Small homestead with a developing food forest on Bear Mountain just over an hour from Vancouver.
British Columbia
Currently looking for wwoofers to help with a wide range of outdoor & indoor work depending on the season & weather.
Indoor work may include putting garden kits together, general maintenance, and cleaning our AirBnB between guests.
Outdoor work is dictated by nature. Generally Feb/Mar is seed starting; Apr/May is planting and garden bed preparation; June is weeding, watering and trellising and pruning. July-Oct is harvesting & processing. Jan/Feb is dormant spraying and winter pruning (fruit trees & grapes). There is farm ongoing maintenance like cleaning the ponds, cleaning the chicken coop or goat shed, putting animals away at night, building garden beds, painting, taking down trees, fixing equipment, cleaning solar panels, pruning, fence repair etc. We do not use any herbicides, so weeds are a constant battle and we are currently experimenting with a few ideas to mitigate them. Examples of larger projects we will be working on over the next year or so are adding to our vertical teaching garden/potager, putting walls on an existing outbuilding (I am currently researching cob & cord wood walls) and building a small animal shelter.
We usually start the day by meeting over breakfast around 9am so we can review the work for the day. Lunch is up to individuals to make from supplied food (usually sandwiches, pasta, ramen, with cheese, veg, sliced meats etc)
Things to Do and See:
Strathcona Farm is just over 2 acres on the south slope of Bear Mountain in Mission BC. 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 points across Canada as well as flights in and out of Abbotsford Airport. We can make arrangements to pick woofers up from the train or Abbotsford Airport.
A Bit of History:
In 2012 I founded Strathcona 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 I drove the 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 this helped get a few people started on growing some of their own food.
In 2013 my husband was diagnosed with cancer. The next two years were spent working on ways to get him well, including finding a healthier place to live. In 2014 I bought bare land and moved a house from San Juan Island to Bear Mountain in Mission BC. While my husband worked on getting well, I worked on our homestead. Sadly he passed in May of 2015 and my son and I moved to our land two months later. Many people told me I was crazy, but I am determined to build the healthy and sustainable homestead that we dreamed of.
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 a persimmon 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 permaculture 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 strive to be ethical omnivores.
Our animals include laying hens, ducks and goats. We also have two dogs and two cats.
Wwoofers are free to do whatever they'd like when not helping out but we like to integrate wwoofers into our family life. I do workshops on things like making soaps or cheese and often offer the workshops for free to wwoofers. I have a number of cool moulds, colours and scents and wwoofers can take home their own creations.
Our farmstay is family style, so household chores are shared. We like to build relationships with our wwoofers, so expect sharing dinner with us, having conversations, playing board games or cards, watching movies (with popcorn), hiking, going to lakes etc. As well we can help plan trips, help wwoofers find and register vehicles (and save $ on insurance) and even pass along other wwoofing or job opportunities. There is a guest room with a queen bed and a second room with a sofa bed.
What We Are Looking For: If you are a skilled worker such as a carpenter or electrician we only ask for 20 hours a week when you are using your skills. For unskilled wwoofers we are asking for 25 hrs of work per week (depending on productivity - it is mostly about actually getting things done rather than time put in). The work you will be asked to do will depend on your skills and physical abilities. We are also open to shifting hours - ie wwoofers can choose to work more hrs the first week and less the second week in the case of a two week stay.
Wwoofers must be over 19 and have a good work ethic. All bedding, towels and handmade soap is supplied.
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Poultry farming
Sheep or goat farming
Raising of other farm animals
Seed saving or production
Cheesemaking
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Renewable energy production
Food justice / sovereignty
Methods or systems
Biological pest control
Biodynamic agriculture
Holistic management
Permaculture
Regenerative agriculture
Host type
Self-sufficiency property
0.9
Hectares
|
2.2
Acres
Judy
Member since 2019
Languages spoken:
English
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 66%
Response time: typically within 4 days
British Columbia
Mission Train Station, Abbotsford Airport, Abbotsford bus station (there are a couple)
Reviews
Michael
Canada
•
June 2026
"I had a wonderful timein North Mission with Judy and Ethan! From the moment I arrived, they were incredibly welcoming, kind, and made me feel right at home. My daily routine was filled with various and previously agreed chores—I started my mornings feeding the chickens, spent time moving items around the house, took care of the airbnb suite after guests checked out,and worked on cleaning the fences. I always loved ending the day by feeding the goats and collecting all of the fresh duck and chicken eggs. It was also great learning and helping Judy pack seed kits for her business, which we shipped out to many locations across Canada and the United States!
Judy was really generous, giving me free access to the fridge for breakfast and lunch, and she always cooked dinners for us in the evening.
During my stay i had to train to Vancouver a couple of times for work reasons and Judy always drove me to the train station in the morning and picked me up in the afternoon.
I highly recommend this host to anyone looking for a nice experience just a few steps out of Vancouver.
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Benedict
United Kingdom
•
May 2026
Really enjoyed my time with Judy and Ethan! There was a good range of tasks to do in the garden: planting, weeding, mowing, and mucking out the goat shed, as well as indoor tasks to mix it up, like cleaning the AirBnB. Judy gave lots of helpful advice for travelling in Canada, and we also had plenty of spirited discussions regarding politics and global and local affairs. I ate some amazing dinners cooked by Judy on the BBQ, and we went on a Sunday to the nearby Dewdney Pub for burgers, beers and the Blues which I very much enjoyed, thank you Judy! Ethan was very welcoming too, and set up the largest game of Catan you have ever seen. Also in the house were two sweet Labs and a very companionable black cat. Thank you Judy and Ethan for your kindness and hospitality!
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Reply from Judy
Thank you Ben! You were such a pleasure to host. And, you were probably the most artistic wwoofer we have ever hosted. I am currently wishing I had enlisted your help painting a cool goat on the hay shed door.
Stella-Marie
Netherlands
•
May 2026
I had a really enriching experience staying with Judy! She is incredibly warm, open, and knowledgeable—especially when it comes to seeds and planting. I learned a lot from her, and working with the animals was genuinely fun. We had very lively conversations, often with very different opinions, but I always walked away having learned something new.
Judy went above and beyond to help me during my stay—she even spent an entire day helping me find and buy a car, which was amazing. She’s also very supportive for anyone looking to travel through BC. Her son Ethan is a delight too, and our dinner table conversations were always enjoyable.
A couple of things to keep in mind: the house is quite messy (I’m very organized, so it might have felt more noticeable to me than others), and the food is very meat-based, so vegetarians might want to plan accordingly. There isn’t a set agenda for chores or work, which can feel a little unstructured at times, but I personally enjoyed the work, so it wasn’t a major issue.
Overall, this stay was both fun and educational, and I really appreciated Judy’s generosity, warmth, and knowledge. I’d definitely recommend her as a WWOOF host!
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Reply from Judy
Thanks Stella :)
You were fun and helpful to have around. You are always welcome here :)
I look at Wwoof hosting as a symbiotic relationship: Wwoofers help me with things that I physically can no longer do and I do everything I can to help make their time in Canada a great experience. We are not for everyone - my house has been described as like walking into a museum with all my family heirlooms (some going back 250+ years) seeds, my hundreds of books, and a pantry that is about 1/3 the size I need, while others would find it cluttered (both are true lol). It also gets a little crazy when I am growing 400 seedlings in the living room Feb through May, or raising chicks in the foyer (they are 3 days old right now). When we have vegetarians it is more work (I often will make 2 meals) but it can be done. And, yes our schedule and work plans are almost always contingent on weather, both seasonally and daily. As a small farm/homestead we have many more diverse tasks unlike large commercial farms that could have people working on acres of fields or greenhouses for weeks (our big greenhouse is only about 500 square feet). We are coming up to harvest season soon and we will then shift into harvesting, processing and preserving mode. Never a dull moment lol.
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Jakob
Germany
•
January 2026
We spend 5 amazing weeks at Strathcona Farm with Judy and Ethan. That whole time they did what they could to make our stay unforgettable. Next to our tasks like taking care of the chickens and goats, cleaning their AirBnB, or preparing seeds, Judy showed us how to make soap, or she drove us to beautiful locations nearby. Our working days were very flexible, so that we could use the few not so rainy days to enjoy the outdoors.
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Reply from Judy
Thanks again for wwoofing with us. I hope you guys are enjoying your new adventure :)
Luca
Germany
•
November 2025
The host’s property is located in a scenic and peaceful environment and offers considerable potential for meaningful cultural exchange. The host provided supportive guidance regarding onward travel arrangements, and a family member contributed positively by involving me in various leisure activities, which added variety to the daily routine.
During my stay, I observed recurring difficulties in establishing consistent communication. This led to unclear expectations and limited coordination regarding daily tasks and scheduling. The work structure lacked sufficient organization, which made it challenging to plan personal activities or reliably anticipate days off.
Regarding accommodation, I noted several hygiene- and infrastructure-related issues. The bathroom required significant cleaning attention, and the sleeping area showed similar deficiencies. The bedding was not clean upon arrival, and on two occasions insects were present in the bed, which affected overall comfort.
In summary, while the host demonstrated kindness and the property shows notable potential, certain operational and hygienic aspects did not meet expected standards. My assessment is based solely on observations made during my stay and may not reflect the experience of others.
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Reply from Judy
Luca,
Although we did our best to make you feel welcome in our home, it was quite clear you were not a good fit.
I picked you up from the train station the evening of the 20th and l drove you to the train station at 7am on the 25th. You would have had days off after putting in 25-30 hours generally over the course of 5 days. You were not here long enough to have a day off.
Our schedule is weather dependant so tasks/projects have to be adjusted accordingly. I do not make Wwoofers work outdoors in pouring rain unless it is absolutely necessary so they do indoor tasks instead.
Because you were only here 4 days I did not feel you had worked enough to do a proper review of you. It can take me up to a week to figure out how a Wwoofer works, their strengths and weaknesses and how best to approach to working with them. Upon arrival, every Wwoofer is given typed overview of the farm, daily chores and potential projects or tasks. We meet every morning to discuss the day’s tasks.
Yes, the bathroom had a leak that we fixed but the ceiling still needed to be finished - that would be an indoor task we would give to a Wwoofer. We just had not had anyone capable until after your stay.
As for the sheets - they are cleaned with every turnaround. The last thing a Wwoofer does is bring me their sheets to wash when they leave. The bathroom only used by Wwoofers and is the responsibility of Wwoofers to clean. Organic farms naturally have bugs. We are a homestead, not a resort.
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PL
Canada
•
October 2025
Judy is a great host full of visions and ideas. We complimented each other. I had a separate bedroom in the basement with a private washroom. I really enjoyed my stay and company! Thanks again for everything!
Reply from Judy
Thanks again PL - we definitely complemented each other. I have waaay too many ideas and you are pragmatic and a get 'er done kinda guy. Hope to see you again! (I may have more ideas...)
