Cortes Island: Farm Share Available

Come and share our sustainable farm lifestyle on the shores of the Sailish Sea

We live on this beautiful island you may know as Cortes.  We’re tucked into a little rain shadow and get half the rain of wetter places nearby.  This is one of the warmest places on the Cascadian Coast, where one-island-over cactus grow naturally.  We are located only 100 miles northwest of the “big city”, but by the time you take three ferries enroute, the trip probably takes about six hours one way, and it is not much less time from the bottom of the big island.  It’s not  the best “come and go a lot” spot, but it is a really good “come and stay longer” place. 

Sunset at the dock that’s just 1 km away

We are on a 4 acre organic farm that is what’s left of the first homestead in the area.  The village of Manson’s Landing has grown up around it, and we have been sending food off to market a full two hundred yards away at our local co-op.  Who needs a car?  The old garden is rich and deep having been in the same place for 60 to 80 years. A new garden, greenhouses and chicken ranch are all additions we have been making.  Our goal is to sell enough food to cover the rent within a year or so.  Beyond that, we have started a lease-to-own conversation with the owners who grew up here.  There is a second home on the property for the long term.  For now, the house is large and has a small suite in a quiet corner of the main floor.

Century old farmhouse and orchard

We call ourselves “afternoon farmers” (as in only putting half our time into working on the property).  It’s a lively social place with members “of our tribe” often coming for meals or work bees.  There are two adults, three children here full time, and occasionally we have some woofers around during the summer season.  The suite has a kid’s room already set up, and perhaps, it best suits a single parent with young child.  We run a communal kitchen using mostly high-end, organic ingredients much of which we produce here, or trade with others in this co-creative sustainable-focused community.  We are fairly flexible and looking for serious, long-term people who are too.  Come for the season, and we can all decide about long term once we know each other better.  Call Alanah at 250 935 6877 or email us at alanahcaron@yahoo.ca.

Joy and Abundance