Rainbow Woods Natural Foods

Eleanor wanted a forest that she could steward, where she could see the results of her work in her lifetime. Paul had long dreamed of a place in the woods that was self-sufficient. In 1995, we found an abandoned old farm homestead, a place of failed dreams in centuries past, carved out of the mixed forest in a place they call ‘the land between.’ We would bring it back to life with dreams of our own.

Arriving for the first time we pulled aside the broken gate, spread a tarp on the ground upon which the children could safely play, and cut a path along the overgrown lane to start clearing a building site. A year later we were living in our self-built off grid home, had rebuilt the barn, cleared a field, planted 10,000 trees, and were raising a happy, healthy family.

Today, we call this place Rainbow Woods. Come in the fall and you might presume that it takes its name from the splash of colour in the forest canopy. For us, there is a deeper understanding—in which the rainbow is a symbol of new beginnings, of hope, of peace, of equality.

It has been more than 25 years since that first day. Much has changed, but not the dream.

Around 2004, we decided to increase our self-sufficiency by raising our our own lamb. Our son started with two 4H lambs which has grown to a small flock under our daughter’s care, of purebred Corriedale sheep (both white and natural colours). We strive to improve fleece and carcass quality on a rotational grazing system. This adventure includes shearing our own sheep and hand-spinning our own fleeces with natural dyes grown on the farm.

Now with adult children similarly committed to a healthy future, we offer a variety of home-grown products including maple syrup, freezer lamb and offer fleeces, roving, and sheepskin rugs for sale.  Most of the land continues to provide habitat for a variety of species at risk.