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21 Apr 2025
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Details
Description
Join us for a valuable learning experience here. There are a number of volunteers and volunteer interns helping Susan and Robert each summer and fall to manage an intensive cooperative organic garden. We'd love to have you as well.
This is a 10 acre teaching-centre micro farm with 2 acres developed for the home and gardens with the balance remaining as a woodlot. The vegetable gardens include 14 raised and terraced beds as well as larger garden plots. There are four small greenhouses, a small vineyard, fruit orchard and berry-crops, as well as ornamental areas and a bee apiary. An old hand-dug well has been reclaimed to provide irrigation water for parts of the gardens.
The home is passive-solar heated, with solar hot water and supplementary photovoltaic electricity. We maintain this place is an example of a ‘transition home’ which is more resilient and adaptive for the future, producing much of the required energy inputs on site. When combined with the gardens, greenhouses and workshop, the home demonstrates several ways that a residence can be a productive asset, rather than solely a center of consumption.
The gardens and greenhouses are managed as a cooperative community effort with 5-7 people helping as co-managers, neighbor volunteers and interns. Workshops, school field trips, learning tours for community organizations and other events are scheduled periodically, dependent on COVID protocols at the time.
We can teach workawayers all aspects of organic gardening, beekeeping and food preservation. In addition, we teach many aspects of local resilience, deep adaptation and readiness for climate change. We hope to learn from you as well about these practices in your part of the world.
COVID Status: Nova Scotia has maintained a very low incidence of COVID through contact tracing, lots of testing and mandatory face masks in public places. Note that currently, anyone coming from outside Nova Scotia will need to self-isolate for 2 weeks. We may be able to accomodate this requirement depending on the schedule for someone's arrival.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Farmstay help
General Maintenance
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
As a model transition home of the future, we are offer a depth of knowledge of how communities are building their own resilience for a potentially fragile future. There is an opportunity to learn a wide range of skills and increase knowledge and awareness of innovative community efforts around the Atlantic Canada region, as we work with many others in a network of learning.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
We require help with certain projects for the gardens, lands and built environment, including installation of a artesian well, garden expansion, greenhouse repairs and general garden maintenance and harvesting chores. Some basic carpentry or other building skills, as well as gardening skills, would be helpful but not necessary.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: Intermediate
Italian: Intermediate
Accommodation
The primary accommodation is a separate loft bedroom above our workshop with a half bath. Shower, sauna and other amenities are available in the house. Other options may exist depending on the timing of other visitors. We will provide meals, but assistance in food preparation and occasional cooking would be greatly appreciated. Many meals are prepared with fresh vegetables from the gardens. We'd love to experience your favorite recipes from your location!
What else ...
Our location is convenient for Lunenberg and Mahone Bay (40 minutes), Peggy's Cove (20 minutes), Halifax (25 minutes) and Wolfville (50 minutes). Locally, we have a farmers market, a shopping area with a number of local artisans and several great cafes that serve lunch and coffee.
There are many great hiking trails in the area, both along the ocean and through pocket-wilderness. This is a popular area for beach-goers and bicycle touring. One cafe has bikes for hire, with a 'rails to trails' all along this shore. Buses provide public transport into Halifax.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
We have a fairly large gravel pad in a protected location which can be used for parking a campervan. There is no electrical hook-up or septic service at that location however.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
