Off-grid living at our bush farm in Kispiox, BC, Canada

Details

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  Description

  This is an old time, beyond organic farm, where we grow, build, and repair everything we need. I am most passionate about teaching young people to grow and preserve food, build structures using traditional methods, and travel in the bush.
  
  Organic methods: No herbicides or pesticides of any kind. The soil on this former wetland is naturally rich, and we sometimes supplement with soil from the surrounding forests, and manure from our own horses. Crop rotation, tilling, and weeding is all we need for our many crops to thrive naturally here.
  
  Certifications: We have not made the expenditure for organic certification, but our standards are beyond organic
  
  Current projects: We grow many types of vegetables and fruits. Our main crop is potatoes, and we sell these at the local farmers market and in the surrounding towns. We also grow garlic, beets, carrots, cabbage, zucchini, squash, onions, lettuce, kale, peas, broccoli, tomatoes, currants, haskap, blueberries, and strawberries.
  
  Additionally, we produce up to 500 bales of hay most years, and 150lbs of honey.
  
  Every spring we make birch syrup from our trees using a wood fire and traditional methods, and this is an involved multi-week process.
  
  We also harvest, preserve, and sell wild foods such as chaga, fiddleheads, stinging nettle, and rose.
  
  Outside the growing season, there is always work to be done in the woodshop and repairing machines. We have an ethos of conserving and reusing, and as a result we generate almost zero waste. Wwoofers will often be involved in harvesting standing dead timbers, operating the sawmill, and learning timber framing techniques in order to build cabins, tree stands, and other structures.
  
  We spend many long afternoons fishing and camping at nearby lakes, and in the fall we are often out in the bush hunting moose, grouse, and sometimes bears and goats. Winters are devoted to backcountry skiing, snowmobiling, and building shelters in the surrounding mountains.
  
  Accommodations are rustic. We cook on wood stoves, take daily saunas, and wash in private areas of the creek that is ever flowing through the middle of the property.
  
  There is always something to do here for active people who want to learn new skills and push their limits.
  
  Internet access available

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Light gardening

  Creative DIY projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Light maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet
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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

  I am passionate about building on young people's skills and interests, and helping them develop useful professional skills in the areas of farming and building. Come with a goal, or come in search of a goal. As long as you bring your willingness to engage and work hard, you will find endless opportunities here. I am a lifelong learner, and I have continued to refine my techniques through many years of practice and study. This is extensive, hard won knowledge, and I am passionate about sharing it with anyone who yearns to expand and deepen their understanding of how it is possible to live in this world.

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  Help

  See the main description above. I have multiple projects in all seasons, including farming, , repair, hunting, fishing, and adventuring/bushcraft.

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent
  French: Fluent

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  Accommodation

  Almost all food is from my gardens and fields and the surrounding forests. Typical meals include potatoes, moose meat, fish, eggs, salads, cooked vegetables, and berries and apples. While I can accommodate some dietary preferences, I am excited to share my way of life with you, which many previous wwoofers and workawayers have found satisfying, healing, and cleansing.
  
  I have multiple cabins, heated by wood burning stoves. You will need to bring your own bedroll or sleeping mat, as well as a sleeping bag. A glacial creek runs through my property year round, right past the porch of my sauna. This is a private area that cannot be seen from the rest of the property. You are welcome to take a sauna and wash in the creek daily.

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  What else ...

  The Kispiox Valley, north from Hazelton, BC, is a beautiful place of mountains, rivers, and forests, with backcountry and resort skiing, hiking and mountain biking trails, and kayaking and rafting all nearby. The town of Hazelton is 30 minutes from my farm, and it has cafes, bakery, library, movie theatre, and grocery stores.

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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 possibly accept pets

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

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  My animals / pets

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