Northern bison ranch, unique Canadian experience
Manitoba
Hello, we are Shawn and Edith... and Copper, a people-loving Chocolate Labrador Retriever. Edith works full-time in town while Shawn is a full-time farmer taking care of the animals, the land, and the yard.
Edith speaks some French, owing to her early school years in French Immersion education. Ca fait presque 30 ans, donc son francais n'est pas parfait mais c'est assez bon que si elle etait echouee en France elle pourrait survivre. Certainement, elle peut demander du vin rouge et une baguette! Shawn, on the other hand, can decipher the language of nature.
We are a small farm that produces good food, marketed locally. We embrace the holistic, sustainable and traditional farm lifestyle. Round The Bend Farm is centered around a small herd of about 150 bison (also known as buffalo) which makes us unique in our region. Bison are large, majestic beasts that are native to the Northern Prairies and as such are uniquely adapted to our climate and geography. Being in the presence of the bison is a very rewarding experience. A major part of our farm operation is hosting school classes and other groups that come out to "harvest" a bison and cut it up as both a hands-on learning experience and a way to acquire healthy natural food.
Bison farming also provides many opportunities to develop value-added by-products, whether it be dog bones or rawhide chews, drums made from the hide, a beautiful prepared skull as decor, or collecting the soft undercoat that they shed in the Spring to be used in felting or knitting. We encourage WWOOFers to get creative and experiment with these kinds of things.
We have a largish egg operation with free-range hens laying about 25 dozen brown eggs daily throughout the year, which we deliver to customers in town. A chore of all our WWOOFers is to check on the hens daily, bring them water and make sure their food supply is good, and then collect, wash and package all the eggs.
During the summers we also raise meat poultry (chickens and sometimes turkeys) for ourselves, and these we butcher in the fall. We also have free-range pigs that live outdoors year-round, and we sell or butcher them as demand arises. The pigs eat groceries, dairy and other food that is past its best-before date and considered unfit for sale -- we collect from local grocery stores during the week, effectively diverting it away from the waste disposal grounds. It's a win-win for the environment and the pigs! They are a mix of heritage breeds and we let them breed freely, so there are litters throughout the year and always an assortment of different sizes and colours.
All of this is supplemented by a few gardens in which we grow our year's supply of potatoes, carrots, onions, beans, lots of other vegetables and some fruit. Sometimes we sell extra produce in town. We start our own seedlings so that the plants can be transplanted into the garden when the soil is warm enough (at the beginning of June).
We also keep a small number of bees in partnership with the local 4-H club. The pure white honey that is produced is of excellent quality and in years where we get more than we need we sell it as raw and unpasteurized. At times we attend local craft fairs to market our honey and other farm products.
Our farm is located in a quiet area well away from town, surrounded by native trees and shrubs. Many WWOOFers have found the nights to be incredibly restful due to the peaceful setting and a total absence of urban lighting which makes for excellent star-gazing. We are surrounded by undisturbed wilderness that is easy to access. Fishing for walleye and northern pike is easy and affordable, and these excellent fish often appear on our dinner plate in both summer and winter. The cost for a non-resident of Canada to get a fishing licence is less than $40. We can lend you a rod and tackle.
Our corner of the world offers four distinct seasons which delight many visitors... Summers are warm with long, long days due to our Northern latitude. Autumns are crisp, sweet-smelling and bug-free. Winters are long and very cold, but it's a dry cold that is quite bearable when you are properly dressed -- you really have to experience it to understand this. There are lots of opportunities to partake in fun winter activities. Spring brings warm breezes, great flocks of migrating waterfowl, and an incredible transformation to lush greenery everywhere. Aurora Borealis can be seen throughout the year but is most spectacular in the winter.
We have hosted WWOOFers in every season, and every season offers unique experiences. We are looking for WWOOFers who prefer the outdoors over being inside, and who are willing to get dirty. Farming is very rewarding work but also physically demanding. We are open to different diet preferences and requirements, but since our farm involves raising animals to be killed and eaten it will not suit a person who conscientiously object to animals being used for human food.
And speaking of food... we enjoy good food, and lots of it! Both Shawn and Edith enjoy cooking and we also encourage WWOOFers to cook their traditional or favorite foods. When you stay at our farm you may very well eat wild game such as moose, deer, wild goose and duck, grouse, rabbit, maybe even bear(!) in addition to all the meat we produce on the farm and whatever fish we can catch. We always have lots of vegetables. We also mill our own flour. We eat well.
So, if you're willing to put in some physical labour in exchange for learning a lot of neat things, and if you have a big appetite, you will be most welcome here. Shawn loves showing interested people how he approaches farming as a way to be self-sufficient and produce one's own food as much as possible. It is well worth the 'detour' north to come to The Pas for a stay at our Farm!
Organic methods: Rotational grazing of bison in small paddocks; mobile chicken pens
Read more
Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Poultry farming
Pig farming
Raising of other farm animals
Forestry
Beekeeping
Meat processing
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Traditional crafts
Mechanics / tools / technology
Methods or systems
Holistic management
Host type
Self-sufficiency property
230
Hectares
|
568.3
Acres
Shawn and Edith
Member since 2013
Languages spoken:
English, French
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 45%
Response time: typically within 9 days
Manitoba
We are pinned on Google Maps. Search "Round The Bend Farm, The Pas, Manitoba, Canada". For wwoofers with no vehicle, you can take Mahikan Bus Lines bus from Winnipeg, Manitoba to The Pas and we will pick you up on arrival.
Reviews
Michèle
Germany
•
November 2025
Staying with Shawn and Edith was honestly the best first WWOOF experience I could have hoped for! I spent most of the time outside with Shawn, learning a ton about chickens, their eggs, pigs, bison and so much more.
I even got to be part of a really special experience when Indigenous people, along with their elder and a school group, came for two days to harvest a bison — it was truly amazing and deeply meaningful. I learned about their way of living, their beliefs, and so much more.
I had to step out of my comfort zone since this was something I’d never done before — but it was so worth it! Shawn and Edith were always there to answer any questions and to make sure I had the best experience possible.
My daily tasks included collecting eggs, cleaning and packaging them, and preparing food for the pigs and chickens, among other things that changed daily.
I’m super grateful for everything I got to see and learn in such a short time. Their dog Copper is adorable, and both Shawn and Edith are awesome cooks. Thanks so much for everything, I really hope we meet again! :)
....and always stay superstitious, Shawn 😋
Read more
Sharon
France
•
September 2025
I had a great stay. I discovered new things and seeing the bison was really amazing! Life there was pleasant, with some routine tasks but nothing complicated. We also had free time to go canoeing on the river, which was wonderful. Shawn and Edith are very kind and funny hosts,
Thank you both for your hospitality!
Alejandro
Canada
•
August 2025
I originally planned to stay here for one month, but I ended up staying another because I enjoyed the place so much. The daily tasks and fixing odd things around the property were fun, I got to learn and practice many new skills. Everyone was very patient while I learned and even took the time to teach me. They also trusted me with most of the equipment, which I really appreciated.
The fields surrounding the farm are beautiful, and there's plenty of fishing in the nearby river. I might have visited it 30 or 40 times during my stay, often spending several hours there in my spare time with a bicycle and fishing rod they kindly let me borrow. The neighbors were very friendly too, you might get the chance to meet them during one of the pig roasts or on one of the many visits.
Overall, it was an awesome experience, and that was just summer. I still hope to visit them in winter.
Read more
Sophie
Germany
•
October 2024
I spent 6-ish weeks with Shawn, Edith and Copper the dog and had an amazing time! They were an absolute delight and did their best to make sure I (and the other WWOOFers) had a great time.
Not that it was a chill holiday. The day would usually begin with feeding the pigs and chicken then either some work on the farm that needed to be done (fencing, cleaning up/fixing things around the farm that Red Bull, the troublemaker bison, had destroyed, picking veggies) or a break. After lunch we had to collect eggs and wash and pack them and then maybe another few hours of farm work and that was the average farm day.
While I was never bored, there was more than enough time for photography, going on day/weekend trips with the lovely neighbours living in the area, or hunting/fishing. I even caught the very first 2 fish in my life! And then there are egg days which mean a trip into town where you can explore all that the big city of The Pas has to offer. Or spend the day in the library and pick out books to borrow on Shawn's account only to never actually read them at home.
The by far biggest highlight: In my last week, we acquired Pork Chop, a house piglet who was the runt of the litter and struggling to make it in the pig sty. He was by far the cutest thing ever and I miss him a lot!
Read more
Lukas
Austria
•
May 2024
Together with a friend I spent about 2 months in summer 2022 with Shawn and Edith, who have been lovely hosts from the beginning. They welcomed us warmly in their family and enabled two city guys some adventurous first farm experience. We loved every task, whether it was opening pig food, harvesting and processing vegetables or chasing the bison towards new pasture area. We thank Shawn and Edith very much for their kindness and for giving us the chance to learn a lot of new skills - we had a great time!
I hope we will meet again some day!
Read more
Thea
Canada
•
March 2024
I spent 6 winter weeks at Round the Bend Farm with Shawn and Edith. I couldn't have asked for a better experience.
Shawn and Edith made me feel welcome in their home. Shawn has a wealth of knowledge to share about farming as well as Canadian wilderness and wildlife. Edith is fun and sociable, and I always enjoyed chatting over dinner. Naturally, I fell in love with their hilarious and energetic chocolate lab puppy, Copper.
The daily farm chores included collecting and washing eggs, feeding the pigs, collecting firewood, and laying out bails of hay for the bison. The majority of the work was done outside, surrounded by beautiful nature.
I had so many new and exciting experiences including ice fishing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, the bison harvest, the Trapper's Festival Parade, seeing the northern lights, playing fiddle in the chicken coup, and so much more. There was a great balance between working hard and having fun.
When my bus was cancelled because of a snowstorm, Shawn and Edith were so accommodating even with their new wwoofer arriving. I'm glad I got to stay that extra week.
I hope to visit again one day!
Read more
