Love this Guest Post by Melissa about our Greenmoxie farm. Hope you will all come visit!
I come across so many interesting people, each with their own inspiring story- where they come from and how they got here. And when I hear that someone is following what their heart needs , I get tingles. I’m a sucker for other people’s happiness. Honestly. One of the best things about living out here are the different landscapes, and properties. Everyone has their version of what their “country retreat” looks like… of what home is, and I’m totally intrigued by it. I love visiting different places and finding out the things that make up someone’s story. I wanna share that with you, in hopes that you get inspired to follow your own bliss.
I met Nikki Fotheringham while hanging out in the village one afternoon. When I say “the village”, I mean downtown. She and her husband Ian moved here earlier this year, from Toronto. It’s pretty awesome that more and more young couples, like Sonny and I, are waking up and trading in their city lives.
Meeting people for the first time around here typically goes something like this: “what brings you here? ” “how long have you been here?” “are you a weekender?” “how did you find trent hills?” “you are going to absolutely love it here!” “we should definitely meet for coffee soon!” or “come by the farm!”
And that’s pretty close to what happened here.
I should tell you a bit about Nikki. Originally from South Africa, she’s an environmental journalist, and editor of the blogGreenmoxie. But wait, she’s also the author of Greenmoxie: A Practical Guide to Sustainable Living and her second book Flaming Marshmallow is probably getting printed as I write this- it’s filled with creative and simple campfire recipes.
Nikki and Ian, an eco-builder, invested in a piece of land, and in the meantime they’re staying in town, in the cutest apartment above one of the local shops. You have to see it! Another time though…
Right now, I want to show you some bits and pieces of my visit to their 25 acre plot: a mix of farm, field, and forest. As you walk along the cedar scented trail, you’ll stumble upon this perfect little hideaway, complete with a legit tepee, art installations and the tiniest island where friends gather for bonfires and cool dips in the glistening river. Wait till you hear what they plan on doing with the land. If you’ve ever dreamed of living on an off-the-grid commune, this might be your ticket.
SO, WHAT BROUGHT THEM TO THE COUNTRY?
Nikki actually wrote a piece on this for The Huffington Post. She says, “I lived in a small town once, in another lifetime, and I thought it was something I did for a season, you know, until I hit the big time in the big city. And so I left for the parties and the award banquets and the nightclub openings. While they were thrilling at first, I soon tired of them. And as I dragged myself out, mustering the energy to tolerate the vain and vapid, I realized that this wasn’t for everyone. More specifically, this wasn’t for me… Here, I can still buy a house at an affordable price and my groceries don’t require a second mortgage. I’m not sure if there is more to do here or if you just get to hear everything that’s going on but there’s nothing sleepy about small towns.” You can read the rest of the article here
PLANS FOR THE LAND?
We have nearly 30 acres of wild woods we have no intention of taming. It’s more land than I can use and so we wondered what to make of it all. Of course the answer was simple; share it. Just as we wanted to get back to nature, so others also need to reconnect and find some solace in the tall trees and bubbling creeks.
The response has been fairly overwhelming; an endless stream of visitors finding their own little nooks where they can pitch their tents and swim, hike, climb and play. Several have plans for building tiny houses or other small cabins and they are all welcome to! These will be available for friends and family to stay in over the summer.
We’ve already had an artist in residence and she stayed for a full thirty days, camping in the woods and cooking on a fire. A beautiful wooden sculpture has been her legacy. We can’t wait to see what happens next!
I can’t wait either! This place has loads of potential, so it’s gonna be spectacular watching how it all unfolds.
Thanks so much Nikki, for showing me around your piece of paradise in these magical hills we call home.
