Canada
Favourited 36 times
We are currently not accepting any new Workawayers.
The Farm is just over 2 acres on the south slope of Bear Mountain in Mission BC. We are a hobby farm in progress with plans to become as sustainable as possible. We have planted the first phase of a a food forest and already have a fair number of fruits and berries that are already producing.
Once part of a larger farm we bought our property as bare land in 2014 with the intention to make it as self sustainable as possible using regenerative farming techniques. In 2015 we moved a house onto the property. Since then we have established numerous fruit trees and berries as well as herb and vegetable gardens which we grow for both food and seeds and are currently in the process of building a food forest with chestnuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, elderberries and paw paws so far.
We are working towards greater sustainability and accountability for what we eat. We experiment with different ways of growing things as a way to show people that you can grow food in small spaces including an orchard of dwarf, semi dwarf and columnar fruit trees. Much of what we do is following basic permiculture methods. Other crops include garlic, currants, rhubarb, blueberries, kiwi, raspberries, strawberries, wild blackberries, grapes, lettuces, mustard, tomatoes, carrots, onions, artichokes, potatoes, various herbs and whatever else strikes our fancy. Oh, and lots of flowers for bouquets. We also put in a pond and plan to experiment with growing greens on floating planters this year.
Gardening
DIY and building projects
General Maintenance
Farmstay help
Help around the house
We offer a full on farm stay with fresh eggs, fruits, greens etc (when available). We also make our own soaps and preserves and are more than happy to share our skills and knowledge. We have had many volunteers in the past so we are quite good at integrating people into our family so they can learn our culture and language. We are very close to hiking trails and points of interest such as a local monastary, sturgeon fishing and waterfall.
We could use help with building a new chicken coop and sheds, fixing our greenhouse, installing light fixtures and general repairs.
English: Fluent
We have a 1 bedroom suite with a fireplace, full kitchen, full bathroom and patio with a BBQ that we rent out, when it is not rented we make it available to workawayers. When it is rented we have a guest room with a queen bed next to a living room and bathroom which is fairly private. If you are in the suite we will supply cereals, milk, coffee etc for breakfast that you can make and you can have other meals with us, if you are in the guest room all meals are with us. We are omnivores but do make occassional vegetarian meals and strive to buy our meat from ethical, sustainable sources.
We are walking distance to trails and Westminster Abbey (a community of Benedictine monks) and a short drive to Cascade Falls and suspension bridge. There are some great local shops and coffee houses as well as stores offering all the necessities of life, but Mission is still a pretty small town. Mission offers trail riding, sturgeon fishing and some great hikes. About 45 minutes east of us is Harrison Hotsprings and Sasquatch Ski Resort.
Getting Here: Vancouver is about a 60 minute drive and there is the Westcoast Express commuter train train that runs Monday - Friday (limited runs - last train to get here leaves just after 6pm) from Waterfront Station to Mission. There is also Via Rail from various point across Canada as well as flights in and out of Abbotsford Airport. We can make arrangements to pick volunteers from the train or airport.
A Bit of History: In 2012 I founded the farm 1890 Urban Seed Collections as a way to inspire more people to grow their own food. One day I came across the trailer for the movie Truck Farm and was immediately struck by how people responded to it. I decided it would be an excellent way to demonstrate growing food in small spaces. For three years we drove our TruckFarm around Vancouver, put it on display at place like Science World and the Pacific National Exhibition, as well as did TV, radio and magazine interviews. I like to think that we helped get a few people started on growing some of their own food.
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Two
Maximum 5 hours a day, 5 days a week
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Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(4.0)
Communication:
(4.5)
