, Vidrik and Tartu! From the moment we arrived, we felt welcomed into their family. Our room was private, spacious, clean and comfortable and we had our own en suite which was amazing.
Throughout our entire stay we were extremely well fed, and Beatrice… read more

(Excellent )

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