Two Sisters River

How We Got Here

More About Two Sisters River

We are Mike & Mary-Kate, and our three children, Rowan (10), Sikhona (8), and River (6). Our vision is to create a model of an urban intentional community and working urban farm in downtown Guelph. We’re passionate about creating a local, resilient life where we grow organic food, connect people together, and support our children to grow up in a creative, adventurous environment where anything is possible.

We've had backyard hens since 2004. We've loved watching our children learn to hold chickens, discover eggs, and develop a connection with their food. Rowan even learned to count, collecting eggs every day. We've worked out a lot of the challenges, and we're excited to help other people get backyard hens. We believe there should be a chicken in every willing backyard in Guelph.

We're in the process of growing more vegetables in smaller spaces using permaculture principles. We've posted our backyard on the Wwoof Canada site, and have hosted dozens of WWOOFers since we started in 2012. We've hosted travellers from Germany, France, Spain, Australia, United States, Korea, Liverpool, and even Kitchener & Guelph! Each person has contributed beautifully to our family and community. And the kids get to learn about different cultures and ways of seeing the world without leaving our home.

In the summer, lots of things are going on outside, such as the Junction Neighbourhood Potlucks.. Many people from the community (and outside) bring food to the backyard and enjoy the magic that happens, awesome conversations and company! Some weeks there will be music or a movie screening.  Two local farms (Zocalo & Drumlin), host their weekly CSA (Community Shared Agriculture) pick ups, giving people a neighbourhood site for farm fresh food grown by local organic farmers. Some weeks there is extra produce, which is then made available to the general public.