Help around our family farm and learn ecological agriculture while exploring Bridgetown, Nova Scotia, Canada

Details

• 

  Description

  We are a family with a 70 acre farm in Annapolis Valley. We moved to Nova Scotia 10 years ago and have been trying to bring the 200 year old farmstead back to life. Our goal is to create a balanced environment with happy plants and animals and produce foods with no inputs from outside the farm -- still a work in progress! We have been growing a small herd of Guernsey cows who are the lynch pin of our homestead, turning sunshine into calories for everyone. When we started this adventure, we had three home schooled kids who helped on the farm. Two are now in University and only home in the summer. We also have two Andalusian horses, two wonderful English Shepherd farm dogs and the usual suspects of farm animals, and a growing food forest and gardens.
  
  We rotational graze the cows and share milk with the calves who live with their mothers in the fields. We use the horses to reclaim abandoned pastureland and add diversity to the forest. We are steadily increasing our food forest to capture more sunlight through trees and edible plants. Everything we produce is consumed and recycled back into the farm.
  
  The horses are also my partners in my journey studying French Classical Dressage through Philippe Karl's instructor's course with the Ecole de Légèreté.
  
  Our farm is in a beautiful valley, and we are a laid back family looking for some more hands to help out as our children move on. We have learned a lot about sustainable agriculture and would love to pass on what we have learned while meeting and learning from new people.

• 

  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
• 

  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

  ×

  ...

  ...

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  What's this?
• 

  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Helpers would have the opportunity to learn about:
  managing a grassfed dairy herd and how to milk and manage the milk
  Traditional cheesemaking
  rotational grazing techniques in practice
  composting and manure management and uses
  permaculture gardens
  historic food preparation, cooking, and storage
  
  Helpers could take riding lessons and ride the horses depending on ability and could bring their own horse.

• 

  Help

  We need help with a diverse range of farm activities:
  
  tending/planting/weeding the gardens
  planting trees and bushes
  clearing out the winter's compost/manure from inside the barn out to the trees and gardens
  moving fences to rotate the cows through the pastures
  managing the milk and/or making cheese and butter
  getting calves used to people
  help with preparing meals and managing household duties
  carpentry projects
  feeding the animals -- Cow/pig/chicken/horse/rabbit
  making haystacks
  building rock walls

• 

  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent
  Irish: Beginner

• 

  Accommodation

  We have a camper trailer with a large deck situated somewhat away from the house, accessible to the driveway and the rest of the farm. It has a queen bed, a bunk room, and a pull out living space with a couch and table. It is older, but large and in ok condition.
  
  We will have plenty of real farm food -- all our own farm grown meat, milk, eggs etc and whatever is growing in the gardens. We eat breakfast and supper as a family most days, and visitors would be welcome at our table and/or can cook for themselves in the camper kitchen.

• 

  What else ...

  Annapolis Valley is a lovely area with many opportunities to experience nature, the Bay of Fundy, the Annapolis River, hiking and the historic local towns and areas. We have a car which could be borrowed some.
  
  We have so many projects on the go, but we strongly believe harder does not mean it is better and enjoy the challenge of finding the easiest solution to a problem by following nature. We would like to begin passing on what our farm is teaching us and are looking for a helper excited by the interconnectedness of the whole environment.

• 

  A little more information

  • 

    Internet access

  • 

    Limited internet access

  • 

    We have pets

  • 

    We are smokers

  • 

    Can host families

• 

  Space for parking camper vans

  This host can provide space for campervans.

• 

  Can possibly accept pets

  This host has said they are willing to accept those travelling with a pet.

• 

  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

• 

  Hours expected

  Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week

Feedback (3)