Francois

Hi there! My name is Francois. My wonderful wife Mary and I have two young children. I'm a French teacher by trade and I have a side line business harvesting clay. My family and I are very natural minded, and feel led to move to the Comox Valley area on Vancouver Island. We are comfortable working and selling in a farmers market situation, and are bilingual (French and English). I love learning new skills and I'm super motivated with everything related with farming. I have been gardening for the last 10 years as a hobby and always try to expand my knowledge by reading and trying new things. Although I grew up in the city, I have had an interest in plants for as long as I can recall. At a school I worked at I helped the science teacher to plant and sell seedlings for the students at school. I have built a hydroponics garden in a one bedroom apartment. I have made compost boxes and tomato beds for our current apartment block, encouraging community participation and involvement. Finally, with a very small piece of land that we have, I was able to successfully plan and execute a 300 sq foot garden for 4 years...enjoying the fruits (and vegetables) of my labor! I have a true passion for gardening, and would like to work and live on a farm to eventually have a homestead of our own. My wife and I learn very well by example, and if we are told what to do and how to do it, we can catch on quite quickly. It would be a blessing to find like minded individuals to learn and grow with. Thanks for taking the time to read my profile, I look forward to hearing from you!

Experience

I have had my clay business Produits Naturels Eaux Vives for approximately 5 years. I have learned a lot of problem solving skills and have created good relationships with my clients. It is also a lot of hard work- manual labour and working outdoors.

Partner(s)

My wife Mary is also a teacher and an actor. She has a good attitude and loves people. She is a great communicator and writer. We work very well as a team, and have been together for almost 10 years. We love and respect each other.

Farm Vision

To be able to have community and create links and solid relationships with people. To be able to provide for ourselves and our community by being as self sustainable as possible. To gather people and find out what gifts God has given them, and then to use each other as resources as we continue to grow.

Relationship with Farm Owner

Very much a mentorship relationship- someone who would be willing to share their knowledge with us so we can partner with them and even transition into confident farmers ourselves.