It’s almost time for your Yerba Madre retreat on Stowel Lake Farm!
Here is some helpful information to enhance your retreat experience.
The Stowel Lake Farm (SLF) community looks forward to hosting you. Please read over it carefully.
Arrival and Departure
Check In
Most of you will be arriving on the morning ferry to Salt Spring Island on Monday April 12th. We will pick you up there. Please note that the Farm team will pick you up approximately 10 - 15 minutes after the ferry unloads to avoid traffic.
For those of you arriving outside of the morning pick up on the 12th, we have your arrival times and will be there to pick you up!
Check Out
Check out is at 9am on departure day- Friday, April 16th.
Communication & Telephones
There is WiFi throughout the farm but limited cellular service. This means that you may not be able to make calls on your cell phone without a WiFi connection. If you need to receive or take a call while on retreat, be sure to enable Wifi calling on your phone. To preserve the sanctity of the retreat, please minimize cell phone use during your stay.
Smoking
While most of the Farm is a non-smoking/vaping environment, and not permitted in any of our buildings, there is space set aside for this purpose on site.
Candles & Incense
Open flames are not permitted in any of the accommodations. Please do not burn candles or incense in your room during your stay.
Scents
To prevent the discomfort of others, please ensure you do not wear strong scents during your stay with us.
Animals & Pets
There are many domestic and wild animals on the farm - please leave pets at home.
Valuables
While having things go missing is rare, the Farm is not liable for any lost or stolen items. If you have concerns about any items, please leave them at home.
Rooms and Housekeeping
To support guests in having a true respite there are no telephones or televisions in any of the guest rooms.
All of the rooms have down bedding and towels. If you are allergic to down please inform your retreat leader so that hypoallergenic bedding can be prepared.
Photos, Video & Socials
If you take any great photos or videos while you’re here on retreat, please tag us @stowellakefarm
We are on Instagram & Facebook!
Packing
Please come prepared for an outdoor environment and for the weather, as appropriate. Some suggestions are provided below:
Comfortable clothing, warm layers, rain jacket, sun protection
an outfit you can work in the garden/forest in. There will be a 2 hour period outside
Rain jacket
Slip on shoes are nice for going in and out of buildings
Swimsuit for sauna
Waterproof shoes/shoes you an work in the garden in
Slippers or indoor shoes - no shoes in indoor space
Water bottle
Ear plugs, if needed.
Toiletries including body wash, shampoo & conditioner
Cash for farm stand purchases
Meals
Details on your meal plan while at the Farm are provided by your retreat leader.
Please observe posted meal times for your retreat.
Between meals there is a tea bar and fruit bowl. Often times there is baking from the morning.
There is a tea table in the Barn and available at all times throughout the retreat.
There is a fridge available for any snacks or food/drink you would like to bring to the Farm.
Please ensure your retreat host is informed of any dietary restrictions or allergies.
Allergies
We provide plant based meals featuring our farm grown organic produce and organic sourced ingredients. All of our meals are served buffet style, so you can choose what you want to eat. We provide gluten free, dairy free and vegan options at all meals.
Anaphylactic Allergies
If you have a severe anaphylactic allergy to foods that we serve, please make sure that you connect with our kitchen directly by email. Your retreat host can make the connection. You must bring your own medicine/EpiPen to the retreat.
Celiacs
We do use gluten in moderation in our kitchen and therefore we can not guarantee zero cross contamination for anyone with gluten allergies like celiac. We do not use certified gluten free ingredients.
Nut and Seed Allergies
We use tree nuts, peanut butter and seeds including sesame seeds and tahini in our kitchen. We can not guarantee zero cross contamination of these allergens. Our kitchen cannot serve anyone who is anaphylactic to sesame and certain nuts.
Hazards
Please be careful around the Farm and come prepared for an outdoor environment. As could be expected, there are areas that are uneven or slippery.
Darkness
Some areas of the Farm may not be as well lit as others and there are occasional power outages. Please ensure you bring your own flashlight. The light on your phone is fine.
Noise
Please be mindful of noise and the potential impact on others. If you are sensitive to noise while sleeping, please bring your own earplugs.
Emergencies
In the event of an emergency, please advise any SLF employee and/or your retreat leader. There is also the house phone available in the Barn 24 hours a day. First aid kits are available if needed and fire extinguishers are in all buildings.
Nature & Hiking
During your stay, you can walk the public part of the farm, which includes the large perennial garden and farming operations. Longer walks and hikes are off-site and some require the use of a vehicle to get to the trailhead. Hiking maps of Salt Spring Island are available, including walks to swimming lakes near the Farm.
