Family home and garden - rural, Homestead, Diversified farm
British Columbia
This is an old time, beyond organic farm, where we grow, build, and repair everything we need. I am most passionate about teaching young people to grow and preserve food and build structures using traditional methods. See the Opportunity—Current Projects section for a detailed description of the many sustaining activities here.
Organic methods: No herbicides or pesticides of any kind. The soil on this former wetland is naturally rich, and we sometimes supplement with soil from the surrounding forests, and manure from our own horses. Crop rotation, tilling, and weeding is all we need for our many crops to thrive naturally here.
Certifications: We have not made the expenditure for organic certification, but our standards are beyond organic
Current projects: We grow many types of vegetables and fruits. Our main crop is potatoes, and we sell these at the local farmers market and in the surrounding towns. We also grow garlic, beets, carrots, cabbage, zucchini, squash, onions, lettuce, kale, peas, broccoli, tomatoes, currants, haskap, blueberries, and strawberries.
Additionally, we produce up to 500 bales of hay most years, and 150lbs of honey.
Every spring we make birch syrup from our trees using a wood fire and traditional methods, and this is an involved multi-week process.
We also harvest, preserve, and sell wild foods such as chaga, fiddleheads, stinging nettle, and rose.
Outside the growing season, there is always work to be done in the woodshop and repairing machines. We have an ethos of conserving and reusing, and as a result we generate almost zero waste. Wwoofers will often be involved in harvesting standing dead timbers, operating the sawmill, and learning timber framing techniques in order to build cabins, tree stands, and other structures.
We spend many long afternoons fishing and camping at nearby lakes, and in the fall we are often out in the bush hunting moose, grouse, and sometimes bears and goats. Winters are devoted to backcountry skiing, snowmobiling, and building shelters in the surrounding mountains.
Accommodations are rustic. We cook on wood stoves, take daily saunas, and wash in private areas of the creek that is ever flowing through the middle of the property.
There is always something to do here for active people who want to learn new skills and push their limits.
Internet access available
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Grain farming
Forestry
Beekeeping
Wild foraging
Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Traditional crafts
Food justice / sovereignty
Host type
Production farm
132.7
Hectares
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328
Acres
Michel
Member since 2017
Languages spoken:
English, French
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
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Response rate: 100%
Response time: typically within 2 days
British Columbia
My past WWOOFers
Muriel
August 2023
•
Quebec, Canada
Reviews
Victor
Canada
•
December 2024
I only spent 2 weeks at Michel's place but it was a memorable and very intense experience, pretty far from the average wwoofing (this was my 4th time wwoofing). As Michel put it on the phone first time we talked, if you want a place to rest or have some time to explore around, this isn't the place, but "if you're after a place to learn things, this is it". Well I can say Michel was pretty honest, because it's exactly what it was. He is a very special and unique character, who lived all his life in the woods and is truly passionate about sharing to younger people what he knows. I was really surprised by the time and effort he put into passing on some knowledge (I came partly to learn from his woodworking skills and he made me do things hands on right away, which I really appreciated).
The people interested should know (but you will if you get in touch with Michel) that this crazy opportunity to learn comes with a whole "package".
First, be ready for some spartan lifestyle (read the ad, it's all discribed) : Michel wants you to try his way of life, with very little comfort. For me, it was exactly the type of radical experience I was looking for, even though it was difficult foodwise. This is a very engaging life, where you spend pretty much all day with the host, unless you ask otherwise. I highly recommend for people who are looking for intense learning - remote homesteading - bushcraft experiences, and are ready for some important commitment. I hope I'll come back !
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Pauline
France
•
December 2024
"The experience at Michel's place is rather unique. My girlfriend and I spent a month and a half there. It can be summed up in three key words:
**Know-how**: Michel is a passionate manual worker. From construction (mechanics, carpentry, etc.) to farming, and bushcraft, he has a lot to teach. A person of integrety and independent, he develops his own techniques in many fields, always with a focus on self-sufficiency. Some people have stayed for almost a year to learn.
**Selflessness**: His life philosophy can be summed up in this word. He says: "every action must have its logic", the epitome of pragmatism. No room for art, the superfluous, nonsense... He abstains from all "human weaknesses": no alcohol, cigarettes, coffee, mattresses, music, or culinary indulgences... In short, a simple life. It takes time to get used to this lifestyle, but it becomes a true detox. You come out "pure."
**Devotion**: This is where it gets bitter. We were expected at 7am and worked to 4.30pm. Actually, it was from sunrise to sunset cause of winter time. In his way of speach, anyone who doesn't work is lazy. If you ever ask for a break or time for personal activities, he’ll reply: "But what whould you do? Sleep?". We felt influenced to compel. You learn a lot for real, but your free time is the sacrifice. We end up totally drained.
For this reason, we do not recommend this adventure, despite all its good aspects, unless you are ready to merge with Michel and set aside your ego.
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