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Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1498118
Work keeps Smith busy, so he usually saves projects like upgrading the chicken coop and tending to the fields for the weekend. He doesn't like to sit still, and with goats, chickens and cows on the land, there's never any shortage of work to be done—even with five kids to help him. Lately, Smith has been researching solar and wind power. Although the farm already has its own well and septic system, Smith says he has a vision for greener pastures, per- haps with a bigger green- house: "It's something I'm definitely interested in." You quickly get the sense that he's the type to make things happen. When he first bought the property, it was in such bad condition that arborists quoted him $50,000 to clean out the overgrowth and rot. But Smith said no, and instead bought some chainsaws, chopped a bunch of wood and started cleaning up the land until it looked the way he wanted it to. "And if I have a ques- tion, honestly, I just Google or YouTube it," he notes matter-of-factly. To be fair, sometimes he does bite off more than he can chew. One year, Smith tried expanding the range of produce on his farm and ended up with a 600-square-foot garden. "It was crazy," he recalls. "You've got to weed it, pick it, obviously water it. And then you've got to deal with all the harvest." That plan got scrapped real quick, and now he only grows what he wants. On a day-to-day basis, though, Smith is mostly concerned with feedings and general maintenance on the farm. He enjoys being part of a commu- nity that enables him to barter "old school" with his neighbours, maybe trade a little beef for some vegetables. But as it is with most passion projects, some days are harder than others—like when Smith came home one night to a neighbour asking, "Are you missing three cows?" "Anything could have potentially spooked them," he explains of the escape. With a broken fence and lost cows to find, Smith spent the next five hours tracking and herding them back. Ultimately, he says, his love for the farm is tied to his mental health. Wheth- er he's mowing the lawn or fixing fences, his favou- rite part is getting lost in the work at hand. "I don't really care if it's snowing or raining; I just put on the right coat and gloves and I go outside," says Smith. "I don't have to think about all the other stuff that goes with the business side of things." £ A F T E R HO U R S PRAWN CON We know, it still feels early, but spot prawn season is right around the corner. With it, the annual Spot Prawn Festival is back at False Creek Fishermen's Wharf in Vancouver on May 28. The season itself lasts for some six to eight weeks, but for one day only (say that in a monster truck announcer's voice) you can have the experience of a full, six-course spot prawn brunch. Of course, you can also opt for some bisque, or just watch the cooking demos and take part in the festivities from the docks. spotprawnfestival.com for more information. SCIENCE RULES It might feel more like a sports event than a one-person show when the audience starts chanting "Bill! Bill! Bill! Bill!" at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on June 20 in anticipation of Bill Nye the Science Guy taking the stage. Nye will present a live multi-media performance based on his currently running hit show on the National Geographic Channel, The End Is Nye. He'll guide you through six of the most likely global challenges—natural and unnatural—and explain how humankind can survive and even prevent them with, you guessed it, science. £ ■ CONSCIOUS COLD Cold plunges are making a big splash in the wellness world. Take Victoria's Ritual Nordic Spa, for example—its two-hour Nordic Circuit (with sauna, steam, cold plunges and more) adds a modern twist to the "age-old" practice of hot/cold therapy. Its sessions are $59/person midweek or $69 on weekends and holidays, with memberships offering access to the circuit four times a month for $184. ■ MINDFUL IMMERSION During a brief stint in Scandinavia, Emily and Tristan Jenkins fell in love with Nordic sauna culture. After returning to B.C., they launched AIKA, "Sea to Sky's first and only private spa experience," to deliver hot/cold therapy services (mind- fully) at its Squamish Valley and Creekside locations, and through its portable mobile spa. Pick AIKA's three-hour "hold-cold-rest-repeat" cycle to relax and balance your nervous system or choose from the company's various passes and memberships for other private and social experiences. ■ FROSTED FLOW All you need for a hot/cold therapy appointment at Vancouver's Float House is a towel and water bottle. Although the company specializes in floats, if you're near Gastown, you can drop in for a 60-minute session for $75, or you can purchase one of its package or membership deals. Float House promotes "meditation, creativity and recovery" through a host of offerings, with additional outfits in Victoria and Edmonton. £ ON T R E N D CHILL OUT Soak in the hot trend of cold plunges by checking out these B.C. establishments By Rushmila Rahman TOP: RITUAL NORDIC SPA 58 BCBUSINESS.CA MAY/JUNE 2023