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Host 11917 |
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1 hour from Vancouver
All Year: yes
Area (ha): 8
Persons: up to 4 adults
Category: Organic Farmstay
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Host ID: 11917
Region: BC, South Western
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Last Updated: May 23, 2013
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If you're worried about it being cold here, it doesn't usually get too cold in this part of Canada, & usually not much snow! (Very similar weather to Germany & England)
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We are primarily racehorse breeders, we have around 10 horses (2 more foals due to be born in June), including 3 tiny kids ponies, but we also raise grass fed beef, have a couple of Jersey cows (for milk), some goats (we milk one occasionally to make goat cheese ), sheep, chickens, ducks, turkeys & geese along with peacocks, guinea fowl, some barn cats, 2 gentle dogs (a Blue Heeler & a Maremma) & 2 parrots. All spring & summer we have the incubator going, hatching out peacocks, turkeys & guinea fowl. All animals are kept outside except for the parrots. One of the parrots keeps everybody laughing with her comments & does an amazing array of tricks, animal imitations, laughing & also sings.
We also have (a few) of our own (organic) fruit & nut trees, including apple, cherry, crabapple, plum, pear, nectarine, apricot, fig, hazelnut & walnut trees, along with blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, saskatoons, black currants, lots of rhubarb as well as some vegetables.
We are located in Langley, B.C., 1 hour drive from both downtown Vancouver or the nearest skiing mountain (Grouse Mountain), (or about 3 hours to Whistler), 20 minutes to the nearest beach, and we're 1 km up from the U.S. border.
We are quiet, (non drinkers & non partiers) considerate & very respectful of others privacy & hopefully you are as well!! We are reasonable people, & enjoy humor. We aren't health food fanatics, but we like to eat good-tasting food, preferably without any chemicals etc. We do eat quite healthy, and homemade bread & jams are always available.
Our hobbies include dancing (country & western, latin, swing & ballroom), restoring vintage cars (we have a few), traveling, gardening (flowers, fruit & veggies), cooking (and eating!) & enjoy having pot luck barbecues & barn dances here during the summer & fall, & we love farming!
You must be (as we are,) honest, dependable, reasonably clean and mentally stable, (no (unmedicated) bipolar or anger management issues please!) & NO DRUGS, heavy drinkers, or smoking!!! A great sense of humor is a definite asset!
You must be a self-starter, efficient & (for the guys, have a little experience using a hammer or other construction or mechanical type experience). For the women, there is gardening, help with cleaning, cooking & small animal & bird care, (unless of course that you might have some experience with the guys jobs). If you are a skilled tradesman we would expect to supplement you as well.
The larger animals are turned out to pasture all summer & fall, so we don't have too much to do with them in those seasons.
We are re-doing a LOT of board fences, building &/or repairing animal shelters, adding on (& renovating) the house, barn & workshop, re-doing horse paddocks, planting some trees, expanding our (right now small), organic garden, doing some landscaping, putting in another pond with a waterfall (eventually), and of course animal care (more in the winter & spring). There are vehicles & machinery (including the classic cars that need some work if you have the skills)
We speak English, Dario speaks French & Italian as well.
Our place is far from fancy, (it's more like a ranch) but we like our house kept reasonably clean, & we are working hard to beautify everything! Bedrooms are located on the ground level with a fairly private kitchenette & bathroom beside them. All beds have good quality mattresses! There's laundry facilities, cable TV (with lots of channels), & (very) high speed Wifi.
If you want to try riding a horse, that's fine, & if you're kind with them & have sufficient experience, you can take them off the property. The horses are generally pretty quiet & gentle, mostly green broke (but fairly safe). We live on the Campbell Valley Park connector trail, the park is 1800 acres or 700 hectares of wilderness parkland, set up for horses, hiking & biking. (We have a couple of bikes for you to ride.) If you know the TV show 'Smallville', the place where it's filmed is just down the road from us! I do my grocery shopping in the U.S. so you will have opportunities to go there if desired.
Debbi would be happy to help you with your English or teach you cooking if you want.
You must be (as we are,) honest, dependable, reasonably clean and mentally stable, (no bipolar or anger management issues!) & NO DRUGS, heavy drinkers, or smoking! A great sense of humor is a definite asset!
Please let us know in advance if you have any dietary restrictions!
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