Burgeoning Farm and Nature Education Centre near Honeywood, Canada

Details

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  Description

  We’re looking for dedicated, hard-working individuals to join us on the land this growing season. In exchange for your help with the many projects we’re tackling, we offer a simple, comfortable place to stay, nourishing meals, and the opportunity to be part of a meaningful community effort.
  
  Our work is hands-on, physical, and often demanding. We need help with tasks like maple sugaring, planting fruit trees and berry bushes, maintaining the veggie garden, inoculating mushroom logs, chopping wood, building trails, and keeping the property organized. There’s also plenty of work around food preservation, like drying herbs, making herbal medicine, fermenting foods, and assisting with seasonal harvests. Other projects include helping with building projects, supporting educational retreats, and contributing to the daily upkeep of the land and shared spaces.
  
  We run a non-profit community farm that provides food for friends, family, and our extended community. Our goal is to live in a way that’s both self-sufficient and deeply connected to the land. This requires steady effort, reliability, and a willingness to push through challenges when the work gets tough. We aim to strike a healthy balance—working hard to meet our goals while staying present and respectful of the natural rhythms around us.
  
  We’re flexible with how long you stay—join us for a weekend, a couple of months, or the full growing season. Ideally, we’re looking for people who can come from March or April onward and commit to five days a week, with about five focused hours of work per day.
  
  This is not a retreat or a vacation. We value good company, shared meals, and thoughtful conversations—but our priority is the work. If you’re self-motivated, dependable, physically fit, and eager to contribute to meaningful land-based projects, we’d love to hear from you.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Farmstay help

  General Maintenance
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  Interests

  

  Technology

  

  Events & social

  

  Pets

  

  Sustainability

  

  Self development

  

  Charity work

  

  Farming

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Art & design

  

  Plant care

  

  Music

  

  History

  

  Architecture

  

  Gardening

  

  Languages

  

  Photography

  

  Writing

  

  Hitchhiking

  

  Drawing & painting

  

  Carpentry

  

  Astronomy

  

  Animals

  

  Cycling

  

  Hiking

  

  Dancing

  

  Beach

  

  Fitness

  

  Camping

  

  Nature

  

  Yoga / Wellness
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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’ve spent years learning, experimenting, and honing a wide range of skills connected to living close to the land—and we’re happy to share this knowledge with those who come ready to work and learn. These are timeless, practical skills that many people never get the chance to experience firsthand.
  
  If you're committed and curious, you'll have the opportunity to learn about organic gardening, tree planting, and the art of making maple syrup. You can dive into herbal medicine-making, wild fermentation, and creative, nourishing food preparation. We also explore deep ecology, mindful communication, and the subtle, essential skill of working efficiently and intentionally in the material world.
  
  Along the way, you'll gain insight into what it means to live authentically—to stay grounded, present, and connected to nature while managing time, energy, and resources with clarity and purpose. For those who truly show up, the rewards go far beyond the work itself.

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  Projects that we need help with include: maple sugaring, planting fruit trees and berry bushes, working in the veggie garden, inoculating mushroom logs, drying herbs and making herbal medicine, fermenting food and other food alchemy, making trails in the forest, chopping wood, creating art in the landscape, helping put on some meditation retreats, keeping things tidy and in good order, building projects, and more.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Intermediate
  French: Intermediate
  Portuguese: Intermediate
  Chinese (Mandarin): Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  Learning a language is like doing a jigsaw puzzle of a million pieces with a picture that keeps changing. It's like getting lost in a foreign city without a map. It's like playing tennis without a ball, like being an ant in a field of grasshoppers. It's being an acrobat with a broken leg, an actor without a script, a carpenter without a saw, a storyteller without a middle or an end. But then gradually it¹s like being out in the early morning with the mists lifting. It¹s like a chink of light under a door, like finding the glove you were looking for, catching the train you thought you were going to miss, getting an unlooked-for present, exchanging a smile. And then one day it's like riding a bicycle very fast downhill.
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  Accommodation

  Accommodation is simple yet comfortable—primarily tenting in the forest, with many tents equipped with mattresses. In the colder months, some tents even have small woodstoves to keep things warm and cozy. It’s a rustic, off-grid experience, but the connection to nature is deeply rewarding for those who appreciate simplicity and fresh air.
  
  Food is something we take pride in, and we have it in abundance. We grow much of what we eat, preparing it in simple, healthy ways. Our meals are mostly vegetable-based, but we’re omnivorous, and we usually have some meat once a day. Meals are typically shared, and everyone is expected to contribute to kitchen tasks at times, whether it’s prepping, cooking, or cleaning up afterward. We eat well here, and no one goes hungry—but it’s a communal effort to keep the food flowing.

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  What else ...

  We’re located about an hour and a half north of Toronto, just up Airport Road on the way toward Collingwood. The farm is nestled in a peaceful, rural setting surrounded by forests, fields, and rolling hills—far from the distractions of city life.
  
  There’s no public transportation directly to our location, but we do offer a few options to help you get here. For a modest contribution to cover gas, we’re happy to pick you up from Toronto or nearby areas when it fits into our schedule. Alternatively, you can take an Uber from the city if you'd prefer more flexibility.
  
  Once a week, usually around 3 p.m., we also make a trip to the train station in Barrie to pick up new arrivals. We’ll coordinate with you in advance to make the journey as smooth as possible.

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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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  Space for parking camper vans

  We can accommodate a moderate sized van or trailer

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  Can possibly accept pets

  We may be able to accommodate pets on a case-by-case basis, but this is not guaranteed. Only well-behaved, quiet, and well-disciplined animals will be considered. Our property is a working farm with sensitive gardens, wildlife, and ongoing projects, so any animal that disrupts the work, damages the land, or causes disturbances will not be permitted to stay.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  My animals / pets

  Trudies (3 months)

  We have a small flock of 15 Rhode Island Red hens ~ all female, no rooster. They’re hardy, curious, and full of personality. Most days you’ll find them scratching around the garden beds, pecking at bugs, or sunbathing in the dust. They’re great layers and usually provide a steady supply of fresh brown eggs.
  
  They’re used to people and don’t mind being around volunteers, though they can be a little shy at first. Once they get to know you, they’ll follow you around hoping for scraps or treats. We let them free range when possible, but they also have a secure coop and run to keep them safe at night.
  
  It’s a peaceful rhythm taking care of them ~ feeding, checking water, collecting eggs, and watching their little flock dynamics. Simple and sweet.

  Hank (2 years)

  Hank’s the best! Super friendly, well trained, and gentle with people. He’s a big dog with a sweet and goofy personality. He loves attention, belly rubs, and following you around while you work. He’s used to being around lots of different people, including volunteers from all over the world, and he’s great with both adults and kids.
  
  He’s calm most of the time but still playful and curious. He listens well, doesn’t jump up, and knows basic commands. He might bark once or twice when someone arrives, but it’s just his way of saying hello. He’s part of the family and spends his days lounging in the sun, roaming the land, or keeping an eye on things near the kitchen.

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