Hi there, my partner and I are looking for some like minded folks who might be looking for some space and bit of community!
Little Window Farm is a new farm on about 30 acres of gently sloping land and is located outside of Ottawa, Ontario. Much of the land is covered in forest, with large tracts dominated by White Cedar. There are many pockets of forest with different varieties of hardwoods and softwoods on the property and there is a lot of potential for creating a healthy, diverse and productive forest to supply food, fibre, medicine and fuel and to support wildlife.
Approximately 6 acres of our property is open field/grass. We currently have 4 market garden plots of 40'x100' each in this space (which is roughly 0.25 acres). We’ll be growing various vegetables in these plots for ourselves, for local farmer’s markets, and for a small CSA.
There's an old barn, a run down cabin and a small shed- all of which could use different levels of repair and attention. We live in a small two-bedroom house (~1000 square feet) on the property. There was an old horse shelter that we converted into a chicken/duck coop that currently houses 20 egg-laying chickens and will soon host a few ducks.
There are so many possibilities for this property. Just a few of the things we’d like to do:
- build soil;
- create a healthy and productive forest and perennial food system;
- incorporate more animals into our systems to provide disturbance (e.g. eat the grass, prepare areas for planting, etc.), fertility, fiber, milk, eggs, (and potentially meat);
- build earthworks to incorporate water catchment in the form of ponds, swales, and irrigation channels;
- build structures (with natural building and conventional building methods) to provide space for more people to come to live, work and/or play on the farm; and,
- create niches/microindustry/livelihood opportunities for people on the farm.
There are a lot of opportunities here: we’ve envisioned a zillion already, and there are undoubtedly countless more we have yet to think of. There is a place and a space here for people to come to live and/or work, to carve out their own niche, to help us with our big picture projects, or to just come and be part of the community we’re growing.
We’d like to hear from people who find themselves inspired to be a part of community and to create lifestyles exemplary of the ethics of earth care, people care, and fair share.
We are open to many different options - whether someone rents out an independent space within the property, and mostly do their own thing, or whether they wish to share space. Whether for a short stay or a long-term stay. Get in touch and we can talk about what works!
Rent, expenses, etc. is obviously dependent on individual circumstances, and again, let’s open up a dialogue and discuss what works for everyone.
Cheers!
I've been gardening all my life, and got involved in organic farming about four years ago. I received my PDC from a sustainable living institution called Aprovecho in southern Oregon. Since then, I've never stopped gardening or farming and I'm always thinking about how to improve the way things are done .