We are a working farm that will continue the oil pressing, the flour milling, crops, horses, chickens and field rotations that we have developed over the last 20 years. We have small fields about 2-3 acres with crops like sunflowers, spelt, rye, camelina,oats which become pastures for a few years in rotation. Soil health is an important part of our farming. Horses are the main source of energy in the fields and logging but we do have tractors which run on sunflower oil that we produce on our farm.

Heating is a major issue so we heat with wood and cut trees that are not good for lumber using the horses to pull the logs to a staging area where we use our electric chainsaws to cut it into firewood size chunks. We then take a load with the horses to the wood splitter and stack the wood so it can dry over the next year.

What crops we will be planting and harvesting.

Early in the year we spread camelina on the snow on a prepared field.

Preparing the field for oats is done later in April/May. Usually the field is plowed and tine weeded a number of times before planting getting it in early is good.

Haying is important and the first haying is done about early jun, followed by the second cutting in Mid august then a third cut in late Sept/ October.

The rye planted last fall will be growing and in early June the no till planter is readied to crimp the rye and plant the sunflowers at the same time. The corn is done in the same way with the no till planter after there is no more frost.

Sometimes we plant Sorghum in early July.

The Spelt field has been growing all winter and will be ready for harvest about late July.

The Camelina has been growing and will be harvested in late July or early August.

Harvest of the sunflowers is usually done late December along with the corn.

After each harvest the fields turn into pastures.

Persons interested in joining our farm may learn about our farming method by visiting often and perhaps adopt some of the work in pressing oils, milling flour, maintaining the equipment or producing things for sale in our workshop.

We are a subsistence farm that may not be affected be affected less income from our sales of oils and flour so we are concentrating on growing and preparing our own food, driving to town a lot less, no eating out, few treats, and our enjoyment is now centred upon walking on our own farm and visiting conservation areas where we an walk and view mature forests and various birds. Its a matter of growing our food in the summer and then harvesting it and in the fall preserving it for the winter months.

Our biggest problem is that we are getting older and at some point may not be able to continue this routine. So we need to have help in this very demanding lifestyle. Hopefully we can share our experience and knowledge of this way of life sharing it with those interested in this lifestyle which is very similar to the Amish lifestyle. Hope fully we can find those who want to continue oil pressing, flour milling and growing of food for us and the animals.

First we need to find those who understand some of the difficulties facing our world. We all will need a place to stay, food, heat and community that can work together. Many will not agree with our lifestyle and this farm is not for you. It will be difficult getting up every morning at 6:30 am feeding the horses and chickens and then setting out to maintain the many things we use to facilitate our way of life. Maintenance of everything can be a real chore if you do not enjoy fixing things which is fairly easy with things made back in the 1960's. It could be a loose door, a latch that is worn, it could be a redesign of the chickens feeding or it could be helping a sick chicken or an injured horse or just a better way of hooking up the horse machinery. There is never a moment when there is nothing to do.

Good meals are important to keep us healthy and often times we may be eating more broccoli than most would like, or having brussels sprouts that have been infested with bugs. Having an organic garden is important to get good healthy food and if one wants to stay here for a time then gardens are available to grow your own food.

Getting enough experience to be useful at our farm is difficult since a lot of what we do does not have an alternative in the life of a computer operator. Those who will take time to visit, learn some of the skills on a regular schedule will succeed in adapting to the farm life and in time will be asked to join our farm. Visiting the farm frequently is very important to learn some of the skills, ascertain if the work load is too difficult, and just see if we can get along.

On the matter of finances. Our finances will be open for others to see and everything needs to be forecast so just affording hiring a person needs to be justified by sales, abilities or farm needs and each person may have to subsidize their earning with outside work. Rather harsh isn't it.

I have listed a number of jobs available with training sessions on our internet site <matsfineoilsandflour.ca>. I hope this inspires some to come to our work sessions and then get some payment for some of the work listed to offset travel expenses earlier in that day or the next day. Accommodation can be arranged. For those interested in joining the farm we have newly constructed apartments at affordably rents that can be made more affordable with working on various jobs here.

Visiting can be an afternoon at a regular work session and if successful could be extended a few days.