Work parties

From EcoReality

We have our yearly schedule set for work parties at our farm on Salt Spring Island. We hope you'll come visit and get your hands in the dirt with us!

You can see the schedule on our meetings page. As of January 2010 we will host a 3.5 hour work party once a week on Saturdays. Please meet at 1pm for a safety circle in front of the garage. Once a month we will have a longer work party (6 hours and lunch) which generally happen at the end of each month. Watch the schedule to find out more.

Schedule as of January 2010:

• 1pm Safety Circle in front of Garage followed by Tour of the Land (by appointment please!)
• 1:30pm Start of Work Party (or when tour ends)
• 4:30pm Rest and prepare for the evening potluck
• 6pm Vegetarian Community Potluck at the Yellow House followed by a movie or presentation

Please contact the work party steward, to RSVP.

What are the agreements for being part of a "work party"? 

Longer Work Parties: Here is how it works - you come over at 9:30 AM and work on the farm for approximately 6 hours, and we'll feed you lunch and do our best to transport you to and from the ferry. Ideally the day begins or ends with a jump in the pond or the ocean (in summer months) which are both within walking distance. If you can't start at 9:30, come at 1 PM instead. Please avoid coming at other times unless you check with us first — it's disruptive for us to stop what we're doing at numerous points throughout the day in order to orient latecomers!

Is this the same as "WWOOFing"? 

Our regular work parties are intended for locals and visitors to spend a day and a meal with us, so we can get to know each other better — while getting some work done! In contrast, WWOOFers typically stay for an extended period (typically two weeks or more), camping or staying indoors in poor weather. A third category are interns, who stay for a much longer period of several months, with whom we are able to incorporate an educational component into their stay. Please read our WWOOF FAQ and fill out our WWOOF application if you are interested in a longer arrangement.

What kind of work is there to do? 

There is all kinds of work to be done on the farm, we have a giant list. Everything from weeding to digging new ground to composting, potting, watering, picking, pruning, animal care, etc. If you have special skills, let us know — we also have projects involving building, electrical, plumbing, chemistry, mechanics, biodiesel, etc. We welcome any expertise and ideas that you may bring. There will be choices of jobs; we understand that not everyone wants to swing a 25 pound mattock in to hard ground all day. We're willing to work with everyone who is there to choose jobs that suit you (and us).

What kind of farm is it? 

We have 37 acres owned by our co-op, next to 63 acres of community farm land and backed by 400 acres of public parkland. We have 12 acres of hay, some fruit trees, over three acres of deer-fenced developing garden area, and lots of space to create more crops.

Who can participate? 

Almost anyone. Bring your friends and family! Please do not bring your dog or other pets unless by prior arrangement. If you want to work all day, please let us know in advance so we'll have enough food for lunch. If you're coming for just the morning or afternoon, feel free to drop in unannounced.

What about visiting instead of working? 

Although we have limited space, and generally have way too much work to do, friends and family can occasionally come and visit and not participate in the work parties. We will ask for a financial contribution to the meals and lodging if you are not working. See our visitor information. We encourage you to consider working and not just visiting, we have lots of fun and learn lots all day.

Where are we located? 

We're at 2152 Fulford Ganges Road about 3km west of Fulford Harbour. (How to get to EcoReality.) The phone numbers at the farm are 250-653-2024 for the Yellow House and 250-653-4663 for the White House.

Is EcoReality a registered WWOOFing host? (find out what WWOOF is at www.wwoof.ca) 

Yes we are, here is our WWOOF Description. If you are a registered WWOOFer (or host), log in and then you can go to our WWOOF Canada web page.

If you are planning to visit, please read our welcome letter. You'll be asked to sign a copy during your stay.

Thanks, and hope to see you on a work party someday soon!

Our work party steward co-ordinates the work requirements and matches them to people, skills, tools, availability etc. You can contact the work party steward with your questions and comments.