My love of nature has always been a large part of who I am. As a kid I preferred being outside and my first summer job was at a Garden Center. That experience anchored my interest in all things that grow. I went on to attend University of Guelph for Horticulture and had a small landscape/garden maintenance hustle for a short while. Although life can sometimes redirect our efforts, being outside and observing how things grow and interact stayed a fundamental part of who I was.

Spending 5 years training with the Army Reserves, portaging Algonquin park, taking Wilderness Survival training with WSC, living off-grid for a short time, and being a Scout Leader for years culminating in an off-grid camp for 10-14 year olds solidified my comfort and appreciation for the outdoors.

When my young family's health needs required us to go back to cooking from scratch, eliminating all artificial cleaners, perfumes, soaps and such, I had to take the time to research and reapproach how I fed my family and kept my home. Food was a large focus then and still is.

I now live on a small "food farm" incorporating our needs with the wonderful wildspace that is our plot of land. Using only the space we need, and doing the least harm, we now provide most of our own meat from field to freezer without leaving the property. Our 40x80' garden incorporates French-intensive/square foot methods, Espalier, no till, companion and succession planting. What we can't grow, we are fortunate to be able to source from traditional growers in the neighbourhood.

Our changes on the property have achieved full integration as we again have top predators comfortable on our land. Although we may lose a chicken now and again, the bald eagles stopping by are truly majestic. We have begun our quest to establish a more off-grid sustainable system and are now focusing on solar power, water systems, a Walipini and dug cold cellar. We are also building a cantina (cold room) to store even more root vegetables conveniently indoors.

Through these research then trial-and-error projects, my grandmothers were a great inspiration. I would think "Well, how did they do it?" and my love for the late 1800/early 1900's agricultural and home skills methods blossomed. The lost crafts and ingenious pre-industrial revolution methods of making work easy without electricity became an odd hobby of mine.

During visits with new friends I would get asked "Can you teach a class in that?" and so I started teaching. That was five years ago. Sharing knowledge and seeing people enthusiastic for a new adventure which also improves their lives gives me goosebumps. Teaching is now truly a love almost as strong as being outside.

— Shelley