Educational Centre, Agritourism Destination, Homestead, Eco Retreat
Nova Scotia
Our 2025 season has come to a close and we are looking ahead for the 2026 season. If you are interested in learning about permaculture, off-grid living, small-scale farming, homesteading, growing your own food, raising livestock, agri-tourism, green building, and more, we could be the fit for you! We are looking for a crew of motivated, willing to learn, get your hands dirty, hard working kinda folks to help us as we prepare for our 9th season of living here in Cape Breton.
We have some very exciting projects for the 2026 season, including the building of some forest bunkies for our volunteers, students, and guests. We also hope to be able to complete some upgrades to our outdoor kitchen, which is a shared space for all who come to stay and volunteer with us. And as we were able to complete our new building along the brook, Butterfly Lodge, we will be expanding our workshops, events, and gatherings for the 2026 season. This space will increase the ways in which we can host people at the farm for a variety of learning and sharing opportunities.
Our Vision is to bring together the practical wisdom of ritual farming, the diversity of permaculture design, the beauty of artistic creativity, and the reclaiming of the commons to inspire and co-create community resiliency, holistic learning, and nature-based dialogue.
For the past eight years, we have been welcoming people to the farm for work / education exchanges in the form of volunteerism and more in-depth immersion through farm apprenticeships. Our philosophy of holistic learning is based on the premise that each person finds identity, meaning, and purpose in life through connections to their local community, to the natural world, and to humanitarian values such as compassion and peace. We also view learning not exclusively as an exchange between teacher and student, but rather that we all learn together by finding innovative solutions to situations that require input from all those involved, regardless of perceived role.
Many of the projects that have been developed and created here have been completed by volunteers and apprentices within the context of hands-on experiential learning. We view this site as a learning ground where we are open to new ways of doing things, experimentation, and the exploration of creative expression. Our goal is to continue to expand the educational opportunities that exist at this off-grid permaculture demonstration site so that others can take what they learn here and apply it to their own lives. Through holistic learning, we truly believe that change can manifest in unique ways facilitating a different perspective of how we interact with ourselves, each other, and the living earth.
Perspective WWOOFers will experience variable weather conditions that exist in Cape Breton, and living off-grid offers WWOOFers the challenge of what it takes to live this way. It requires true grit, a little mud, determination, and stepping out of your comfort zone; however, the rewards for that intimate connection with food and knowing what we are made of gives us so much in return.
Our ideal intake day for volunteers is every Tuesday, with days off on Monday and Tuesday, with the date of departure on the following Tuesday. However, we try our best to be flexible with arrival dates and times for those with different travel days. Please message us for availability.
This schedule works the best for us as we typically host workshops on the weekends during the summer months and we are therefore not able to welcome new volunteers on those days. It also provides more learning opportunities for volunteers leading up to the busy weekend time. The volunteer exchange is 20 to 25 hours per week. We typically work in the morning with a shared lunch and then volunteers have the afternoon off. Weekends are more fluid in hours depending on what is required for interaction with the public.
Our minimum hosting time is one week on this schedule, with two weeks being an ideal time to really learn all that we offer here at the farm. We also welcome longer stays, however, we like to have a more in-depth conversation for those considering stays longer than two weeks. These extended stays can be an amazing opportunity for more focused learning and truly experiencing off-grid, self reliant living. Longer stays also offer opportunities to engage in nature-based work, and our backgrounds in outdoor education and nature connection help to support these practices.
We also encourage those staying with us to create daily practices that support overall wellness. We have areas that allow for daily practices in activities such as meditation, yoga, nature reflection, stretching, mindful walking, and other practices that allow for deeper connection with self and the forest.
Our homestead is completely off-grid, therefore, we rely on a small solar system for our energy, wood fuel and propane for our cooking and hot water, the brook for our water, and composting toilets for our you know what. We are not able to offer internet to volunteers and cell phone reception is available but not overly reliable.
Volunteer accommodation currently consists of tents on raised platforms, however, one of our major projects for 2026 will be to build some bunkies for volunteers. We provide you with a foam sleeping pad, sleeping bag, and pillow. If you have your own gear, you are more than welcome to bring it. Or if you are setup to sleep in your vehicle/camper, just let us know as we can most likely accommodate you.
There is an outdoor screened kitchen for volunteers, which comes equipped with a cooler, potable water, cooking and eating utensils, propane cooktop, as well as a table and chairs, giving you a great view of the forest. Non-potable water must be hauled from the brook by hand as we do not yet have running water connected to the outdoor kitchen. However, we have plans to upgrade this space so that there will be gravity fed water, a fridge, and basic charging station for devices.
You will be responsible for cooking most of your meals, along with the other volunteers, using whole, fresh ingredients supplied by us. We will usually share lunches during your work days. If you require snacks, coffee/tea, or other specialty food items, please bring those for yourself as we do not provide them. Our diet includes meat and we cook with lard, which we have raised here at the farm or that we source from another local farm, so we are unable to accommodate strict vegetarians/vegans. Our diet mostly consists of locally sourced and seasonally-based ingredients, with more options available each year that we are here as we continue to add to our gardens and perennial plantings.
Shower facilities consist of a bucket shower located in the outdoor kitchen building, meaning that you heat the water, pour it into a bucket, and then use a scoop to wash. We provide our handcrafted lard soap for body and hair. There is a composting toilet available for volunteers and workshop guests, which will be your responsibility to empty and keep clean. We are hoping to add a bio digester toilet in 2026, yet will still use the humanure system in our more remote locations.
Our accommodations, cooking, bathing, and toilet facilities are all basic and low impact...yet clean, bright, and simple and situated in the stunning forest along the brook. If you are interested in experiencing a locally-sourced way of living that is deeply connected to place, then our farm might be just the fit for you.
**A very important piece to note is that due to allergies, we are strictly scent-free. This means that you cannot bring/use any products that contain fragrance or perfume...including everything from deodorant, soap, sunscreen, lotion, perfume/cologne, body spray, hair products, bug spray, shampoo/conditioner...anything! Yes, your toothpaste is fine, it doesn't contain fragrance. And most products with essential oils are alright, just as long as they’re not overpowering. If you usually wear perfume/cologne, please wash your clothes in unscented laundry detergent prior to your arrival and do not bring any items that would have perfume/cologne on them. We are not kidding when we emphasize the importance of our scent-free policy. Please let us know if you have any questions about this as it is not something that we can compromise.
All of our practices on the farm reflect our commitment to growing a livelihood that is steeped in supporting the natural beauty of the surrounding land with a focus on creating systems that will continue long beyond our lives. Through the development of educational, economic, and cultural relationships, we strive to raise the social and ecological awareness of individuals regarding the cultivation of their food and their relationship with the Wild Community.
Feeding people and farming in deep relationship with the land is a mighty task, and one that requires a village to fully cultivate. We welcome you to come and be a part of this exciting endeavour!
Suggested items to bring for your comfort:
- Rubber boots
- Work gloves (two pair ideally in case one pair gets wet)
- Water bottle
- Towel
- Sun hat
- Bug net for your head
- Toque
- Light coloured long sleeve button shirt (sun and bug protection)
- Warm clothing (weather can be cool sometimes in June and September)
- Rain gear
- Journal
- Scent-free personal products
Things To Do Locally:
Our farm is located just a short drive/bike/walk to beautiful white sandy beaches. We are also very close to the Celtic Shores Coastal Trail, which is an old railway bed stretching 92 kms total from Port Hastings to Inverness. We have a couple of trails completed on the property, which makes for an extremely pleasant way to spend an afternoon. There is also the Celtic Centre in Judique that promotes the traditional Celtic music of Cape Breton.
Read more
Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Poultry farming
Pig farming
Sheep or goat farming
Dairy farming
Forestry
Meat processing
Traditional crafts
Renewable energy production
Methods or systems
Biological pest control
Holistic management
No-till farming
Permaculture
Regenerative agriculture
Terry
Member since 2018
Languages spoken:
English
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 100%
Response time: typically within 1 day
Nova Scotia
The nearest bus stop is Port Hawkesbury through Maritime Bus and the closest airport is Halifax International Airport.
Reviews
Amin
Canada
•
September 2025
My time over at Twisted Roots was fantastic! Living on a homestead was a great opportunity to get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life, and checking-in with oneself through connecting with nature.
Will and Terry are incredible hosts as they are very welcoming, thoughtful, and incredible conversationalists. They've really built the farm from the ground up so they are very knowledgeable about everything from resource management to farming and nature based therapy.
The accommodation were pretty comfortable, kinda like camping on easy mode with the kitchen and food being provided. I visited late August for a couple of weeks and didn't have much issues with the weather / mosquitos. The composting toilet is surprisingly great (no smell, easy to use), and I mostly used the brook to clean myself.
The work was pretty chill, mostly feeding and watering the plants and animals, weeding, and helping around with projects like the lodge (installing screens and moving stuff in the wheelbarrows) and live roof. Will and Terry would give a rundown of the tasks at the beginning of the day and were always available for guidance. After work we had the chance to gather for food and meaningful conversations.
The farm is about an hour walk from Judique and there is no public transport nearby (unless Mike has set up his e-bikes near the community center), so I highly recommend having a car if you intend to visit the rest of the island.
Read more
Reply from Terry
Thank you for your lovely review Amin and for contributing to our farm and vision. There will always be a part of you here and we hope to see you again one day!
Mark
United States
•
August 2025
I truly enjoyed my experience at Terry and Will's farm. It's a very peaceful place. Will and Terry are kind, patient, generous, uniting, funny, calm, welcoming, honest people. My time there was inspiring, and invigorating. I hope to spend time there again.
Reply from Terry
Thank you Mark! We look forward to seeing you again when you come back next year. 😊
Chelsea
Canada
•
August 2025
Will and Terry have been such amazing hosts! They are so kind and welcoming and have a way of making people feel at home, no matter their length of stay.
My husband and I have been learning so much about what it takes to live the homesteading life here on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia. We've been able to help out with/be part of multiple types of projects such as: felling trees for the portable sawmill, building projects, gardening, taking care of the animals, and so much more. Will and Terry are both so open and more than willing to share their experience of turning this forest into an off-grid homestead. They are both so willing to take time to answer any questions you might have or to show you how to use a particular tool, if you are unfamiliar. Also, the goats have been so fun to get to know!
Work days tend to be about 5 hours, sometimes a little more and sometimes a little less, and we usually have a shared meal on work days (either lunch or dinner), while the rest of the meals are on our own, with food and ingredients being provided by Will and Terry.
The brook that runs through the property has been such a treat, especially on hot summer days and, particularly, after a hard day of work. We are so grateful to Will and Terry for sharing their beautiful forest and homestead with us.
Overall, being here at Twisted Roots Farm has been such a meaningful and positive experience and we would definitely recommend a stay here if you're on Cape Breton!
Read more
Laurence
Canada
•
September 2024
Terry and Will embody all that it is to be warm, welcoming, kind, hardworking and best of all, loads of fun to be around. They took me in at short notice at their beautiful farm and went to great lengths to accommodate my interests/areas I wanted to learn about.
From animals to gardens, sawmills to land clearing, carpentry to soap - they are knowledgeable and passionate about all of their pursuits and are both fantastic (and enthusiastic) teachers. Furthermore, they were open and honest about all aspects of their journey including what hadn't worked, which is so useful when you're an aspiring homesteader.
Walking through their forest with a herd of lively goats is a memory that will stay with me for many years to come! I would highly recommend a stay with Terry and Will.
Read more
Reply from Terry
It was an absolute pleasure hosting you Laurence, and as you well know, you’re welcome back anytime!
We so appreciated your help and enthusiasm, diving into whatever came up that day, and we wish you all the best on your own homesteading journey.
Basedul
Canada
•
October 2023
I was there at the Twisted Roots farm for about 2 weeks. It was an unforgettable experience for me. Will and Terry were very kind and supportive. I was able to make a meaningful connection with the community they live in. Knowing where all my needs come from and where they go was very eye-opening. They have a beautiful property with lots of animals and pets. Especially the goats, ducks and Finn (The Dod) are very friendly and cuddly. Overall I had an amazing time. Learned lots of stuff about nature and myself through them. I would highly recommend them.
Read more
Emma
United States
•
September 2023
Terry and Will were the absolute best hosts I could have asked for! They were incredibly kind and patient and taught me so much in such a short amount of time. There was a perfect mix of time spent with them (mostly at meals and during the workday) and time spent solo (which I truly savored). It was a real treat to swim in the cool brook everyday and enjoy their amazing cooking (all ingredients came from the farm). All the animals were precious. I’ll especially miss the baby ducklings and the goat kids. The work was varied and hard at times (mostly because of the seasonal mosquitos) but never out of my comfort zone. Just enough work to make for a good night’s rest! I hope to return in the future to visit my new farm mom and dad :)
Read more
