I missed getting a Christmas newsletter out on here so instead I bring to you a summarized 2012 Year in Review and 2013 Year Preview:

Our 2012 guest season started with a full house for Easter weekend where we held our 1st Annual Water Buffalo-Easter egg hunt. No, the buffalo did not participate in the actual egg hunting nor were there any water buffalo races, but instead of the traditional Easter Bunny, we brought in our highly-skilled Easter Water Buffalo to hide the eggs. The kids had a wonderful time, and we were fortunate to have Sarah Munn-Brown of Smiling Rain Photography on site to capture a few special moments and to send each family home with an awesome family shot. We look forward to our second annual Easter egg hunt on March 31st.

Our busiest months were mid July to mid September although we did stay steady to October. Our season ended on the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend where we offered the opportunity for our guests to join the Fairburn families for our traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Brett and I had fun making the meal as local as possible, using vegetables from our garden and local farms, and serving a turkey raised just down the road, and ham from a nearby farm. Even the cranberries came from under 50 km away!

We had one wedding ceremony in July,  and a wedding reception in August- and have five booked for this year!

We hosted a few large groups (15+) for lunch and farm tour, and look forward to more groups this year.

Being closed for the winter months, one would think that the pace might slow down a little, but unfortunately this is not the case. I continue to milk twice a day, which can take about 6 hours of the day, and find that I’m scrambling to get the little projects in the house done before we reopen. Painting with a toddler running around isn’t exactly the recipe for a productive day. Brett fills his days working with the wood (to keep this big house warm in the colder months!), and starting, and trying to complete, some of the bigger outdoor projects. Our basement renovations haven’t really moved along since last year.

Now that we’re into the new year, we are looking ahead to the approaching guest season at the end of March. We will also offer farm tours to the public, and the format for these will change from last year. We’re still working out the details and once those are finalized, I will let you know.

As mentioned above, we did have a full house last year for Easter and expect the same again.  We advise early bookings for this weekend as we are sure to fill up once again … and to avoid your child having to sleep in the bathtub (an almost true story!). Our lower accommodation rates will be offered from March 29th-May 31st, and again September 3rd to October 14th. Peak season is June 1st to September 2nd. We are introducing a special rate for larger families unable to fit into one room and are unable to budget the regular price of two rooms. Please contact for details. Also, we love having bicycle enthusiasts stay with us and understanding that we’re a little off the beaten track for the convenience of going out for meals, we would like to offer cyclists the choice of supper at the farm. For the most part, we remain a Bed and Breakfast and do not serve lunch or dinner on site but we can recommend some super restaurants in the Cowichan Valley.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who visited and stayed with us here at Fairburn Farmstay and Guesthouse in 2012, and we look forward to seeing familiar and new faces in the 2013 season!

We’re trying to make this meal as local as possible with everything from our farm and from the Cowichan Valley. Let’s enjoy our fall harvest and support our local farmers!

Space is limited, and already the Cowichan and Heritage rooms are booked for the night of the 7th.

Contact us by email or by phone.

In recent days there have been three sightings of black bears in our fields, and one sighting of 25 Roosevelt Elk passing through.

This is a wonderful time of year to enjoy the farm and the Cowichan Valley, and we are offering 10% off your stay over the Victoria day long weekend. This offer is valid from May 18th to May 20th.

Our spring season rates end May 31st.

Call or email to book your stay!

Must be spring! Out to pasture.

Right now we’re debating whether we clip a few wings; this discussion arising after an evening of trying to get a hen out of an apple tree.

Spot the chicken?

Collecting eggs has always been a highlight for children staying here on the farm and we’re excited to be able to offer that opportunity again!

Brett and I dusted off our neglected bicycles, put air into the tires, handed baby to Grandma, and promised to return in a few hours.

To access the Cowichan Valley Trail (a section of the Trans Canada Trail) from our property, we cross the creek (thank goodness for bridges!), and haul ourselves up the steep hill on the other side to reach the clear cut, and then ride via logging roads to where the Cowichan Valley Trail intersects. This took us about 20 minutes just to reach the trail. Keep in mind that I haven’t ridden long distance on my bike in quite a while. Once we were on the CVT, it was pretty easy riding, with just a slight uphill/downhill grade. We reached the Kinsol Trestle in about 1 hour and 15 minutes, and this was at a fairly steady pace. It can definitely be ridden in less time by those who are more experienced cyclists!

This was my second time visiting the trestle (first time by car) since major rehabilitation was completed, and the grand opening of the Kinsol Trestle, on July 28th, 2011. This Trestle is a must see by visitors to the Cowichan region; a spectacular sight as one of the tallest free-standing wooden rail trestle structures in the world (145 feet high, and 614 feet long).

Although we were turning around to head back to the farm, I rode across the Trestle just to say that I did. I found it to be  a monumental moment for me; quite exhilarating, and not just because of the height.

On the return home, we hooked onto Mountain Rd, and cycled back that way, joining onto a trail (sadly, an area that seems to be a garbage dump site) that runs along side the farm. This route took less than an hour, and this was even with me walking my bike up the slightest incline. My legs were done.

I encourage any cycling enthusiasts to experience the Kinsol Trestle this way. Stay with us at Fairburn, and you have your very own private gateway to the Cowichan Valley Trail, and to all that lays beyond (head south, to the Trestle, or go north towards Glenora, and even further, Lake Cowichan).

Kinsol Trestle