The Hobby Homestead is about growing food in harmony with nature.

The Hobby Homestead is an online and in-person resource to help people produce food for themselves, their families, and their communities. We help you get the most out of your space by also giving back to the space.

We teach a range of skills in the realm of localized food production. Beyond skills, we strive to bring the community a sense of connection, empathy, and understanding. We want to know where you’re coming from, what barriers you face, and why you’re turning to the garden.

Together, we can put food on the table and heal the Earth.

Our Dot on the Map

We can provide you with expert advice within a specific growing region.

We grow in an Eastern temperate forest ecoregion. This region has a wide range of fluctuating temperatures with moderately cold winters and moderately hot summers.

We also have distinct Spring and Fall seasons, but these can be temperamental when it comes to growing. We can experience 20-degree swings in temperature between night and day. Our average last frost date in Spring is early-May (but there’s always a chance for a late-May frost). The average high temperature in summer is about 26°C/78°F (highs around 30°C/86°F). The average first frost in Fall is late-September or early-October, and the average low temperature in winter is -11°C/12°F (lows around -20°C/-4°F).

Where we live in the city now called Guelph is situated on Between the Lakes (no. 3) treaty land. It is the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation of the Anishinaabek Peoples. We strive to learn all we can from the Indigenous land stewards around us and model our practices around theirs.

What We Grow

The Hobby Homestead has evolved from a balcony garden back in 2008; to a 1/4 acre, shady, urban backyard in 2010; to a half-acre suburban homestead in 2021. We grow fruit trees and other edible perennials in a food forest design; annual vegetables and fruit in raised beds, pots, and in the ground; and ecosystem-benefitting plants, including lots of native species.