Homestead in Abitibi, Qc

In homestead on 100 acres in Abitibi on the Quebec/ Ontario border. We're looking to find ppl who have or know of permaculture examples in the area and or visit the area. Besides videos we've never seen anything permaculture in real life or have even heard of reasonable suppliers in our area that ship at a reasonable price. I've been meaning to give richters a try. I've learned some things that grow here like weeds and if we share seeds/ cuttings we could save $

Eric, where are you in Abitibi? I know the area very well.

Just north of La Sarre. I saw you lived in Abitibi before Adrien. I was hoping you could answer some of my questions above.

Perennials that grow like weeds in zone 2 are: walking onions, mint, Rosemary, rhubarb, chives, raspberries, blueberries, gooseberries, strawberries, cassis,

perennials we have growing on our land or my other 105 acres for sale in Rouyn Noranda Quebec for $75,000 are: Egyptian onions, mint, chives, raspberries, gooseberries, wild strawberries, rhubarb, Rosemary, cassis,

Please chime in if you know of or would trade for cuttings. I got some mint/ Rosemary/ chives/ Egyptian onions/ rhubarb/ to trade
Also if you know of or have a source for natural/ organic feed please let me know

Ok, my first reaction is "wow! this is a tough climate" since you are probably not benefiting from Lake Abitibi micro-climate in that area, but then I remembered Zach Weiss (http://www.perpetualgreengardens.com/our-team.html) telling me one day that your climate is actually full of opportunities, and that is true. It is always possible to create micro climate and/or find freak plants that are not supposed to grow in your area.

I don't know of any permaculture practitioner in your area. I have heard of a farm on Hwy 111 in Macamic secteur Colombourg (Clari Ferme) who do pastured pork, but that is as close as I can get to permaculture.

Eric Grenier wrote:Also if you know of or have a source for natural/ organic feed please let me know

I have a family member who raises Tamworth pigs and he gets his organic peas and oats from the South shore of Montréal.

Eric Grenier wrote:I've been meaning to give richters a try

I ordered from Richter in the past and they ship plants REALLY well. They have a good selection of perennial seeds too. I don't know of any suppliers in your area.

In terms of plants that I know can grow in your area:
- sea buckthorn: awesome vitamin C berries
- siberian pines: very slow growing, but easy to start from seeds. Most pine nuts in the stores come from that specie
- caragana/Siberian pea shrub: Can be used as chicken feed and I think humans can eat the lentil like seeds
- apples: You might want to try cold hardy varieties like Atonovka
- Hazels: beaked hazels grow wild in the area, but some hybrids might survive.
- Birch: say birch syrup and chaga mushroom!
- Hybrid poplar: well, you might not even need to plant poplars...trembling aspen is pretty common. Fairly good building material
- service berrries (Amelanchier spp.): they grow wild and are really good
- U of Saskatchewan cherries: They are really cold hardy and produce big sweet cherries.

That is about all I can think of right now. I would say, try to plant lots of seeds of a specie that interest you even if it not hardy, you might find some that will do okay.

Great information thanks. I'd like to meet/ see your cousins farm; it's about 45 mins from my house. Sounds like we could help each other out. I've been known to help out on homesteads just for the experience/ fun. I also want to visit the Nepawa island orchard as I think their apples have the best chance of growing at my place besides malus dolgo and anikova.

Happy to hear there is someone in my neighbourhood! My motto for up here has been that it is hard to grow veggies but easy to grow grass, so I grow animals that eat grass and eat them. Love my lamb! Cows have been too expensive to get so far, but I do have two pigs now, and a milking goat, and hoping to keep expanding slowly and let the animals do the work for me. Going to experiment with hugelkultur this coming summer.

I have rabbits/chickens and bought two done up lambs too. Very good. If you like to barter/ exchange labor; Let me know. I'm a even Stephen type of guy so if your the same its all good. Peace

Gretchen Austin wrote:Happy to hear there is someone in my neighbourhood! My motto for up here has been that it is hard to grow veggies but easy to grow grass, so I grow animals that eat grass and eat them. Love my lamb! Cows have been too expensive to get so far, but I do have two pigs now, and a milking goat, and hoping to keep expanding slowly and let the animals do the work for me. Going to experiment with hugelkultur this coming summer.

Better late than never, here are two suppliers near montreal that have smaller nurseries.  I've only ordered from http://www.hardyfruittrees.ca/ so far though.  The https://www.greenbarnnursery.ca/ I am planning to order from this winter for delivery in spring.  Both of them are not cheap, but I can't find any other resources for such a variety of different food producing trees.  The University of Saskatchewan does a lot of cold hardy species development as well.  Last year I ordered from http://www.saskgojipower.ca/Saskgoji, the seed packet they sent had quite a few seeds which had a good germination rate (we ended up going away for the month of July many died from the neglect).  

Do you have any sites that you have found and like?