Head for the hills and help us out with garden and hobby farm projects near New Denver, Canada

Details

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  Description

  UPDATE: We are shearing the sheep in early May! WE ARE ESPECIALLY EXCITED TO HOST PEOPLE WITH CONSTRUCTION EXPERIENCE THIS SPRING/SUMMER. Would you like to learn how to milk a sheep (or three?) and make some cheese? (milking/cheesemaking happen from March to September as lambs are born in the spring time ) My husband and I live on 10 wooded acres, 15 minutes from town in either direction. We have 1 llama, 6 sheep (plus 5 lambs), 1 guardian dog, 1 rough collie, 2 cats, chickens and a large garden. It's best if you DO NOT bring a dog/cat with you as our guardian is not good with other dogs, even wonderful, chill, nice ones. We grow the garden and raise the animals for our own use, not a business. We have abundant water and a bathhouse with laundry and shower/tub facilities but use an outhouse toilet. We have a canoe and row boat with access to Slocan Lake, a 5 minute drive away. The Galena Trail runs very close to our property and is a great place to walk, run, bike and is tracked for cross country skiing in the winter. We are empty nesters, except for one daughter who is here for the summer season and holidays. We are renovating our small cabin, live in a small mobile home and have a separate tiny cabin (bedroom, sitting room) available for a single or couple to stay in. I am a full time teacher, and my husband is retired. We are looking for a good fit for short or longer term help from Workawayers that already have their visas sorted out. Please come prepared to shovel snow and carry firewood while winter is here. We are nonsmokers and occasional social drinkers. We have assorted kinds of jobs like cooking, cleaning, some carpentry, animal feeding and care, firewood/landscaping, and loads of gardening jobs.In March/April, our ewes have their lambs, so that's sweet time to come if you want to experience that, milk, and make cheese. Winter is the quietest time of year here (November-March) so come prepared for stoking the fires, shorter daylight hours, and lots of cloudy/rainy/snowy days. If you speak French, I can likely bring you to school to help me teach French class.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Elderly Companionship

  Teaching

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  Interests

  

  Self development

  

  Events & social

  

  Pets

  

  Farming

  

  Plant care

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Gardening

  

  Drawing & painting

  

  Animals

  

  Art & design

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Nature

  

  Dancing
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Travellers could learn how to grow and maintain a garden, learn some small hobby farm animal husbandry skills, explore Canada's only interior rainforest (the Slocan Valley where we are located). We have lots of hiking and exploring opportunities, a canoe and row boat with access to the Slocan Lake and are close to the delightful small towns of New Denver/Silverton and Nakusp. If desired, travellers can learn home maintenance and renovation skills including chinking our cabin along side of us. There is a public bus that goes to Nelson on Tuesdays and Wednesdays every week.

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  Help

  We love to do all the things listed above and are happy to mentor learners to do tasks along side us and independently, at times.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  French: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  My husband spent 7 years in Quebec many years ago and speaks rusty Quebecois French. I have very little experience in French and want to learn more so I can teach beginner French to my grade 6/7 class.
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  Accommodation

  Separate, private two room, small cabin with electric heat and internet and queen size bed, as well as access to full kitchen in nearby main cabin (the one getting renovated). Bathhouse with laundry/shower/tub. Outhouse.

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  What else ...

  We have excellent high speed internet, brilliant hiking trails including the Galena Trail, a five minute walk through the woods, canoe, row boat, old bicycles and make frequent trips to towns in either direction. We have good relationships with neighbors and young people in the community for social connections but also have lots of art shows, summer recreation opportunities and markets, and make trips to Nelson once or twice a month for city services. There is a local public bus that takes you to Nakusp or Nelson a couple of times a week. It is somewhat challenging to get here if you don't have a car. There is a bus service: Mountain Man Mike's that comes from Vancouver or Calgary. Depending on the timing, we can sometimes pick you up from Kaslo, Nelson or Castlegar. Rider Express takes you to Revelstoke. We've had a couple of Workawayers hitchhike from there.

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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

  We have a pretty reliable internet service, so you could do some work from here, likely without issue.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  We have a great, private camping spot that is vehicle accessible and could have power hook up.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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