Lofstedt Farm

The ladies of Lofstedt Farm

The farm looking South.

Early morning sky from the cow field.

South barn and the mountains to the West.

Our sheep!

One of my best decisions was to work on Lofstedt Farm from Oct. 3-7. This experience was fantastic! But first, a little background information....

As most of you know I'm an organic foods buff. While living in Perth I received a weekly box of organic produce from a local farmer. The food was incredible! I can't express what a difference it makes to eat naturally grown produce that is harvested at a sustainable farm. Eventually, I switched to organic meat and dairy too.

When I arrived in BC I became interested in the possibility of volunteering at an organic farm. The opportunities here are endless. There seems to be many organizations close-by that believe in sustainable farming and wholesome produce. Cam and Kathie suggested that I call Lofstedt Farm, which is situated about 30 minutes from their home. When I called, the owners (Bridget and George Baumann) were more than happy to have me work. Lofstedt Farm is also registered with the WWOOF organization. This acronym stands for: Willing Workers On Organic Farms. Please check out the website for more information on this international organization: www.wwoof.org

So, for room and board, I worked for about 6 hours per day. I picked a great time to come as there is much to harvest! During the 5 days we collected beets, potatoes, carrots, and turnips. We also planted garlic, mulched beds, and baled hay. Except for having to toss around huge and heavy bales of hay, the work was very relaxing. Meditative in fact. There is something so satisfying about harvesting food that is subsequently served on your table. Could I go so far as to say empowering?

The folks on the farm were awesome! Because the farm is registered with WWOOF, there were some international "wwoofers" from France and Australia. In total, 13 workers (including Bridget and George) were on the farm during the week. We relaxed in the evenings, played music (guitar, voice, and mandolin!), went to the Ainsworth Hot Springs (complete with actual caves!), went to a couple of evening yoga classes, and talked about life in general. Another week highlight was when I cooked lunch (biggest meal of the day) for everyone! For those who know me, this is a big surprise since I hardly use my culinary skills. Good news though: no one was hurt and the food was gone by the end of the day.

A little bit more about Lofstedt Farm:

Lofstedt Farm is a biodynamic organization that provides fresh, organic, and lovingly-harvested produce through the Community Supported Agriculture program. People purchase summer and winter shares and are provided with a wide variety of vegetables and herbs throughout the year. This could include, carrots, beets, turnips, potatoes, corn, squash, pumpkin, garlic, etc, etc, etc.... Shareholders benefit by receiving freshly harvested and in-season produce. Please check out these links if you're interested in learning about Lofstedt Farm, Biodynamic Farming, and/or Community Supported Agriculture.

http://mypage.direct.ca/l/lofstedtfarm/
www.biodynamics.com