By Bridie
In the midst of building our rooftop deck. That’s our edible rooftop garden in the background!
Work exchange is like a holiday with a purpose. If you’re looking to learn how to live a ‘greener’ lifestyle, this is the work exchange house for you. It gives people the chance to work in exchange for food and board and experience what it means to live in a ‘sustainable focused community house’.
So what are the kinds of jobs you would be doing? Without a word of a lie, these are some of the things I have worked on, which have been more like heavenly learning experiences than ‘work’ (see photos at the bottom of this post):
Dehydrated kale chips
- Brewing kamboocha
- Picking cherries & apples from neighborhood trees to make jam
- Making chemical-free paint and painting walls
- Making kale chips in the dehydrator
- Building a roof-top deck
- Making sauerkraut
- Growing food for our kitchen – tomatoes, herbs & edible flowers
- Shopping at local farmers markets
- Helping out with tidying around the house
Depending on your budget you have the option to work more hours or less, which will determine the amount of rent you’ll pay during your stay if any*. So it’s up to your budget and desire of free time to see what will work best for you!
Work exchange is a way to tap into a city’s true local culture. It gives you the chance to live like the locals do – something a backpackers or a hotel can’t do.
Summer salad with tomatoes & herbs from our garden
Landing in Toronto in May from a year of Central American travels, the last thing I wanted to do was quickly spend my last dimes in a ‘dodgey’ backpackers hostel. I came to Lotus Feast and chose the 24 hour a week exchange option, which covered my rent and food in full. This gave me the chance to live in one of Toronto’s hippest areas and live with a bunch of locals who value what I do – sustainable and wholesome living.
Lotus Feast is a wonderful community of people who are looking to create a better world by putting people and the planet first. If you’re interested in the work exchange offering, contact us through our profile on the Workaway website.
[* A full work-exchange is approximately 24 hours per week, which could be about 4 hours/day Mon-Fri + 4 hours on the weekend. Or extra work hours can be done on a single day so that you can get days off. In exchange you will receive a room, internet and food ingredients (grains, beans, seeds, spices, oils, fresh veggies, seasonal fruit, etc), delicious shared meals several times a week, plus clean sheets, laundry soap, etc. Also includes use of a guest bike when available.]
Making tahini
Summer lunch
Building the deck
Kamboocha bottling
Lotus Feast / Delicious Earth 