Canada
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NEED HELP ASAP BETWEEN FEB 9TH TO MID MARCH. 1 WEEK OR 4, WE'LL TAKE IT!
We have a gap between workaways and need help right away until mid March, but would gladly accept even a few days if you are in between hosts too!
MARCH:
We need 1 workaway to help inside with cooking, cleaning, taking care of the dogs, and helping outside with animals, other projects, and filling in on the days when the other 2 workaways are off. We are hosting 2 men between mid March to mid/end of april, and would like a female to fill in the gap as these men are here for mostly outdoor stuff. We like to eat and farming isnt just the outside stuff, it also means paperwork, computer stuff, cleaning, cooking and keeping the house running! Plus errands to town, and baking!
APRIL:
Currently looking for 4 Workaways for APRIL AND ONWARDS. We prefer you stay a minimum of 4 weeks as it takes time to get into the swing of things and training takes time for us. COUPLES ARE WELCOME STARTING APRIL 1ST.
We need 2 physically strong people who have some carpentry skills or can do construction or welding, and can do heavy lifting for our building projects, that type of thing. If you can drive, are ok with outdoor work (its wet and still cool in april) or have other skills related to farming you are welcome to stay and expand on those skills! Have you worked with livestock or have a strong desire to learn? Maybe you are new to farming but have recently stayed at a farm in canada and have learned some things from that host?
We also need 2 people to help us with planting in the greenhouse, getting raised beds made, planting and weeding the beds, growing herbs and flowers, making signs, helping at the markets etc. Along with the regular outdoor chores, caring for the dogs and livestock and doing housework, cooking etc. You will be caring for vegetables organically, planting, doing insect control, harvesting, processing, packing and selling. We also dry seeds, flowers, do transplanting, make new flower beds for the bees and birds, build bird and bat houses, install sustainable watering systems, and lots and lots of watering!! Lol.
IF YOU WANT TO WORK ONLY OUTSIDE THATS FINE, OR ONLY INSIDE THATS OK TOO, BUT DOING BOTH IS PREFERRED.
WE ARE HOSTING 4 PPL AT A TIME DURING APRIL-OCTOBER. YOU WILL HAVE YOUR OWN BED IN THE HOUSE, IN A SMALL PRIVATE ROOM, OR STAY IN THE BIG OUTDOOR TRAILER WITH TOTAL PRIVACY (2 PPL CAN SLEEP IN THERE). WE CAN EVEN HOST A 5TH PERSON TO HELP WITH GARDENING AND HOUSEWORK, WHO WILL STAY IN THE TENT TRAILER BY THEMSELVES.
Our names are Patrick & Valencia, and we both do different things throughout the day. Patrick works outside, and Valencia is in charge of the house and garden, and does the farmers markets, but has an autoimmune disease that makes housework and cooking a challenge. Patrick needs help outside with the animals, fencing, cutting lumber on thr sawmill, moving animals every day in the summer, and Valencia needs help with indoor jobs like cleaning, computer work, doing freezer inventory, organizing, baking, cooking supper, taking care of dogs, painting, gardening, harvesting, doing markets, etc.
VEGETARIANS are welcome!!! We believe that we can all learn something from others, & even though we raise meat, we believe we can show the softer side of livestock raising, dispelling the bad images that all livestock growers are like the conventional factory farms. We are not a feedlot operation - we are 100% grassfed & believe in Joel Salatins methods, which we are striving to achieve.
We started this farm 3 years ago, & the animals take up 80% of Patrick's time, so he could use a workaway to assist him with the daily animal chores including checks of the animals including baby cows and piglets being born, & spending time sitting with, petting and socializing the babies to human contact! You will love petting the baby animals!
We are not a fancy well established farm. We are disorganized and need help getting things sorted, put in a proper place, organizing tools, and getting the place looking nice like in a magazine. We have hours and hours of fencing to install to keep the cows and pigs from busting out over the winter.
We have 5 dogs who love to be petted, brushed and walked, so we consider taking them out for a stroll everyday an essential chore of our workaways! :-)
We have been busy over the last few years building structures, installing fencing and generally figuring out what works for us and how to make things easier, but we are constantly being distracted by cattle breakouts & fencing issues which are taking up time that could be spent doing more meaningful projects & other necessary tasks.
We need your help to get our farm working in harmony with the animals & to help set up permaculture methods. We have lots more to do before our farm is picture perfect and running smoothly, but there is so much to learn and do here and you will never run out of jobs. You may be working with Valencia around the house & gardens, or with Patrick out in the fields doing fence repairs, driving tractors, or building animal houses or milling lumber from our own trees.
If you come in the winter you will learn what it takes to farm in the cold of Canada, which is why heritage breeds are the preferred choice of regenerative farming. Our area has tons of local history in regard to mining, farming, & Native American culture, including First Nations reservations nearby, tons of local ruins to photograph, and a flurry of abandoned farm houses to see using a local Facebook group that has mapped them out for you.
We are excited to welcome you to our home and hope you will enjoy staying with us :-)
Gardening
Building
General Maintenance
Cooking / shopping
Farmstay
Other
Help with Eco project
Help in the house
Animal care
Charity work
Language practice
Art project
Help with Computers / internet
Teaching
Vegetarians can come and learn about ethical and humane meat production to give them an idea of what really happens on a small pasture-based operation- see that we are not cruel heartless killers who truly do love our animals. 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. You cant get more local than that! Help reduce your food footprint by eating meat raised by you!
We offer the chance to see the famous Land 'O Lakes region, and enjoy everything it has to offer for outdoor activities. We offer bicycles, a truck for touring the area (you pay the gas) and hopefully one day a canoe! We have snowshoes and an atv to drive.
We hope to learn much from you, and will be asking you questions about your other workaway jobs, and listening to your stories about other countries and farms you've been to. You can really expand your knowledge base with us, and suggest new ideas or ways to do things and we will listen and put them into practice if they make sense, giving you the chance to teach us and show off your skills! We give you the chance to practice your current skills as well as learn new ones such as driving a tractor or operating a chainsaw, if you want to try just ask, and we may need you to learn so that we can put you on a job that has been getting behind or needs done like weed whacking (trimming), or driving the atv out to check water twice a day.
We live in an area full of conventional farms and cash crop operations. We are trying to lead by example and show others that there is a way to farm ethically. By doing it ourselves in the heart of Hastings County, we can educate schools, tourists, and people of all ages. You can help by giving us a hand to design and build more signs, post flyers, and participate in daily farm life. We hope to do fundraisers for the Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre and have a huge grand opening event in 2020 which will require all hands on deck.
This host offers accommodation and payment.
Jobs vary by season and you may choose to work mostly indoors with Valencia, but if you come for a full farm experience these are the current jobs we need help with:
-dog walking daily (we have 5 dogs!) Take them off leash through the farm for 30 mins or run them behind the ATV if it's not too hot
-Daily food prep like chopping up fruit & veggies for snacks and help to make dinner
- Daily housework such as dusting, vacuuming, cleaning bathroom and floors, dishes etc. Schedule is posted for you of which job to do on which day. If we all take turns it will stay clean and be faster to do for everyone! With 5 dogs the hair gets all over and burning wood and living in the country means lots of dust.
- fencing (installing electric insulators, running wire, pounding posts, checking fence lines)
- tree clearing and chipping
-gardening ( weeding, mulching, pruning, installing trellises, building raised beds, harvesting and canning, starting seeds in the greenhouse during winter etc)
-painting coops/sheds,
-designing & painting road signs, advertisements
-computer work like posting to social media, sorting receipts, finding and printing recipes, printing market pamphlets and price lists to hand out at markets
-Socializing baby animals to human contact meaning petting and scratching baby pigs, petting kittens and cuddling baby chicks :-)
-feeding and moving animals, livestock health care including tagging and vaccines, healing wounds
-brushing the dogs to keep burrs out of their fur and hair off the floors
-washing the dogs before they come inside if they get really muddy
-barn/coop cleanup (we practice deep pack bedding so daily cleanout or mucking of stalls isn't required! We do it seasonally instead of daily and it stays clean, dry and less mucky, hooray!
-organizing tool shed, garage, basement etc
-yard cleanup, stacking wood inside for winter, splitting wood and felling trees
- and much much more! We have something for everyone!
English
We offer 4 types of accommodations:
-A very comfortable air mattress in the office on the main floor of the house, close to the bathroom and kitchen with internet and a computer to use.
-2 single beds downstairs, separated by shelving, with some privacy but close to the wood stove where it gets very hot, but you will have internet and dont have to worry about being cold lol
-A tent trailer parked near the house for moderate privacy and the sense of camping - it has a plug-in cooler box, kettle, stove and small sink, with internet access but we can't guarantee it will always reach out there. You will share our kitchen and bathroom. SUMMER ONLY
-FULL PRIVACY BUT NO INTERNET: our 30 foot fifth wheel trailer with a queen sized bed, living area and kitchen. ELECTRIC YES, WATER NO. Parked near the forest trails with amazing sunset views over the rolling hills (behind the barns, a slight walk at night with a flashlight, some may not like being that far from the house). Sleeps 3 comfortably plus the table bed for children. Help us build a deck off the front and put in a natural rock fire pit this spring! Make it great for you and other people to stay! You can come to the house for internet and tv at night and play a game or relax and watch a movie with us. Shower and toilet inside the main house only.
MEALS: we are not able to support vegans as it is too much work to cook for that diet. We apologize. Vegetarians: I am willing to learn and dont mind purchasing what you need, but you will have to help prepare meals and cook something we can both enjoy! My extended family (brother, sister & dad) are all vegetarian so I like eating the things they prepare, but Patrick and I eat meat regularly and lots of vegetables on the side. I will cook with you in mind, but making sure you have enough protein and iron are your responsibility.
Breakfast: we will supply breakfast foods for you sourced on the farm including sausages, bacon, eggs and ham. Cereal, whole grain breads and yogurt will be available along with fruit and cheese. Patrick eats early (6am) and Valencia eats late (11am) so you will have to make yourself breakfast but there is always lots to eat in the house. Valencia will make a family style breakfast buffet once or twice a week.
Lunch: you must prepare our own lunch with our food as we usually skip this meal because we work until 2pm and have a small snack in the afternoon. You are welcome to hunt through the fridge or cupboards and find a snack or join us for ours around 2-3pm. It's mostly cheese, crackers, spreads and fruit and maybe a salad or sandwich. You can eat leftovers from supper also.
Supper: you will join us for supper at the main house around 6 or 7pm and eat our own organic beef, pork, and poultry, along with vegetables and sometimes pasta or other starches. We try to eat less starches and grains these days but they are always in the house and I will make sure you are well fed.
If you are a vegetarian you will have to help plan your meals and help cook them, as I am not familiar with vegetarian cooking but am willing to learn and try new things, and will help come up with ideas and then just add meat or put on the side for us.
When Valencia's AutoImmune Disorder wipes her out and she will have to sleep more than normal, so you may have to cook your own dinner at last minutes notice because she will be napping, or feels terrible and isnt in the mood to cook. We usually have leftovers at least once per week. If she cant cook you can use our kitchen and food, so perhaps make yourself some eggs, pancakes, pasta, fry up some pork chops or whatever you want, just help yourself! It's hard to predict but you will likely have a few hours notice if you will need to make your own meal that night.
It would be nice to cook together and if you don't know how Valencia can teach you. She's not a master chef but can cook fairly good, but would love to learn new recipe ideas and other ethnic foods from you. We have cookbooks here and of course, Google :-)
We are more than happy to pick you up in Napanee (preferred), Kingston or Belleville, the bus can be taken from Toronto or Ottawa to these cities. Once you are there we have an older truck you can use to go to the store, shopping or for fun, and bicycles to use. In the winter we offer snowshoes and tobaggans! We have a great hill lol
There is plenty to see and do only 20 mins from the farm in Napanee! You can get mostly everything you need in Napanee and special items can be purchased on weekends when we go to the city for market.
Valencia tends to get tired in the afternoon from her auto immune disorder, so you may work all morning and take the afternoon off to swim or go fishing. She can often go days with severe pain so having help is vital to the success of our farm. You will have a list of essential daily jobs (e.g. feeding the barn cats), weekly jobs (vacuum or clean bathroom, water garden), and misc jobs to fill in the gaps, so if you are unsure of what to do just pick something off the list and do it! We welcome people who have Initiative and take charge to accomplish tasks. If that's not you then just go to the chore board and ask what is priority for you to do that day.
We like to relax in the evening and watch some tv after working all day, but Valencia enjoys playing games too and we have a few good ones.
Smoking is allowed everywhere outside EXCEPT the barns/sheds, but is allowed in the attached garage. Butts are to be kept off the ground.
We hope to host you soon!
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
More than two
20 hrs per week
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