The idea started years ago… Pete and I were first married (26 years ago) and saw an article in the paper (yes actual newsprint lol) about a couple who started a farm and rescued farm animals. I LOVED the story. I had always wanted a pet pig to live in the house with me. Pete knew this going in… I even had it in my wedding speech. So began our dream...
Over the next years we had 2 sons each with autism, intellectual disabilities and were non-speaking/minimally speaking. We had no idea if their interests would fit our interests. As luck would have it Maks (our oldest) became fascinated with leaf blowers and all things landscaping. George, the creative mastermind of the family, loves all things baking.
Sadly, there are not may opportunities for people with similar profiles as Maks and George in terms of employment, learning job skills, etc. Maks was getting older and we had to start planning on what his next transition after high school would look like.
A home for rescued farm animals started percolating in my brain again. The boys could have purposeful and meaningful work on the farm. There are endless job skills for us all to learn!! So we began looking for land that we’d be able to use. We wanted to stay in Halton region and specifically Burlington, if possible as they were both still in school and I absolutely LOVE their program so moving them out of that was not a consideration.
I wanted to be moved in the new house two years prior to graduation (age 21 in Ontario for Special Education programs). Maks was going to be uprooted from the teachers and Educational Assistants he loved so I couldn’t think about moving and graduating the same year. We needed a stepped approach.
We moved 2 years before graduation and fortuitously we found our dream home and land (approximately 3 acres) in Burlington and in the catchment for their school program as well! It was definitely meant to be.
Over the past 3.5 years, we insulated, refaced and fixed any structural damage to the barn. We added fencing to create pastures and leased the land (9 acres) beside us. We currently have 8 sheep (4 are boarded with us), 6 goats, 4 pigs (2 in the house – yes, my wedding speech wish came true), 3 cows, and chickens. Some of the animals have disabilities. For instance, our cow Vixen is blind, our pig Moo is s mechanically blind (fat folds over his eyes), Norman our cow has a neurological disorder, and our goat Rizzo is deaf.
We strive to make sure all family members, either a person or farm animal, gets to live their best life…hence the name we came up with – OUR BEST LIFE HOBBY FARM
I decided last year that a flower farm might help support some of the costs of the farm like, hay, vet bills and farriers (hoof trimmer) to name a few. So, this past year I have been climbing a steep learning curve trying to figure out how to become a flower farmer and this season we will be open for business. We will have a flower stand as well as offering farm workshops too.
I am SO SO SO excited as we are embarking on the next phase of the farm. I hope you enjoy following along as we learn and as we grow.
