Family Garden
Ontario
This is a one-acre property on Mudge Bay outside of the little village of Kagawong on beautiful Manitoulin Island. I'm not a market garden or a farm business, rather an experiment to be as self-sustaining as possible with food growing. I've been hosting WWoofers for almost ten years. In the last few years I've enjoyed hosting artists/writers and other creatives -- as a professional writer and artist, we end up having wonderful conversations that move between gardening and creative pursuits.
I am slowly maximizing all the growing space on the property with vegetable gardens, some perennial flowers, fruit and nut trees, and mushroom logs. I'm hoping to get chickens this year. I grow a big mix of produce and do a lot of preserving and storing for the winter. I experiment with low or no water growing, layering, companion planting, and other practices. I use organic methods -- no pesticides or herbicides -- organic seed, and seed saving. I have a greenhouse which I use to start plants, and to extend the growing season, and am integrating more and more permaculture strategies, and perennial foods (nut and fruit trees, berries etc.).
I'd love to host WWOOFers who have some experience with organic farming, permaculture, preserving food, and establishing perennial food crops, but I'm also happy to host folks without much experience, but who are keen to learn what I've learned!
This year my plans include:
- expanding the food forest/perennial foods, including planting many more nut and fruit trees
- perhaps getting chickens and building a coop
- moving and replenishing perennial beds (asparagus, strawberries, sunchokes, nut and berry bushes)
- adding additional perennial foods to the garden
- the usual cycles of planting, seeding, preserving, greenhouse tending, and Kombucha making!
I particularly need help in the spring (May and June), and the fall (September and early October).
As I have a full house -- my daughter and a roommate -- I provide Wwoofers with a comfortable tent in the trees within earshot of the lake, with family meals and indoor washroom. You'll enjoy being on the water, with its sunsets, swimming, sauna, and kayak!
Please note that there is no public transportation on Manitoulin Island. If you're hoping to do some touring here and visiting of the many beautiful spots, it's easiest if you have a vehicle. I do bring Wwoofers with me when I get out and about, but it's not regular. I will make arrangements for pick up at the bus in Espanola.
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Seed saving or production
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Traditional crafts
Food justice / sovereignty
Methods or systems
No-till farming
Permaculture
Regenerative agriculture
Mentoring opportunities
Woman-operated
Host type
Self-sufficiency property
0.4
Hectares
|
1
Acres
Sophie
Member since 2015
Languages spoken:
English, French
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 67%
Response time: typically within 1 day
Ontario
Espanola for the bus, Sudbury for airport
Reviews
Anne
Germany
•
July 2022
Sophie is a lovely host and very interesting person. We shared (travelling) stories over delicious meals and I got to know how Sophie is planning her garden work and got to taste how she preserves the vegetables and berries she harvests - yummy :) If you are planning to stay for some time on Manitoulin Island, I highly recommend you to stay with Sophie and her adorable dog and cat. You'll have the chance to get to know more about not only organic farming, but the island, animals and culture around it. If you want to know more about it, she'll surely invite you to have a look into books on the region and its environment. In addition Sophie's place and Kagawong with its Bridal Veil Falls are just a very nice spots to hang around.
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