Land-based living, fibre focus and contact with animals in East Gwillimbury, Ontario, Canada

Details

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  Description

  Our hobby farm is located in a small town in Ontario. We like having natural space around us and growing our food while being within walking distance of a small town. Myself, my husband and our adolescent daughter live here.We currently have a flock of about 15 friendly sheep, two llamas, a few ducks and some laying hens, a few cats and a working Border Collie. I shear my own animals whose fleeces we use for various purposes, such as hand-spinning, knitting wearables and artistic felting. We find it important to grow food (vegetables, eggs and meat) while trying to respect the interdependencies of nature on the land we are stewarding. We maintain a vegetable garden, pollinator and dye-flower beds and honeybee hives. We are open to sharing knowledge and hands-on experience with these things.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Language practice

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet

  House sitting
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  Interests

  

  Sustainability

  

  Pets

  

  Farming

  

  Plant care

  

  Animals

  

  Sailing / Boating

  

  Nature

  

  Camping

  

  Hiking
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  What's this?
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We can offer shorter hikes in the forests nearby, sailing on Lake Simcoe when the weather is right, and some canoeing on nearby water bodies. I have taught English, so I can help with some language skills and we’d love to brush up on our French and German. Of course the obvious hobby that can be shared is working with wool. I can teach you handspinning, felting and fibre preparation. We can help you get to Toronto if you want to explore and there is a train to Niagara Falls if you want to go check it out on a long day or an overnight tour. There is public transportation to larger towns and the passenger train nearby.

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  Help

  Depending on the season, help can be with:
  - gardening, weeding, mulching (spring to fall)
  - canning and drying food and herbs and dye flowers (end of June to Sept.)
  - general maintenance, fence repairs, trimming (year round)
  - animal care (handling lambs - in spring, mucking stalls - occasionally, helping with hand shearing- occasionally)
  - fleece preparation, picking, washing, knitting, spinning, felting (spring to fall)
  - plant and animal identification around the property (summer)
  - invasive plant species control (summer)
  - mowing (summer)
  - working with the hives (spring to fall)
  - planting shrubs and native plants along the creek and in the woods to increase biodiversity
  
  If someone wants to share their knowledge, we’d also love to have help with building things to reduce our carbon footprint, such as a solar shower, solar water heating for wool preparation, a bridge over the creek, a composting toilet etc. or expanding into growing mushrooms and making quality vinegar from our grapes.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  German: Fluent
  English: Fluent
  French: Intermediate
  Japanese: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  I have taught English, so I can help with some language skills and we’d love to brush up on our French and German. One of us has been learning some Japanese, so that would be fun to practise too.
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  Accommodation

  The accommodation available is a private room with a queen sized bed with close access to the garden and a washroom with shower and toilet. We share breakfast and/or dinner together most days if you wish and food is available for self-preparation and/or you can cook for us too.
  
  We can set up a tent in a back field if you want to try camping out and we have a spot for bonfires.
  
  Two of you? Limited RV parking is available for couples or travel partners.

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  What else ...

  We can help you get to Toronto if you want to explore the big city. There is a train to Niagara Falls if you want to go check it out on a long day or an overnight tour. There is public transit to nearby Newmarket with population of 87,000. Sibbald Point Provincial Park with beach on Lake Simcoe is a 20 minute drive away.
  
  We do not allow smoking anywhere on the property and we don’t appreciate drug use.

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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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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  One

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