About Us

ABOUT THE NAME
All Sorts Acres began in 2007 on 1.18 acres 7 kn outside of Guelph, Ontario with the intention of creating a permaculture homestead that included animals, plants, art, and nature. 

Canadian artist Emily Carr's book "The House of All Sorts" was the inspiration for the name. The house, build in the early 20th century was Emily's home during and after World War 1. Being an unmarried, and childless woman art ist with a unique vision for the time, work was difficult to come by. Despite being born into wealth, her inheritance was meted out quite stingily by her sisters. Emily's creativity, curiosity, ingenuity, and dogged determination kept her going. Her house of all sorts became her work, school, business, rooming house, home, and farm. Today we'd easily recognize it as the "gig" economy.

All Sorts Acres has always been similar to Emily's house. There was never just one thing going on. Throughout the years, as the farm grows and changes the name has remained the same. Now on 50 acres, All Sorts Acres has definitely found her groove. Today it is many things with sheep, but, as necessity, desire, curiosity, and creativity ebb and flow, new projects are never very far away.

TIM the tractor driver and Urban Shepherd

Originally from Waterloo, Tim didn't grow up on a farm, going to farms, or even with animals a a big part of his life. His passion and talent was for playing music with his friends, taking things apart, computer programming, coming up with funny one liners, and following the Grateful Dead.

An encounter of people casually burning trash on the beach while on a backpacking trip across Thailand helped to solidify his commitment to saving the world. When he returned home, he went to school for environmental science, specializing in large scale composting. Environmental jobs during the 90's are known for not being very good. Low pay and personal integrity directed him into the world of manufacturing, and eventually into industrial design, research, and development. 

Today he still likes to take things apart, but can get them back together now. He is very much rooted in the mechanical\machinery aspect of the farm. Tim also does the deliveries, often contacts people, and is the farm wife. When he can he still plays music with his friends, takes things apart, and fixes things. 

JENNIFER the farmer

Since before Jennifer went to school she was crazy about animals. Along side family farm stories from her father's family, Jennifer was immersed in Beatrix Potter, James Herriot, Jaques Cousteaux, and dinosaur books, movies, and Britians farm toys. Around the age of 7 her Dad made her a farm for Christmas  on a 4x8 sheet of plywood that was reminiscent of the farm he grew up on. It included sheep, cows, horses, ducks, chickens, dogs, cats, traditional East Anglia type farm buildings, toy tractors, tiny plastic hay bales, and even a plowed field made of corrugated cardboard. Her love of animals also drove her to draw. It wasn't often that you found her without a book about animals, drawing animals, or playing with animal toys. 

Her young life was spent horseback riding. She loved being around the horses, in the barns, and doing farm-type work. Alas, wanting to be a farmer in 1982 wasn't a good career choice, even more difficult if your female. So, Jennifer pursued art instead.

In an attempt to find a rounded education in both art and animals, Jennifer attended different schools including Sheridan College, Ontario College of Art and Design, Humber College, University of Guelph, and Central Technical School's Post secondary art program studying fine art, illustration, animal husbandry, landscape design, web design and development, as well as numerous agriculture, teaching, and nature courses.