OFF-GRID HOMESTEADING

Role: Off-grid Homestead Work Exchange
Project: Landon Rock Project
Location: Bancroft ON
Type: vol. position with food & accom provided (see below)

Are you interested in owning and stewarding a piece of land one day?

Do you dream of living the homesteading life but don’t have the homestead yet?

Are you up for diving in and making this goal a reality THIS SUMMER?

This is your chance at having a practice opportunity for just that! We are looking for at least two people (two singles or a couple) to join us for a unique work-exchange opportunity as we carry on developing our off-grid homestead.

In exchange for your time, we invite you to stay in our trailer on top of the hill overlooking our developing food forest filled with edibles, perennials and various annuals. There is an outdoor kitchen where we’ve cooked all our summer meals in previous years, a communal fire pit, private outdoor shower and outhouse. The whole land has special pockets to enjoy in your free time including a swimming pond, a beach volleyball court, surrounding trails and acres of forest of course.

We hope to have a good steady stream of volunteers, with some stays overlapping so we can provide a fun social experience for those coming to stay here. Either way, you will also have the benefit of enjoying your own privacy as well.

Work-exchange requirement:

• 5 hours per day (9am - noon and 1pm - 3pm)
• Five days per week
• Length of stay: minimum one week, ideally two weeks with possibility for more

Current Projects:

• Building tasks: continue building a tiny house, a big house, picnic tables, deck platforms (lots of building going on!)
• Gardening: creating and maintaining garden beds, tending to perennials and annuals
• Landscaping: transplanting trees to make natural fences/barriers/hedges, carving out trails, paths and driveways through the property for hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, and general access
• Other always on-going homesteading tasks include: wood milling, preserving harvest, harvesting and processing firewood, and maintaining tools, equipment and structures which includes organizing, cleaning, sanding, grinding, painting, and oiling.
• Other creative tasks: making signs for our property and other decorative features, basketry and ornamental weaving from our own harvested wild materials (we are not experts at this yet but would love to learn from someone or learn together!), and other wild crafting such as harvesting plentiful wildflowers for medicinal and cosmetic uses.

Accommodation and food set-up:

• 40ft trailer available to a couple and a single person
• Queen size bed on west end of the trailer and a separate space for a single on the east end
• Communal space in the centre of the trailer
• Water is drawn by hand pump from our dug well
• Outdoor kitchen and communal fire pit, outdoor shower and outhouse
• Solar energy
• Internet access available only for emergencies (we do not have unlimited Wifi)
• Groceries will be purchased for you
• You will cook your own meals in the outdoor kitchen area
• We’ll have at least one communal dinner per week all together

Qualities and requirements:

• Enthusiasm, commitment and willingness to learn!
• Experience is not necessary but a strong interest in this lifestyle and work is essential along with a strong work ethic
• Good physical condition (ability to lift and carry firewood, lumber, rocks and stones for landscaping etc) and ability to work efficiently and outdoors in weather conditions (we might need to shift around work days according to weather)

Benefits to you:

• Volunteers will receive mentorship and on-the-job training depending on tasks at hand
• Learning the ins and outs of off-grid, vacant land homestead development
• Depending on the length of your stay you will develop confidence with tools and other equipment required for this kind of living
• A fun, social experience with your hosts and likely other visitors that come around

To apply, please send us a short email with the following:

• A brief description of who you are and why you’d be a good fit here
• When you are available for a video call to discuss your placement here
• Do you have transportation to get here or a plan as to how you will get here
• The dates that you are able to come

We will not respond to requests that do not answer all of the above – especially the last point. We have had many inquiries from people that express desire to come but do not follow through. We understand that life circumstances come up and things change of course. However, as our time is limited with this lifestyle we are only able to engage with those that are serious about committing to this internship opportunity.

Positions available immediately.

If this opportunity interests you then contact me at: sophiamaslowski@gmail.com

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