Profile information
Host rating
65 %
Last replied
14 Jun 2022
Feedback
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Email verified
Details
Description
We are a third-generation organic farm located in the rolling hills of the Oak Ridges Moraine. This area of surpassing natural beauty has inspired each generation to embrace a mindful approach to farming. We feel the land is only ours in trust for those yet to be born.
We grow market produce in raised beds and sell it at our self-serve farm stand at our farm gate and through our CSA. Also available are eggs from our heritage flock of laying hens and seasonal farm products such as maple syrup, apple cider, and firewood.
We are lifelong animal lovers and have a commitment to raising our animals in as comfortable an environment as possible. Our pigs and chickens are in movable tractors, enabling them to forage for wild foods and engage in the natural grooming and leisure activities which factory-raised animals are unable to enjoy. Our sheep have acres of land to roam and forage and they are handled with respect and care.
Our horse stables are a comfortable retirement home for many beloved horses and donkeys, some of whom are still ridden while others are enjoying their golden years just roaming about and being horses. We are happy to take horses of any age or activity level, but we do have a special place in our hearts for the older horses who have given so much of their lives in service of man. It is our honor to provide care for these lovely older animals.
There is plenty of work for the year round. We are currently busy with planting, building new raised beds and a farm stand, fencing, irrigation, repairs to outbuildings and greenhouses, and pasture maintenance.
There are many opportunities for fun and enjoyment on the farm, including horseback riding, swimming in the pond, hiking the trails, cross-country skiing, tobogganing, drawing and painting the local wildlife, and much more. The farm is located near several small towns which have frequent fairs and attractions such as the Bluegrass Festival, JazzFest, the South Simcoe Steam Train, Honey Festival, tractor pulls, and the Potato Festival. We are about an hour NW of Toronto and within easy commuting distance.
We enjoy a positive, peaceful, and beautiful environment and we want to share it with you too! We can see a real possibility for healing through labor and communion with the Earth and we are excited to bring that possibility to light. We look forward to meeting you. Welcome.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
General Maintenance
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We are keen to share our experience with regenerative agriculture and sustainable living with others. We love discussing innovative designs and practices for self-sustainability and a greener future for all.
Help
**Currently looking for awesome volunteers to assist with: animal chores (horses, chickens, pigs); small building projects (new outdoor kitchen for volunteers!); cleaning and preparing farmstay accommodations for the spring season.**
Languages
Languages spoken
English: FluentThis host offers a language exchange
Deborah speaks English and loves to learn all other languages. Eric speaks English and a little French and would love more practice with French.
Accommodation
Accommodation would be private or shared with other volunteers in a loft above a stables, our tiny cabin, a small camper, or in tents. Depending on the number of volunteers, cooking and cleaning duties would be shared and rotated daily and meals would be cooked from staples provided.
What else ...
There are many opportunities for fun and enjoyment on the farm, including swimming in the pond, hiking the trails, cross-country skiing, tobogganing, drawing and painting the local wildlife, and much more. The farm is located near several small towns which have frequent fairs and attractions such as the Bluegrass Festival, JazzFest, the South Simcoe Steam Train, Honey Festival, tractor pulls, and the Potato Festival. We are about an hour NW of Toronto and within easy commuting distance.
The farm is located a fifteen minute car ride away from the nearest town, so transportation is important. It would be wonderful if volunteers could share in providing rides into town and for exploring the area for those who arrive without automobiles. We have 2 bikes you can borrow to explore and enjoy the beautiful country roads around.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
We have Starlink internet, which is moderately high-speed. It can be accessed from the farm workshop.
Space for parking camper vans
We can take workers in their campers either for boondocking or if the camper is small enough, we can hook up your electric via an extension cord in the barnyard- that option is less private but might be more convenient. We do not have water hookup nor sewage but we can supply potable water and there is a blackwater dump station within 30 minutes of the farm.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
25 hours per week maximum
