Just outside the village of Hillsburgh, Ontario is Everdale’s picturesque 50 acre farm. You’re welcome to come and visit on one of our Event Days. While you’re here you can take tours, meet the animals, and learn how Everdale operates a working sustainable organic farm. We also go beyond farming and build sustainable practices into everything we do. Nestled in amongst our rolling hills are four straw-bale buildings: The Hub, Home Alive, and two residences for farm staff (built during our Straw-bale Building workshops).
The Hub
Can a single building house a barn, offices, and a dormitory? Absolutely! The Hub is a hive of activity at Everdale and is the “home-base” for our staff, farmers, interns and volunteers. The basement (also known as “The Belly” by our farm staff) is the place where our veggies get washed and stored before heading to our Harvest Share pick-up locations and farmers markets. The second floor is the home of our staff offices, and in 2010, we were thrilled to complete the third floor of The Hub, which is now a 7 room dormitory for our seasonal farm interns and staff.
Home Alive!
Home Alive is a living showcase for eco-materials and building systems. “The House that Thinks, Drinks, and Breathes™”, came to us at Everdale in 2003 after being a Feature Model at the 2003 National Home Show.
Want to learn more? You can take a tour of Home Alive on one of Everdale’s Event Days. Can’t wait? You can find loads of detailed information on our Home Alive website at www.homealive.ca. You can even take a virtual tour!
The Farm
We have:
- 12 acres of vegetable production
- Free range laying hens, sheep, donkeys & draft horses
- Minimum-water irrigation system
- Mulching
- Green manuring and crop rotation
- Bio-intensive garden and practices
- Composting
- Solar showers
- Greenhouse
- Earthen oven
- Wind turbine
- Solar dehydrators and more!
