Schoolhouse Farm & Wellness
est. 2016
What sets our farm apart is the space and the life that fills it. Our location is accessible by foot, bike, bus, or vehicle, and offers a peaceful escape and mental + nutritional pick-me-up. We work with nature to grow truly healthy flowers, fruit, familiar vegetables, herbs, humans and animals. Everything is connected! Community is everything to us, and we love where we live.
Our farm is located on Crescent Island in Ladner, B.C., where the original Crescent Island schoolhouse still stands to this day, as a personal residence on the property. We hope to see you around our farm soon.
We believe in and actively practice organic, regenerative, small-scale agriculture; growing fruit, vegetables, herbs, flowers and in the future raising livestock on pasture. Schoolhouse Farm is a life’s work, a home, farm, farmstand, rebellion, community gathering place, U-pick flower field, special event venue, grower and saver of heirloom seeds, collector and caretaker of heritage breed animals, soil and pollinator worshipper, microbiome, beneficial bacteria, and fungi fan club, education space, workshop host, collaboration hub, fermentation station, sustainable spot (low to zero waste—taking steps as able), local artist marketplace, concert location, fond memory, local secret, break from the regular world, everyone welcome.
Emily Hastie
Emily Hastie is a wife + mother, farmer + dreamer, activist + pacifist. Emily is married to Mike and to her farm and to their dreams, and they love their life alongside their two children, Devin + Eve, and their too many pet-children to name.
Emily started Schoolhouse Farm in 2016 because she wanted to feed her family the good stuff. She’s been growing the good stuff at her farm for several years now, so you can feed yourself, your person, your children, and your friends the good stuff too. Good stuff is not sprayed with anything. It is grown with sunshine, water, and lots of love. It is colourful and delicious and rife with memories, like those fresh-plucked strawberries you ate on waffles as a child or the carrots your parents fed you all dirt-stained and frizzy-topped, and if you haven’t experienced either of these things before, just you wait.
Emily will tell you her farm is your farm. She’ll sit with you and laugh, talk to you like family, and hug you on your way out. She might not remember your name at first, but she will remember your spirit vegetable, the Persian cucumber for example, and offer to grow it for you, whatever it is, no problem.
Emily is a first-generation farmer. She is learning regenerative processes through mentors + acquaintances, podcasts + audiobooks, successes + failures. One of her favourite sayings, which she heard on the Mind, Body & Soil podcast, is “co-creator of abundance, in service of life”. She is honoured to have access to this land and she farms it in a way she hopes will leave it in better repair for her children and her children’s children. Every day brings new challenges and obstacles and she would have it no other way. Dream chasing is the best kind of bucket-filling, and she feels her bucket is spilling over and for this she is grateful.
Emily often refers to her house as the Loose Ship and to Mike as its captain, and if those things hold true, Schoolhouse Farm is a Loose Ship Harbour, a place for all lost ships, a third space between work and home, a place for community and catharsis, and this is Emily’s greatest passion project, to share this slice of beauty with all of you. She hopes you love it as much as she does, with her whole heart and beyond.
Jen Deane
This is Jen! She will tell you that I saved her life. But the real truth is that she saved mine. She takes care of people. Like me,finds purpose in a life of service. We met quite a few years ago when she came to check on Mike's newbie bee hive and we have been chosen family ever since. She has been happily helping with EVERYTHING since that day! One of a million examples - many times when I was maximum stressed she showed up and washed all the eggs without me knowing - saying she loved it - enjoying a cup of tea and some good tunes! We have worked together through torrential rain, scorching sun, the highest highs and lowest lows, sometimes laughing, sometimes crying.
There reached a point where she was only going home to sleep. Around that time her rental house sold and it seemed fitting to move into our home with us. Somehow two years have gone by?! If you have an empty spare room - I can’t recommend enough sharing it with someone who could benefit. It’s a magical scenario where you experience the most prime example of how when you help others you are actually helping yourself. We share farming, momming, cooking, cleaning, driving, shopping, bills, etc. I believe humans are meant to live in community. My belief only grows stronger. The only things we argue about: 1. who is nicer and 2. who helps the other more.
She is the most kind and generous soul I have ever met. She would give anyone the shirt off her back, I’ve seen it happen numerous times. Jen brought the sauna into our lives! She is the sauna and sales here at SHF, she also seeds, plants, waters, weeds, harvests, florists, tends the roadside stand, plans, dreams, rolls with the punches, purchases, computers, EVERYTHING - I can’t thank her enough, and honestly would have given up last year without her taking care of me and encouraging me to continue. She is a mom to two boys, a talented writer, accountant, herbalist in training, bee keeper, book hoarder, Robin Hood, hard worker, firm handshaker and friend to all. Kindness and generosity are more contagious than fear and negativity. We are on a mission together to spread good.
Thank you, Jen. You help me more. And you are way nicer.
-Emily
Join us at the farm.
Regenerative + beyond organic.
Self serve, honour system road side stand.
Collaborations + workshops.
Community gathering place.
Nourishment + wellness.
Open daily - early ‘til dark.