Enjoy this stunning place and organic farm in Gaspereau, Nova Scotia, Canada

Details

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  Description

  Greetings Work Awayers of the World !
  
  We are Meg and Erich, and our small baby Leyda - Anonna , together with our animals and plants we make up our Farm and Food Forest !
  
  Meg is a passionate permaculture farmer, seed saver, dancer, nature loving, community herbalist, tea maker, art lover, animal lover, who moved to the Farm in June 2022. Meg farmed in B.C , on southern vancouver island for 7 seasons and now farming in N.S. Meg whips up delicious farm fresh food every day and believes in the power of delicious fresh grown and harvested food to bring communities together in a celebratory way! Meg is also an inspired walker and grower of perennial native and introduced plant garden Labyrinths.
  
  Erich grew up in Wolfville, loves playing many instruments, loves veggies and different ways to prepare tasty healthy food, studied Geography in Quebec at Bishop's University, planted over 2 Million trees in Western Canada's reforestation industry for 13 seasons, travelled seasonally to volunteer on various small farms and natural building projects across Nova Scotia, B.C, Ontario, California, New Mexico, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Ecuador, France, Spain, Portugal, and Nepal. Erich recently moved back to Gaspereau, Nova Scotia to start a Cooperative Permaculture Farm and Arts homested in 2019 !
  
  Erich and Meg met in 2022 fell in Love and now have a beloved bebe Leyda Anonna Rose ❤️
  
  Wolfville, Gaspereau and Grand Pre are beautifully located in the beautiful lands and waters of the unceeded Mi'k Mak'i First Nation territory, colonized as Nova Scotia.
  
  Mixed hardwood and conifer forests, roll along hills into farmland and dykelands constructed by the Acadian peoples, merging with the shores of the Bay of Fundy, which claim the highest tides on the planet.
  
  There are numerous freshwater rivers, lakes and seaside swimming spots for those hot summer days or those wintery cold water submersions !
  
  Farms, Orchards and Vineyards appear throughout the countryside landscape here in the beautiful Annapolis Valley.
  
  The Property: 3 acres total, 2 acres of gently rolling pasture and 1 acre of house zone and organic vegetable garden.
  mature white oak, red maple, ash, and adolescent chestnut, black walnut among other species and varieties of native and introduced plants that the previous owners tended during their time.
  
  The House: 70 year old bungalow, 2 bedroom, foyer/living room, kitchen, bathroom, with an earthen floor basement which is used for wood cutting both for building, repairs and for fire wood storage and prep.
  
  
  Its a big dream of Erich and Meg's to create an abundant and vibrant Cooperative Arts Farm and Ecology (CAFE) homested, with multiple private cabins , that hosts farm team residents, travellers, guests, and people who are passionate and keen about realizing and expressing their inspirations through growing food organically and engaging in a dedicated heart felt creative practice in the arts or trade of their choosing !
  
  Mission: Planning, Planting and Propagating as diverse and productive a garden and homestead as is manageable, while balancing creative free-time with family and friends.
  
  Vision: An Abundant cooperative homestead with diverse, permaculture gardens, strawbale cob guest cabins and an earthship education and arts center that hosts an evolving seed bank, plant collection, seasonal workshops and picnic-potlucks with musical acts !
  
  Rooted in Growing and Producing as Much Food as is Managable on the Land, Building Foundations in Regenerative Food Production on the Homested is the current priority for the Work Trade at this time.
  
  Music, Poetry, Theatre, Painting, Dance, Sculpture, Fibre Arts, Crafts... whatever creative multi media possible is welcomed and encouraged in this space, as a means to express and connect with each other and to the world in an open, playful, honest and respectful way.
  
  Music often fills the space throughout work hours as well as rest hours and free-time.
  
  Silence is appreciated deeply early in the morning before 8am, and before bedtime around 10pm or 11pm.
  
  Mindfullness and Movement, we invite guests to explore some of these practices together here during their stay, through taking care of the body, and mind, Stretching, drinking water, dancing, exploring the various activities to be had on the farm and in the surrounding area !
  
  Where attention goes energy flows,
  
  Living on the land, dedicated to growing and regenerating fertility, and biodiversity in the soil and plant eco-systems is a crucial aspect of building the dream we wish to live here on the farm.
  
  The space is guided honestly, kindly and friendly, open and welcoming to travelers, locals, LGBT peoples, people of any and all colours or nationalities, youth, elders, low income folks, high income folks, people of various religious affiliation or non-religious beliefs, as long as we maintain a mutually beneficial and respectful relationship and that you respect the below agreements to visiting and living together.
  
  The 4 Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz has been a good starting point for us in working together to navigate obstacles and disagreements that may occur.
  
  1. Be impeccable with your Word
  
  2. Don't Take things Personally
  
  3. Don't Make Assumptions
  
  4. Always Do Your Best
  
  and an extra 5th one... Be Critical and Learn to Listen
  
  By taking the time to pay attention to the task at hand we can prioritize tasks effectively and call ourselves into action !
  
  We can learn, share and grow together in our Best Most Enjoyable Ways ! Be Kind and DREAM BIG !
  
  Kind, honest language, is asked to be used as we speak freely with each other.
  
  Humorously and considerately, we intend to curate a space for people to realize their potential as themselves on the farm, and as human beings living together in the greater community of diverse species within this immense and vital web of life, a part of this beautiful blue and green planet earth, rooted in a life of living and learning with the land !
  
  Hopefully within the next 3 years of the Homested project, I hope to have built a garden of an acre +/-, a passive solar straw bale loft cabin, fully renovated the original house with Greenhouse extension on the south face, completed the establishment of swales growing a food forests along the slopes of the land, pasture for rotational grazing of laying hens and maybe other small numbers of livestock ... !
  
  It is a life long dream to have this farm and arts space available for a few families in residents and to host a cycle of travelers, locals, foreigners, visitors, new residents, to have a safe place to be themselves, grow food, learn about nature, the world, and live creatively and respectfully together !
  
  The community here on and beyond the farm are a mix of farmers, musicians, multi media artists, dancers and nature lovers who are in an on growing process of setting up a self-sustaining cooperative enterprise where we can pursue our passions of abundant organic farming, permaculture and the arts, while offering space for guests to meet their needs, and realize their own dreams and potential during their stay.
  
  Farm Tasks and Goals of keeping up with seeding, planting, and plant care are a priority for the Work Trade.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Language practice

  Help with Eco Projects

  Teaching

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Babysitting and creative play

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  English is my mother tongue. Je parle francais. Hablo castellano tambien.
  
  I am a local born and raised in Nova Scotia and know of a great many hikes, bikes, beaches to enjoy and learn from as well as local theatre groups, musicians, and local farmers to visit and enjoy in full conviviality !
  
  Wolfville is home to Acadia University, a hub for local food, drinks, music, theatre and natural beauty thats stirs the honey pot of the soul !

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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

  All Help Related to growing and preparing Produce is For Our Own Consumption or non-profit distribution*
  
  Greetings Prospective Farm Stay Guests !
  
  This Farm is an up and coming small-scale, mixed-vegetable and fruit Farm and Arts homested in Gaspereau, Nova Scotia, Canada.
  
  We a currently seeking collaborators for our 2024 , Spring, Summer and Fall growing season !
  
  
  Thanks for All the Wonderful Guests and Good Workers who helped out over the years and again this year 2023 !
  It has been a tremendous feat of production and to you we are forever grateful and will cherish the memories for many years to come!
  
  *We would prefer a 2 week minimum stay.
  
  *Unfortunately we will not be able to host pets this season unless guests have their own camper van accommodation where they and their pet can have their own private space.
  
  *We also encourage part-time work-trade situations for local helpers living off site where we provide meals and vegetables in exchange for field work.
  
  We invite motivated, open, enthusiastic, diligent and playful individuals who have a passion for nature and community to learn and work together with us to bring to fruition our 2024 Garden Plan !
  
  The Farm offers a space for people who seek to thrive in an experiential learning environment with organic farming, permaculture principles and creative performing arts.
  
  * We offer 2 large, delicious and healthy vegetarian (sometimes meaty) meals a day.
  
  * A place to set up a camp or park a camper van
  
  * indoor shower/bathroom and kitchen in the house.
  
  *In the past we have had a guest room in-house accommodation for workawayers but now are in the process of setting up a separate, more private glamping or small cabin accomodation outside the house for June-October.
  
  Work trade Farm Tasks are priority and vary depending on the season.
  
  A general break-down of seasonal tasks looks like:
  
  Winter: Interior House Renovations, Wood Chores, Chicken Care, Canning and Pickling, Arts, Crafts, Music Making, Permaculture Design Planning, Drawing, Planning for the Market Garden.
  
  Spring: Indoor/Outdoor seeding, plant propagation, garden bed preparation, greenhouse maintenence, planting of vegetables, berry crops, trees, early harvests , washing, packing preparring for farmers markets and our CSA,
  Caring for our chickens.
  
  Summer: Watering with irrigation, Harvests, Wash/pack of produce, Markets, seeding and planting for Fall harvests, Hosting potluck and special events, chicken care.
  
  Fall: Harvests, Markets, planting garlic, putting the garden to bed/preparing for winter, wood chores, chicken care.
  
  Our schedule for Work Trade guests is :
  8am-2pm with a 12-1pm lunch Monday to Friday. 2 Meals and accommodation included if available.
  
  Work Trade Farm Tasks will include :
  
  Seeding and watering transplant trays, micro-greens
  Prepping, amending, and maintaining garden beds with silage tarps and hand-tools like push forks and broadforks.
  Setting up and watering with drip and sprinkler irrigation
  Caring for laying hens, egg collection, coop maintenance and compost creation
  Direct seeding and Transplanting of crops
  Watering, Harvesting, Washing and Packing of produce
  Planting food forest plants, Fruit Trees, perennial shrubs, Vines, ground cover plants, nitrogen fixing trees, hardwood trees, grapes, blueberries, strawberries and more !
  Coming up with newer creative ways to find more markets for our produce and to increase efficiency and production capacity within our small-scale operation.
  
  
  
  January/February :
  
  - Keeping the fireplace and basement wood furnace burning well, morning, noon, and evening, chopping kindling.
  - Caring for 20 laying hens, feeding, giving water, collecting eggs
  - Design and Crop Planning for the 2022 garden and food forest
  - Investigating mushroom growing indoors
  - Micro-green production
  - Potentially assisting with Installing Tile Floor in the Bathroom and kitchen/mudroom
  - Watering indoor plants
  - Pickling veggies from our cold storage as well as fermenting Kimchi and Sauerkraut !
  
  ( March/April )
  
  Homested Care and House Sitting Responsibilities
  
  - Keep the house warm with the fireplace burning
  - Care for laying hen chickens, feeding, watering, coop cleaning, egg collection
  - watering indoor plants and seedlings
  - keeping the house tidy
  
  - If working awayers are keen, they can work together with our team to start plants that take longer to grow like leeks, celery, and onions as well as the Solanacea: Peppers, Tomatoes, Eggplant...
  
  - Planting Carrots, Potatoes, Beets Cabbage, bol choi, Kale in the field when possible in April
  
  - making art, music, journaling, poetry contributions to the space !
  
  - organize oneself ! Draw up a design for a project you envision for the space !
  
  (May)
  
  Full on bed prep and planting of the garden as well as potting up transplants and growing them out in the nursery greenhouse for transplant in June
  
  Plants on the Land include:
  
  Herbs:
  Thyme, Oregano, Basil, Lemon Balm, Tulsi, Parsley, Dill, Cilantro, Mint, Lavender, Bergamot,
  
  Cucurbits:
  Cucumbers, Melons, Winter and Summer Squashes
  
  Brassicas:
  Tatsoi Asian greens, Napa Cabbage, Red/Green Cabbage, Lacinato/Red Russian Kale, Mizuna, Mustard, Collards, Arugula, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Bokchoi
  
  Greens:
  Spinach, Swiss Chard, Salanova Lettuces, Romaine,
  
  Legumes:
  Green/Purple Beans, Dry Beans, Peas,
  
  Roots:
  Parsnip, Turnip, Rutabaga (Brass.), Radish (Brass.), Beets, Carrot
  
  Plant Berry Plants !!
  
  Strawberries, Raspberries and Blueberries ! ,
  
  Flowers:
  Borage, Sweet alyssum, Sunflowers, Marigolds among many others !
  
  
  - We Looking at scaling up our laying hen population up from 20 - 40 :)
  
  - Weeding and pruning are always welcomed!
  
  Ask us for details on any tasks that need clarification or further explanation or instruction and we will guide you.
  
  the House:
  
  -Painting and lighting installations are needed throughout the house. I have recipes for natural wheat paste, clay and chalk based paints that work great !
  
  -Help with ceramic tiling in the bathroom and kitchen
  
  -design and planning of future renovations, greenhouse additions, strawbale cabin drawings and design.
  
  If the visitor plays music it will be a great asset in living here ! We play music often in the evenings and during work breaks !
  
  We occasionally have small speak-easy open-mic gathers where we share poetry, music and crafts together !
  
  Very much encouraging a collaborative process in coming up with tasks and projects to do around the land and the house !
  
  Inviting self motivated learners to pursue their interests and bring their best to the homested !
  
  Also, I am willing to go through my visions for the space in greater detail upon your arrival or via video call prior to arrival.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Fluent
  French: Intermediate

  This host offers a language exchange
  This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
  You can contact them directly for more information.
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  Accommodation

  Tent outside in the summer, or bedroom inside the shared house when available.
  
  Cooking, two meals a day, cleaning and cooperative living happens with a shared kitchen, living room, washroom, and outhouse.
  
  Guests may be sharing a bathroom and kitchen with Erich and Meg and Baby Leyda Anonna.

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  What else ...

  In the past I felt that when I participated in workaway trades of 5 hours of help a day, 5 days a week, it was a fair deal in exchange for a room and 2 meals a day lunch 12pm-1pm, and dinner 6-8pm with snacks coffee and tea available in the morning or on breaks.
  
  Work Awayers must take care of their own food needs on days off as well as be able to make themselves breakfast with our food provided if they prefer to eat before work at 8am.
  
  Co-living Agreements
  
  We request that everyone both guests and hosts practice Personal Responsibility for cleaning up immediately after using common or personal space including bathrooms, kitchen, living room, bedroom.
  
  All spaces must be kept clean and tidy to the best of our ability, sweeping floors and wiping counters, washing dishes every meal, putting laundry away in a timely way, etc.
  
  We offer a personal cupboard for workawayers to store their own food items.
  
  Common Food Pantry for work awayers on workdays includes:
  Oats
  Buckwheat
  Chickpeas
  Rice
  Lentils
  Nuts
  Eggs
  
  Work Awayers have access to farm grown food on workdays and surplus meals on days off.
  
  We do eat local pasture raised meats from nearby farms which you can participate in sharing the cost if you do eat meat.
  
  We usually prepare meals with lots of our own fresh vegetables and eggs.
  
  We are not a profit driven project and strive to live well while covering costs of operation.
  
  All Help is Related to growing and preparing Produce For Our Own Consumption.

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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

  This host can provide space for campervans.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  Hours expected

  Maximum 5 hours a day, 5 days a week

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