Ecological Hobby Farm in the rolling hills of Northumberland County, Ontario, Canada

Availability

  2025 

 Min stay requested: at least 2 weeks

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    Tony and Linda are a young senior couple who have spent the last 11 years working and loving the land, growing and raising much of our food using organic and permaculture principles learned through our earlier travels around the world. We moved our family from Toronto to the country to live a more peaceful and fulfilling lifestyle, closing the gap between field and table. We had Workawayers for six years, helping us to get our farm up and running. Then we took a break as we no longer needed the extra labour.

    Our 80 acre property is a mixture of field, forest, meadow and wetland with a beautiful view of Lake Ontario. We have a large "kitchen" vegetable garden which is run as a community cooperative. We also raise goats, chickens, and bees, one horse, 4 dogs and 2 cats. Tony bakes and sells his famous "Montreal-style" bagels. Our farm has a communal atmosphere with our near neighbours getting together one night a week for dinner and our garden volunteers meeting three mornings a week. We provide tours for on-farm visitors . And we also share our property with a forest school and a wilderness therapy program for autistic children.

    We have recently added a new barn to house our animals, a new garage and workshop, and a self-sufficient 2-bedroom apartment above our garage. Now that our building projects are complete, we want to focus on cleaning up the remnants of years of accumulated construction materials and old farm equipment and beautify the property. Our main focus this year is a one-day environmental-themed festival we are hosting on the farm August 31st. We have a large group of volunteers helping with the planning stages but we need extra hands to get the property into shape for the festival.

    When we traveled, we loved working as volunteers side by side with people from all over the world. Now that we are hosts we can relive our experiences all over again! We like to gather together for some of our meals to cook, share stories and ideas and get to know one another. We hope that our volunteers leave us fit and happy and passionate about growing and eating good food!

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Help with Eco Projects
    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    Creating/ Cooking family meals
    General Maintenance
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    We work together as a respecful community in this peaceful and beautiful part of the world and do our best to model the tolerance and diversity which Canada is known for. We also love to show off southern Ontario's forests and lakes when we can as well as our sophisticated cities. We are happy to assist workers with planning trips away from the farm.

  • Help

    Help

    Our focus this summer is cleaning up our "junkier" areas. Moving building materials and machinery and organizing it in a proper location. Keeping weeds under control though mowing and trimming. Repairing fencing and decking. Building temporary structures for the festival. Painting signs and staining decks. Clearing trails in our forest. You may also be involved in farm work including feeding animals, mucking out stalls, working in the vegetable garden or orchard.

    The working day generally starts at 9:00 and ends at 2:00. Workawayers work Monday to Friday, 5 hours a day, 25 hours a week. Days off are negotiable. You will stay in a 2 bedroom apartment above the garage and use the small kitchen for breakfast and lunch and the occasional dinner. All groceries will be provided including farm-fresh veggies, eggs, herbs and honey, plus chicken and goat meat. Many dinners will be with the hosts in the main house. After work, volunteers tend to go hiking, running, cycling, swimming at the beach, playing games, journaling, drawing and playing music. On your days off we can help you plan trips to see what Ontario has to offer.

    We encourage a healthy lifestyle. Smoking cigarettes or drinking to excess is discouraged.

    The work is very physical and requires strength and stamina in all kinds of weather. Weather in Canada is extreme. The spring can be cool and wet during the day and cold during the night. The summers are mainly hot, dry and very humid. Black flies and mosquitoes are bothersome in the spring and during sundown but our property is breezy so the bugs aren't too bad. You will need to be reasonably fit for digging, carrying heavy loads, weeding, throwing hay bales, carrying water, mucking stalls, cutting wood and building fences. You will be around livestock that can be intimidating and dangerous if not treated knowledgeably and with respect.

  • Languages spoken

    English: Fluent

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    2 bedroom apartment with kitchen and bathroom with shower.

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    We are a 15 minute drive or a 40 minute bike ride to some great restaurants, shops, a lovely swimming beach. We can drive you to Oshawa to catch the GO train system that connects with Toronto and destinations like Niagara Falls. Or the VIA rail system that takes you to Ottawa, Kingston and Quebec. Having your own car is a big asset in the countryside. Our beautiful lake-filled cottage country, just north of us, is a favourite destination.

  • 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

  • My animals / pets

    My animals / pets

Host ref number: 828268561396

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Photos

The image depicts a winter scene with a group of people standing near a broken wooden fence in a snowy field, surrounded by trees and overgrown vegetation.
The image depicts a serene landscape featuring a vast green field, a wooden fence, trees, and a dramatic cloudy sky with pink hues at sunset.
The image shows a serene outdoor scene with a couple sitting on a bench, surrounded by trees and a body of water, evoking a sense of tranquility and natural beauty.
The image depicts a serene rural landscape featuring a house, barn under construction, and lush trees set against a clear blue sky on a sunny day.
The image depicts a young girl cradling a goat in a rustic barn setting, with the girl wearing a black knit hat and a multicolored striped jacket.
The image depicts a group of people gathered outside a house, surrounded by gardening tools and produce, posing for a photo on a sunny day.
The image depicts four individuals and a dog working together in a garden, surrounded by lush greenery and trees, with a focus on gardening and outdoor activity.
The image depicts a group of people gathered around a table, likely engaged in a meal or celebration, with a warm and inviting atmosphere. The scene is filled with joy and camaraderie.
The image depicts five individuals sitting on hay bales in a barn, with two men and three women posing for the camera, all dressed in casual attire.
The image depicts a woman holding a carton of eggs, with the focus on the eggs and the woman blurred in the background.

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