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Host rating
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Last replied
30 Sep 2024
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Description
My family and I live on a queer and trans friendly Land Co-operative just outside Nelson in beautiful southern BC, in traditional Sinixt territory. We are a sex positive, polyamorous triad living together with one child. I (Emily) am a food activist and am passionate about the local foodshed and growing my own food! Some of my endeavours include permaculture gardening and establishing a food forest, fermenting everything, animal slaughter and butchery, wildcrafting and herbalism.
Just Phil is inspired by native vernacular architecture combined with modern techniques and tools. He creates permastructures guided by geometry and flow. Each project undertaken pushes the boundaries with whole systems modelled after the patterns of nature, with a heavy focus on interconnection. He intends to teach anyone willing to get dirty how to take advantage of locally available materials to create anything you can imagine.
Damo is a jack of all trades. He is a trained chef and has skills in carpentry, timber framing, stonework, and many other practical pursuits. Creatively he is inspired by photography and can often be seen following his lens.
Our child, Tencza is often working alongside us (and you!) helping/hindering :) Her enthusiasm is contagious.
We live in community on 88 acres of mostly forested land, a rural wild mountainscape and are off-grid on microhydro. Bird Creek (Chiweha Sk'kaka) provides us clean, fresh water and reliable power. Being off-grid allows us to more intimately understand how we consume power in our lives and has led us to a more simple and ecological way of using electricity.
There are Other workaway hosts on our co-operative too:
Troy and Jason
Eric and Lauren
Michael
We are currently creating a subterranean reciprocal round post and beam home, Insulated with slip and chip, with an earthbag cold cellar and a living roof sheltered by a double green house. We are also establishing a food forest, and maintain an organic community garden. Along with all other things that come with living in a forest on a mountain.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We provide an experience to our volunteers. Offgrid, minimalist living in a rural-wild setting. We are a gender & lifestyle positive community, open to diversity and approaching this life with a down-to-earth realism, grounded in how things actually work (and don't) and evolving from there :) If this is an experience you are interested in, please join us!
What can you learn from a stay here? (Please let us know if you have specific interestes)
Working with/maintaiming tools/vehicles
Fermenting/food preservarion
Planting, maintaining and harvesting a garden
Milling logs into lumber/timber
Timber framing / joinery
Festival volunteering
Plant identification/herbalism
Rigging, Shibari, rope skills, fire play
hula hooping/flow jam
Primitive skills such as hide tanning
And the list goes on.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
*️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️We are always looking for someone who is specifically interested in from scratch cooking -3 meals a day, with the most stellar ingredients you can imagine :)
This summer we are cutting the round log frame for the GnomeHome If someone who knows how a mortice and Tenon is made using hand tools, come this way! I am looking to carve the joinery on large fir timbers and assemble in Fall
There is always something to do in the garden, but this tends not to be a full time thing, as generally the garden takes care of itself. There is always some harvesting and a bit of chaos management. With the more intensive times being spring and fall.
Our preferred structure is 4 longer work days with 3 days off, generally Fri/Sat/Sun. We provide three whole food, mostly organic meals daily.
We are looking for Long term volunteers (2 weeks+) and short term volunteers.
Anyone interested should come dressed to work and play outside in the mountains rain or shine.
Quality waterproof footwear and raingear are necessary. In the winter, we have hike in access only, so come prepared to walk up the driveway 1km and then toboggan out!
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Polish: Fluent
Russian: Fluent
French: BeginnerThis 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.
Accommodation
Camping spaces always available in season. We have one larger canvas tent outfitted with a woodstove for colder season camping, but it is likely not appropriate for winter.
What else ...
Lots of local hiking, beautiful rivers to swim in, great biking on rails to trails, or EPIC downhill MTB, rock climbing, ski touring and whitewater ski hill and a bus from the bottom of our hill to the eclectic town of Nelson.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
While we are open to hosting digital nomads we live a very screen minimum lifestyle. Our internet is relatively slow and only have 100gb a month bandwidth. So i would say if you are looking to work full time from our space you are unlikely to be a good fit. If you need to do small contracts/projects in a part time manner then you may contact us....
Space for parking camper vans
We have a small place to park a camper van and I have to tow the vehicle up our mountain driveway... once its parked there you cannot use it to go to town on days off.
Can possibly accept pets
No cats due to cat allergies. Some dogs may be considered.. .contact us in advance!
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Feedback (22)
first, that's a real off the grid stay, but one of the best I ever saw. they managed to have an amazing electric system, hot water system and autonomous food supply. which is really good if you are interested by this way of life.
I felt really respected in my needs (maybe because I… read more
great with our daugher!
excellent communication in english despite not being his primary language!
I felt unusually comfortable letting him use my most prized tools, when I observed that the first thing he does is make sure the tools are sharp and if they wern't to his standard would take the time to… read more
Photos
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Cultural exchange:
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Communication:
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first, that's a real off the grid stay, but one of the best I ever saw. they managed to have an amazing electric system, hot water system and autonomous food supply. which is really good if you are interested by this way of life.
I felt really respected in my needs (maybe because I… read more
great with our daugher!
excellent communication in english despite not being his primary language!
I felt unusually comfortable letting him use my most prized tools, when I observed that the first thing he does is make sure the tools are sharp and if they wern't to his standard would take the time to… read more
Great project, great food, great time!
Thanks
One of my best Workaway experiences I have had so far.
Stayed about two weeks working and learning a lot about building and about alternative living with this inspiring family and other amazing volunteers I coincided with.
I won't lie, earthbagging was hard work but I enjoyed the physical activity in the mornings. The meals… read more
I Just want to say, don't change anything, you are awesome :)
I helped Phil with the siding, witch was a great experience! (I benefit a lot of Phils skills and knowledge about carpentry)
The food was just awesome and also living and sleeping in the conic was great :)… read more
We enjoyed the wide range of tasks they got us involved in, in particular: planting and cultivating in their garden;… read more
It was awesome to ate and appreciate your own superpowefrull products; homade cheese, yogurt, hummus, kombucha, bread...!!! And try to help a bit for your project.
Thank's for your learn, your energy and your patience.
Hope to see you again for an other yummy zuchini party!!
I wish you both the best in your travels and look… read more
Kav did everything here from childcare (Tencza adored her) to hard labour in the food forest and on… read more
The work was just what i was looking for and I was free in the afternoons to get some rest and develop other skills (like learning with eric the neighbor how to butcher a cute baby goat : )
Phil and Em are always ready to answer all my… read more
