Piebird: (n.) A happy place of learning

This weekend saw three of my girlfriends and me taking a road trip to Piebird, a vegan/vegetarian “farmstay” in Nipissing, just outside of North Bay.

I’m not sure you know this about me, but deep down in my soul, behind a small door, is a room full of Anne of Green Gables paraphernalia. Driving onto Piebird’s property was like creaking open the door, so full was the flood of emotion upon clamping eyes on the 200-year-old green and white farmhouse, the happy yard of goats and fields of herbs and vegetables.

Run by the lovely Yan and Sherry, Piebird is part bed and breakfast, part farmstay, where guests can participate in the running of the farm.

There is a guest cottage onsite for those who’d like more privacy. A friend of mine recently stayed there to do a bit of writing. It’s so peaceful and charming, I’m surprised she didn’t just squat indefinitely.

Yan does the farming, while Sherry does the cooking, harvesting and preserving. And so they know the place intimately.

The four of us were there for one of Piebird’s famous workshops. This one was on herbs for medicinal and culinary use. We traipsed about the gardens, picking bits of lemon balm and raspberry leaf, and drinking dew from Lady’s Mantle in a rite of passage that turns a mere visitor into believer in all things Piebird.

We learned that lovage, while useful in soups for its strong resemblance to celery, is a particularly good digestive tonic and sweat-inducer for when one is fluish.

Nettle, the notorious stinger, makes a great tea, since it is high in nutrients such as iron, protein and vitamin C. Sherry and Yan drink a cup of nettle tea each morning and think of it more as a broth.

After we picked two bowlfuls of greens, we moved inside her simple, yet dreamy, summer kitchen (think Marilla Cuthbert) to make oil-infused salve. Choosing the best healing herbs such as comfrey, calendula and lavender, we each made small pots of the healing cream to soothe our tired hands after gardening.

She also taught us to make tonics. Choosing lemon balm for its anti-anxiety and sleep-inducing qualities, we stuffed a jar full of it and then added enough vodka just to cover it. In five weeks, we’ll transfer it to small dropper bottles where we’ll take a teaspoon a day to maintain our naturally calm demeanours.

In the meantime, we go for long walks.

If you need a day away, whether to be inspired by natural beauty, or to see Yan tramping barefoot through the garden with a beatific smile on his face, or to pet a friendly goat or six, I urge you to consider paying Piebird a visit.

As I’m sure all of us can attest, we left feeling restored and inspired to live more simply, and to utilize those “weeds” around us as the healing tools our earth gives so abundantly in the spring to prepare us for a season of gardening and harvest.

For more information about Piebird workshops, visit piebird.ca.

Anne Boulton is an avid gardener who lives in Sudbury. Visit her blog at greenboots.ca or contact her at [email protected].