Come and WWOOF with us May-November, variable lengths of stay. We welcome your interest!
Yonder Hill Farm is tucked away on a dead-end gravel road on the South Shore of Nova Scotia- 10 km to downtown Bridgewater, 20 km to Lunenburg, Mahone Bay, or LaHave, 25 km to beaches, and less than 100 km to Halifax. We have 20 acres of fertile soil on a gently sloping drumlin hillside, 200 acres of forests & wetlands to explore, and frontage on a pristine spring fed lake. Wildlife is abundant, though mostly kept from the main farm area by our trusty farm dog, and includes ospreys (nesting within view of the field), owls, loons, eagles, songbirds, deer, raccoons, porcupines, pheasants, wood cocks, coyotes, rabbits, and the occasional roaming bear or bobcat. We have a heritage post & beam barn, outbuildings and a 20'x48' greenhouse. There is a century old apple orchard & wild blueberries in the field, and we are in the process of establishing a diverse perennial crop system of fruit, berries, nuts, & herbs. We have around 2 acres in cultivation for annual vegetable & grain crops (1 acre fenced).
Our primary commercial product is ecologically grown vegetable, grain, herb & flower seeds- we currently maintain approx. 200 varieties which we sell through our website, retail locally, and wholesale to a regional seed company. We grow a homestead-scale vegetable garden, selling excess produce to local cafes. We also raise ducks (eggs & meat) and sometimes pigs for home use.
Our WWOOFing opportunity is ideal for people who love to spend most of their time outdoors, enjoy physical work, have interest in living off the land, enjoy the company of children, and are comfortable camping out. We work hard and like to relax by a campfire, play music, and swim in the lake. We have canoes & kayaks to take out on the lake, and bicycles available to borrow for sightseeing. We are well connected socially with the active & growing rural community on the South Shore. In a typical year, there are frequent social events & concerts, and there are plenty of outdoor recreation opportunities in the area.
About Us: Owners Chris & Garrett have a diverse background of farming & homesteading experience in the Northeast U.S. & Nova Scotia. Chris has been small scale organic farming (vegetables, fruits, nursery, seed crops) for over 20 years, including apprenticing & managing crews, and she has taught gardening workshops & provided sustainable landscape consultations/designs professionally. She works part-time as the Community Gardens Coordinator for the nearest town, Bridgewater. Garrett is a skilled carpenter, craftsman, farmer, teacher, and artist, as well as general fixer of things. We both love sharing skills & knowledge about living off the land. We follow organic principles & standards at our farm, utilizing generous amounts of organic matter for soil health, including composted manure, leaves, and seaweed we collect from the beach. We do not even use organic sprays, preferring cultural methods of pest control like insect netting and timing of plantings.
Room & Board: WWOOFers can bring their own tent/borrow one of ours. Our 17' camper trailer is an option for longer stays. Our 28' camper bus is set up as a shared kitchenette for farm volunteers. Board consists of farm raised veggies/fruit, eggs, and basic bulk supplies (flours, rice, oil, pasta, etc). WWOOFers without their own vehicle are welcome to come along on town trips to stock up on their favourite foods, or borrow a bike to ride to the local farm market/bakery 5 km down the road. We enjoy communal meals and usually incorporate one shared meal per day, with shared cooking and cleaning up. As we are relaxed, easy-going people who prefer flexibility, we would rather allow everyone to feel in charge of feeding themselves/doing their own cooking chores, with the option to share family style meals when it suits everyone’s schedules and needs.
What to expect: We are looking for 5-6 hours help per day for 5 days per week. Throughout the season, heavy physical work is a must- lifting, wheel-barrowing, shovelling, digging, raking, etc. We believe strongly in setting a pace that is both productive and healthy for body & mind, being present & mindful, and taking adequate breaks, but it must be understood that hard physical outdoor work is central to small-scale farming and will be a necessary central feature of the farm-stay experience. That being said, our farm experience includes varied tasks with lots of interesting things going on to learn from. WWOOFers need to be self motivated and willing to integrate themselves into our lifestyle. We have found that previous work experience is much less important than a person's work ethic, positive attitude, and general willingness to work hard outdoors. As a farm family with three children, volunteers willing & capable of occasional child care is an asset.
We provide more detailed information to interested WWOOFers so reach out if you'd like to chat more about WWOOFing with us!
Read more
Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Grain farming
Forestry
Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas
Seed saving or production
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Beer, cider, wine, or juice making
Traditional crafts
Mechanics / tools / technology
Methods or systems
Biological pest control
Holistic management
Permaculture
Regenerative agriculture
Mentoring opportunities
Woman-operated
Host type
Self-sufficiency property
Former WWOOFer
40
Hectares
|
98.8
Acres
