WHW Sustainable Farming Field Trip

At WHW, sustainability is not just some concept you incorporate into building design. That’s why a group from WHW were keen to take a ‘field trip’ to the north shore on June 18th to learn more about sustainable farming and production methods from the 19th century. This visit included the Green Dragon Organic Farm, the Balmoral Grist Mill, and the Sutherland Steam Mill.

Green Dragon Organic Farm is a small scale farm that combines traditional animal husbandry and gardening. They are Certified Organic, Certified Biodynamic, and they specialize in permaculture (a design methodology that develops human and agricultural systems in a way that mimics the relationships found in natural ecologies). The WHW staff visit happened to coincide with the arrival of three authentic German Journeymen at the farm. These carpenters are following the European journeyman tradition whereby they start with formal training and then leave their hometowns for three years plus a day to gain experience. They travel, seeking out experts in their trade with whom they can apprentice in return for room and board.

The Balmoral Grist Mill (a water turbine grain mill) and the Sutherland Steam Mill (a woodworking mill) currently function as two of Nova Scotia’s provincial museums. They hearken back to a time when things like the grain you used for food and the wood you used to build your homes were produced close to where you lived. The Steam Mill was of particular interest because of its display of building components: lumber, lathe, flooring, balusters, newel posts, doors, sashes, moldings, trim, etc.