Live in a treehouse and help with our hobby veggie and garlic farm outside Prince George, Canada

  • Favourited 704 times
  • Last activity: 21 Mar 2024

Availability

  2024 

 Min stay requested: at least 2 weeks

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Details

  • Description

    Description

    Currently we are now booked for the 2024 season. If we have any openings we will change the colour for dates to yellow or green. We do not want to take our profile offline as we know bookings can change, and we know some guests are extra keen and might plan for 2025! Our operating months are usually end of April till the end of September or mid October.

    Welcome! We speak fluent English and German. We are looking for guests to help us with our hobby market farm, as well as to help us with sustainable projects and daily living. We grow hardneck garlic, heirloom tomatoes and other produce and we would love to teach you how you can grow sustainably in a difficult climate. We also run a YouTube channel which features our sustainable projects including our tiny houseboat and you can ask us for our link in messages.

    We live on a 5 acre rural property just outside Prince George BC- a town you need to pass through to get to Alaska and the Yukon. We live about 30km from downtown where the air is fresh, and it’s just a short walk to two lakes. When the weather is fair, Holly kayaks to the school she teaches at!

    We are a family of 5, with 3 children ages 14-19. Our eldest son is in Univeristy at TRU (Kamloops), and our two girls live with us during the week. Holly's elderly mother lives in her own suite downstairs. We have 1 large dog and 2 cats that live in the house and if you have allergies to cats our house would not be suitable. For meals we have pescatarian/vegetarian/lactose free/low sodium options due to different dietary restrictions, but other than Holly, family members do still eat meat. We raise our own chickens and quails for eggs, and eggs are a staple of our diet. We harvest wild plants when they are available to us in the spring.

    Unfortunately we cannot accommodate strict vegan, gluten free diets, or life threatening food allergies due to busy farm life. Non-smoking/non-vaping guests only please. 4:20 friendly on your own time and not around the children.

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    Animal Care
    Farmstay help
    Creating/ Cooking family meals
    Help around the house
    General Maintenance
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Learn the basics of gardening and building in a difficult northern climate. We only have 60 days to grow the majority of our food and there is so much planning involved. We would love to share our knowledge! Holly has been growing produce for over 20 years and has learned to sift out the wives-tales from research based/best economical practice. We run a tiny market garden and grow our own food without the use of expensive tractors and tools and we have learned to apply the knowledge from commercial growers to sustainable and affordable home growing. With us you can learn to grow produce for both yourself and a local chef/univeristy community box program.

    Experience rural family life as we develop a small farm that reuses discarded materials to lessen our impact on the land. Come see how a tree house cabin, chicken coop, fence, and a loft styled shed were all built using wood from our own land and recycled materials. If you love innovative projects and are interested in how you can use what you already have, we are the right fit for you. Our unique projects are always a delight for our guests.

    Depending on the season, walk the land with us and learn how to harvest wild plants for food, tinctures, and teas on the weekends. Holly knows all the names of the wild plants of B.C. and we eat local plants when ready and have an entire cupboard of wild crafted teas. Learn how to find yourself a quick survival snack or cup of tea!

    Ever want to take a big dog for a walk or a run in your free time? Charlie (Great Pyrenes/Golden Retriever mix) would love to get out around the neighborhood or to Eskers 20 min down the road. Learn to live away from city life, and experience kayaking on a lake all to yourself! (Lake may still be frozen till end of April depending on the season). Sport fishing (license required) is at Eena lake, a 5 min bike ride down the road. Nukko Lake is beautiful, but limited in desirable fish species.

    We also offer training with basic power tools and can teach you to use a chainsaw safely. If you are keen to learn new skills, we are willing to show you! We are also a musical and artistic family and would love to learn about your talents as well!

  • Help

    Help

    We are looking for flexible and positive minded guests who are genuinely interested in learning how to use the resources they have around them for farming or for creating projects. Basic work experience in a garden (any zone) or working with plants or on a farm is appreciated, but not necessary. Ideal workaway guests are guests who want to learn, and who are interested in small-scale farm life, or unique building projects.

    Garden/yard tasks will be weeding garlic, using a wheelbarrow to make garden beds, watering, sifting soil, mowing, harvesting vegetables/garlic,harvesting raspberries, strawberries and haskaps. We operate 1 large unheated greenhouse and 2 smaller ones, as well as 3 sections of gardens. We have a very short season and land with naturally poor soil and yet we
    have grown so much over the years.

    Depending on your interest and skillset we can expand your tasks. Tasks change per season- with the main crops ready July/August, although we will be already working in the greenhouses in April/May.

    In the spring, you will often work with Daniel as Holly is teaching full time from April-June 29th. April may be a bit chilly, so please be aware of our climate zone. Canada does not spray for mosquitoes in rural areas, so be aware!

    Animal care is working with chickens and quails: feeding, egg collection and cleaning cages, pens, and is a shared with our youngest child. Help with building projects is simple and straightforward, no experience necessary.

    Basic household chores may be included during the week as part of your hours as it gets busy trying to keep up with everything! Everyone pitches in with clean up of meals, including children. If you wish to cook and prep meals/bake, this can also be part of your hours during the week if it fits our timeline. We often have many unique projects on the go, so please expect clutter in the house, and tools or a project on the kitchen counter!

    Help will be needed about 5 hours a day, 5 days a week. We do not go beyond 5 hours, as many guests have experienced with other hosts. Guests usually start their day at 9, but we begin earlier. Guests work from 9-12, have a 1 hour lunch then work from 1-3pm. That being said we are super flexible with our hours/days and might work different hours dependent on the weather. If you want to start early with us to have more time off in the afternoon, just ask! We try to mix up your tasks.

    We consider guests as part of our family and we enjoy connecting with you. You are welcome in our house at any hour of the day and for as long as you want. Instructions will be in German and English. A car will be helpful if you want to explore beyond our routines.

  • Languages spoken

    German: Fluent
    English: Fluent

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    You will be staying in privately set 8x12 tree house cabin (including porch) at the back of our property. Heat is provided by a small wood stove and there is a power cable to the cabin. No water or toilet facilities in the treehouse, but an outhouse close by. We only accept 1 guest or 2 traveling partners so the treehouse space is yours.

    You will have full access to our large family home for cooking, laundering/showering/WiFi and just hanging out. Bathroom will be shared with kids. Campfires are permitted and encouraged! Light a fire and enjoy the night stars! No light pollution, and you can see Milky Way! Treehouse has a mosquitoe net in the sleeping area but it is not perfect. A squirrel or a mouse might live in the roof of the treehouse, we try our best to dissuade them, but it it is a treehouse in the woods.

    Sauna! We have a beautiful outdoor wood-fired sauna in the woods that you may use, don't be shy to ask. The sauna is built with waste wood and trees from our land, and overlooks the small gully next to the treehouse.

    Both the tree house cabin and the house are non-smoking and we do not accept smoking/vaping guests. Bedding/towels are provided. Wi-Fi is only available in the house/limited outside areas.Breakfast and lunch meals are pretty informal, and we try to have a sit down family dinner each evening depending on Holly's schedule. All food is provided and there is a pantry full of snacks. Alcohol is not included, but feel free to purchase on your own. Weekends the kids are at their dads, and meals are more "help yourself"/leftovers and informal.

    To access the lake you just walk across the road down a little path and we have two kayaks to offer guests. Generally, you are the only person on the lake! The nearby lakes are Nukko Lake and Eena Lake.

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    During your time off you will have access to the kayaks, and fishing gear. There are two nearby community beaches, a fishing dock, and Esker's Provincial Park about 15km away to go easy hiking in. We enjoy living in a rural setting, and if you crave the partying nightlife on the weekend, we are not the right fit for you. We are young(er!) but would rather sit around here with a glass of wine and a fire enjoy the outdoors. The closest basic shopping area is 15 min away by car. There are no steep hiking trails near by- you would need a car to access these, although the Ancient Forest and Grizzly Den hiking area is about 150km away. Prince George area has more walking/gentle hikes locally.

    Our neighborhood is quiet and safe. We live 30 min from downtown Prince George, and we go downtown every Friday to drop off the kids, and shop on the weekend. We are currently not loaning our car out to guests due to insurance complications.

    We will pick up and drop off at the Prince George airport, Via train station, and other locations to help you arrive/depart.
    We are known as the Gateway City as we are the central city to pass through on your way to Alaska, the Yukon, as well as Haida Gwaii. There are an abundance of ride-share options on Facebook that can take you to and from Prince George along with an International airport, an Ebus system south and east and a train to Jasper and Smithers.

  • A little more information

    A little more information

    • Internet access

    • Limited internet access

      Limited internet access

    • We have pets

    • We are smokers

    • Can host families

  • Space for parking camper vans

    Space for parking camper vans

    This host can provide space for campervans.

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    Two

  • ...

    Hours expected

    Maximum 5 hours a day, 5 days a week

Host ref number: 754594478723

Feedback (14)



Feedback

These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.

Accuracy of profile: (5.0)

Cultural exchange: (5.0)

Communication: (5.0)


















Help with DIY, our many projects are inviting you to warm you up near Val-d'Or, Quebec, Canada
Help around the house and explore life in Nimpo Lake, Canada