Seeking fresh energy to help at a mixed farm in Ontario, Canada

Details

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  Description

  Hi! My name is Patrick, and me and my neighbour Valencia are looking for nature-loving Workawayers to come stay at our farm and enjoy the peace of nature and sounds of wildlife, whilst working alongside our pets and livestock. We have a wide variety of tasks to suit every type of helper, such as:
  
  - Caring for and planting into garden our flower and herb seedlings
  - Planting small raised gardens with veggies
  - Redoing fencing to keep cows where they should be
  - Walking the dogs through the forest and fields to give them exercise
  - Household jobs like cleaning, baking and cooking if you wish
  - Much much more!
  
  I practice organic, no-till, regenerative methods with a focus on building topsoil. The farm is 160 acres of fields, forest, marsh and natural springs. We allow wildlife to build homes here and coexist with us. I selectively cut lumber to build with, and mill it right here on the farm. The animals are treated ethically, have freedom to roam, and are raised under Canadian Organic Association guidelines. Cattle are 100% grass fed with organically grown grass and graze rotationally.
  
  In the past 5 years, we've hosted over 75 volunteers from around the world of all ages, genders and ethnicities. Helpers have stayed from a week for up to six months! We try to make everyone feel welcome and have built lasting friendships with our workaways. We love to meet people and learn new things.
  
  A typical day on the farm would involve the basic animal chores starting around 8am - watering and feeding the chickens and pigs, turning on the hose for the cattle, and taking the dogs for a 20-30 minute walk. You'll feed the pigs again in the afternoon and close up the chicken coop once the ladies have returned to roost. The basic chores make up about 1.5 hours a day, with another 4 or so hours spent on other tasks.
  
  One of the main jobs at the moment is the repair of miles of wire fencing (we'll teach you - it's easy!) There's also some junk lying around we'd love to focus on getting rid of this year. In the past we have trained people on driving tractors, cutting wood, building etc. We've had volunteers build chicken coops, cute garden gates, benches to sit on and enjoy the ponds, bee hotels - we have unlimited lumber and supplies so get creative!
  
  You can relax in the afternoon, watch TV, read, or go for a walk - there are lots of trails through the forest. We ask for about 5 hours a day, 5 days a week of your time, with 2 days off. We're flexible about what days and can discuss depending on what's happening that week.
  
  That leaves lots of time to explore the area. You can use the car to get around and go to town to shop, relax, see new places. With our volunteers we have been camping, on day trips in the canoe or kayak, and swimming at the famous Sandbanks Beach in Prince Edward County. This area is famous for thousands of acres of government land and many, many lakes. There are dozens of national parks and great towns like Kingston to enjoy a nice meal. Valencia loves getting out in nature and would love to have some company camping or hiking!
  
  We would love to meet you - send us a message and we can see if we fit!

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  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
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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

  Come and learn about ethical and humane meat production, and get an idea of what really happens on a small pasture-based operation. We want you to experience the joy of raising livestock for food and how the earth can actually benefit and heal from eating food right in your backyard. Help reduce your food footprint by eating food raised right here on the farm - it doesn't get more local than that!

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  Help

  - Basic animal chores : feed and water chickens and pigs; water cows.
  
  - Dogs: walk dogs for 20-30mins.
  
  - Meals: if you can cook, great! If not, you can help with prep like chopping veggies.
  
  - Farm maintenance: weeding; help with fence repairs.
  
  - Creative: build bird houses and feeders, create signs, and whatever else you think would help to beautify the farm!

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent

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  Accommodation

  - Private RV with double bed, couch, table, basic cookware and electricity.
  
  - Access to Starlink high speed internet, laundry, kitchen, bathroom and anywhere in the house or outside.
  
  - Electric plug in for mobile camper or RV.

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  What else ...

  We are more than happy to pick you up in Napanee (preferred), Kingston or Belleville. The bus can be taken to these cities.
  
  There is plenty to see and do less than 1 hour from the farm and you can get mostly everything you need in Napanee. Special items can be purchased on weekends when we go to the city or during your day off.
  
  Smoking is allowed everywhere outside EXCEPT the barns/sheds and inside the house/trailer. CIGARETTE BUTTS and BEER CAPS are to be kept OFF the ground. Marijuana and minor alcohol consumption is allowed during your time off. No smoking pot while driving equipment or operating machinery. Anyone not following these rules will be asked to leave immediately.
  
  We hope to host you soon! Thanks for reading.

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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 host digital nomads

  We have Starlink!

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  Space for parking camper vans

  We have power for you.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  My animals / pets

  

  Jack

  

  Fanny

  

  Jessie

  

  Misty

  

  Kallie

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