The Story of Livin the Dream Farm

 

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”     - Hippocrates

 

 

 

The Story of Livin' the Dream, Greenwood family Farm

 

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”     - Hippocrates

 

It all started with a dream, an idea, a simple thought... We all wanted to escape the hustle n' bustle of the city, we wanted a simpler way of life, we wanted our kids to grow up wild, surrounded by nature, endlessly engaged in divine play.  We wanted to pursue something we all believed in, we wanted to work with our amazing Mother Earth, and, we were willing to drop everything we had in order to pursue the vision our family was beginning to build.

 

We embarked on a B.C. wide search for the perfect plot.  Over a two year span we took family road trips scouting out BC's small towns and potential properties, but, every time we thought we had finally found the right place, it would fall through.  We could all feel the perfect land whispering to us in eager anticipation, but, it always seemed one or two steps away.   Initially, we had overlooked Vancouver Island completely.  But, our brother Jason, and his wife, Christy, who have lived on Vancouver Island for the last fifteen years, continued to suggest the Island as a suitable home for us.  They both raved about the amazing sense of community, the passion for the Earth and the magical energies that dance all around this magnificent island.  When a Shirley real estate listing popped up one day, they knew without a doubt, that this was the one. At that time, we weren't sure ourselves, but, being utterly depleted after two years of searching we purchased the property nonetheless and trusted that it was going to work out.  The rest was pretty much history. 

 

The property we chose in Shirley was 10 acres and housed a magical forest.   We were all very drawn to the energies of the local beaches and the rain forests, we all felt in a very deep, deep way that we were returning home.  Although there was a magical feeling, the reality was, that this property was far from being any type of farm and to transform it into one would be the work of great feats. It was definitely a diamond in the rough, pretty much everyone we knew thought we had lost our marbles!  As soon as we arrived, we instantly got to work: we renovated existing structures, added two homes, and cleared two small sections of forest to create what is now the Livin' the Dream Farm plot. 

 

Living in mainland Vancouver we all had very good lives. We are a family that decided to pull together instead of going our separate ways to face the daily struggles of life collectively.  We were a close-knit family to begin with, but now, we're closer than ever as we've become a multi-generational family-run farm.   

 

Our farm is made up of three generations, and three families:

 

First, there's Ken and Charlotte, they are our parents and, our children's wonderful grandparents.  Ken and Charlotte are two of the most amazing people you could ever meet.  They are true beacons of light who enhance everyone and everything they are around. They sold their dream home in Richmond, B.C. in order to purchase the land, the homes and all the initial start up costs of the farm.  Ken is the symbol of work ethic!  The guy literally never stops, he has a work ethic second to none. He is an all around handyman so anything that goes down on the farm is instantly fixed.  Charlotte has always had a magical touch with plants, she is the teacher to us all in how you can communicate and build relationships with both the plant and animal worlds. Her deep wisdom is like a well and shared in many ways on the farm!   

 

Then, there's my brother Wes, his lovely wife Marta and their son Kai .   Wes and Marta are the head farmers of Livin' the Dream Farm.  It was their dream to farm that paved the way for the family.  It is through a combination of their leadership and innate wisdom we are able to farm naturally and in harmony with the land and our animals.  They are passionate in permaculture, bio-intensive farming, and self-sustainability.  There is not a day that these two are not in the field! 

 

And, then there's me; Darrell, my wife, Katie, and our three kids Mikayla, Cruz and Bowe.   Katie is what we call the "good witch" on the farm.  She has an amazing ability to create natural health products, ideas literally just appear in her mind and she manifests them in the form of amazing creams, teas, and salves.  I'm skilled in speaking and writing and working with people. I'm an avid believer in the powers of intention and manifesting magic. We both thrive in selling what we believe in, you will know this as soon as you visit our farm stand!  Together, my wife and I are the dynamic sales front of our farm. 

 

Farming has taught us to believe in ourselves first and foremost. We have no staff members, no woofers, and no tractors, a few pretty epic volunteers though. The only machines we used were the tractors we hired to clear the land initially and a small tiller we own to create permanent garden beds.  The rest of the work we have done with our hands, pick axes, shovels, broad forks and our hearts.  This is the birth of our farm name Livin the Dream!  ...It isn't everyone's dream, but it's our dream. 

 

The greatest hope of our farm is to share the highest vibrational food with the world while at the same time inspiring others to live in a different way.  We farm from the heart in a manner that betters the land for future generations to come.  We hope this farm (and the dream) will carry on long after us, inspiring and teaching our children, and leaving behind a footprint that we can be proud of. 

 

 

“Become the Change you wish to see in the World.”