Would you want to stay on a piece of gorgeous farmland property, sleeping in an old brick farm house, collect eggs from the chicken coop and see ducks, rabbits, cats and other barnyard animals?

That's the business plan for Chad, who for few years has been building his farm stay experience tucked away in the beautiful setting of Ontario, with lush trees and expansive fields in the surrounding area.

Members of the Woodland Mills team had the pleasure of going to visit Chad for an afternoon, where he shared with us his incredible vision for his property. Chad runs a YouTube channel, Hidden Spring Farm, where he shows off his animals and how he uses his HM130MAX Portable Sawmill to grow his propery.

Chad bought his 90 acres in Horseshoe Valley four years ago with the dream of creating the ultimate self sufficient farm stay. His plans for the land continue to grow each day, as he finds new ways to make the farm stay experience better for his guests. Guests can relax in the quiet farm house or go out and explore and tour the property.

Rural tourism has been a growing industry, and more people are paying to do farm tours, both for the scenic accommodations as well as to understand where food comes from and how it gets to your table.

More and more farmers have been trying out the farm stay experience, and Chad decided he wanted to move into the country and give it a shot.
 
As members of the Woodland Mills team walked around his property, Chad shared with that since growing his farm to house ducks, chickens, cats and more animals, he continues to envision what else he can do to make his property that much better.
 
“What the mill is going to do for me, is allow me to individualize my future projects.”

"[I can] continue the endeavor of making

our property as self-sustainable as we can."

Chad decided to take the next step for his property and purchase the HM130MAX. He shared that although he doesn’t have experience with these types of machines or this type of work, he knew that he couldn't keep spending money buying materials and lumber, so it was time to buy his mill.

“Of course you learn things as you go. I’m from Toronto so I don’t really know anything about the country life and, I was a handy guy, yes, but.. I mean at what point do I say ‘you know what, I see other guys buying a mill, how bad can it be?’”
 
Chad shared with us that after completing his expansive 48-foot sawmill shed, he plans on building at least two more AirBNB’s on his property, both with unique experiences for those who stay there. That way he can continue to grow his farm stay experience and become a greater destination for those seeking a slice of the rural lifestyle.

Chad also shared his plans for making his farm stay self sustainable through the use of his gardens and animals.  
 
“Why not do it myself? And [I can] continue the endeavor of making our property as self-sustainable as we can. That’s the ultimate goal here.”
 
Chad’s excitement for being able to use his mill and his WC68 Wood Chipper around his property is incredibly inspiring. Across his property he showed a dedication and ambition to growing his property and his business, all the while using his Woodland Mills sawmill and wood chipper.
 
Thank you once again Chad for the visit!
 
Make sure you follow Chad on YouTube at @HiddenSpringFarm to follow along!

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