Jim Drescher, Margaret Drescher, Windhorse Farm
OWNERS, JIM & MARGARET DRESCHER

THE WINDHORSE STORY

 This magical place on the LaHave River at Wentzell Lake has been home to many humans and non-humans for more than ten thousand years. The Mi'kMaq and their ancestors cared for the forest here, and were cared for by the forest, for 400 generations. Since the time of the European invasion, and after the first Europeans settled in this place now called Windhorse Farm, there have been six generations of earth stewards - a mere blink of an eye in the big picture of this watershed. From 1840-1990, this was the Wentzell family farm. Then in 1990, the Drescher family took on the stewardship of the forest and gardens, growing with  their children here and opening their doors to hundreds of other young people who wanted to learn about caring for the land.
 Today Windhorse Farm is an evolving "village" with different families as owners and stewards of the properties and businesses. Ten families are guardians of the legacy forest (the longest-standing demonstration of sustainable forestry in Canada), with Windhorse Foundation having a 99-year lease and management agreement that provides ecological protection for the long term. There are different owners for the several businesses. The Wood Shop is in the capable hands of JJBoudreau Woodcraft. There is a forest camp for young people and a farmer in the permaculture gardens. Juniper Lodge, built by the Dreschers to ensure that many people would be able to enjoy and learn from this place in the future, is now a conference centre offering comfortable accommodation and nourishing meals from the gardens. It hosts group retreats, celebratory gatherings, leadership training programs, and business "off-sites". Other overnight accommodation includes two lakeside cottages, six off-grid forest cabins and a hundred and fifty year-old heritage farmhouse. A tenting campground, with sauna and fire circle, is also offered.  Everyone is welcome here to connect in nature. All this is set within the rich and diverse landscape of forest, gardens, orchards, fresh brooks and beaver ponds at the edge of Wentzell Lake and the LaHave River.
The Windhorse story is grounded in unwavering confidence in everyones' fundamental wholeness, healthiness and worthiness. It manifests in these energetic aspects:
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  • Respect for auspicious coincidence, the flow of Windhorse.
  • Personal Growth - becoming more comfortable in our own skin.
  • Hospitality - we host our guests; the land hosts us all. 
  • Mentorship - building leadership capacity in others. 
  • Stewardship - connecting with, and caring for, the land and all its inhabitants, human and non-human.
Windhorse is a fertile ground where the genuine human heart can mature into a powerful force for transforming society.
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This is not complicated; it is simply recognizing what already is present. ​
Windhorse is
  • a place where people have experienced healing in a peaceful environment,
  • a place where feeling the richness of the land brings ones own natural wealth and generosity into full view,
  • a place where people wake up to their senses and to the vitality of body and mind,
  • a place where relaxing in nature is a delightful respite from unnecessary busyness,
  • a place where seeds are planted that will grow into the joy of resting in one's life, even within the chaos of family and work.​