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Host rating
85 %
Last replied
31 Mar 2025
Reply rate
100.0 %
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Details
Description
We are a Guatemalan-Canadian family establishing our permaculture & ecological farm on 100 acres in Grey county, Ontario. We have a big organic garden where we implement permaculture and traditional Mayan practices. We raise a small flock of sheep, chickens and ducks, and use sustainable farming methods to produce organically grown vegetables. We also offer workshops on permaculture and home gardens. We’ve been working and teaching permaculture and ecological agriculture in Guatemala - with a focus on seeds - for over 20 years, and we are now in the process of putting it all into practice on our own farm in Southern Ontario.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Babysitting and creative play
General Maintenance
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We are a multicultural, multilingual (English-French-Spanish-Kaqchikel) family, so there is the opportunity to speak in various languages and learn about Mayan culture. We are also located in Amish country – we buy fresh milk and hand-churned butter from our Amish neighbours on a regular basis. We’ve learned a lot from them in terms of self-sufficiency.
A few extra details:
- Solo travelers, couples, and families with children are welcome. We have two girls aged 6 and 9.
- We can’t accommodate vegetarians or vegans.
- Please state any specific dietary concerns you may have when you reach out to us.
- Our kids have limited screen time. We’d prefer not to host children who spend lots of time on screens.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
We have a variety of farm projects coming up that we’d love a hand with, including:
Garden: working with seedlings, moving compost, planting, watering, maintenance, harvesting, seed selection. Most of the help we need in 2025 is related to the garden.
Sheep: We manage a small flock of Corriedale sheep by rotationally grazing on approximately 20 acres of pasture. Help includes moving portable fences, providing water, and moving sheep between pastures.
Ducks and Chickens: Daily tasks include moving the chicken tractor, providing food and water, and collecting eggs.
Processing: We can all that we can! In the fall, we could use a hand processing vegetables and fruit to make tomato sauce, jellies & jams, fruit leather, applesauce, etc.
Building projects: We need help with fixing things around the farm, building small sheds, building a composting toilet, firewood…
If you enjoy physical tasks and know how to use basic tools, you will have lots to do here.
We are a low-till farm. We garden on approximately 2 acres, so this means we do a lot of physical work.
Days are usually 5 hours help with the rest of the day to explore the area. We'll cook 3 healthy meals a day. Days are flexible, according to the weather, some days longer, some shorter, with weekends off to explore Grey Bruce. You can have access to a bike.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
French: Fluent
Accommodation
We have a lovely, newly renovated bachelor apartment available .
What else ...
We are a 10 minute bike ride from one of the best swimming spots in the area – it has a bridge to jump from, a soft current and a sandy beach. It is also part of the Saugeen River Canoe route. We are also a 5 minute drive from the Kinghurst Nature Reserve, a 900 acre old grown forest with a hiking trail that goes through it.
We cook mainly with local, pastured meat as well as vegetables we produce ourselves organically (fresh and canned) or purchase/trade from local farmers: beef, pork, eggs, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, etc. as well as locally produced apples, strawberries, maple syrup… We are part of a collectively owned land partnership, which facilitates trade among local ecological farmers, as well as the Saugeen Trading Community.
We are also a 50 minute drive from Lake Huron, 1.5 hours from Tobermory, 30 minutes away from Owen Sound. We are surrounded by hiking trails, fishing spots, and 1.5 hours away from cave exploration sites. We are 2 hours away from the Toronto airport.
Looking forward to hearing from you. In your email, please state what you’re interested in learning, and your previous experience with gardening and livestock. Vous pouvez m’écrire en français. Nos puede escribir en español.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
