Experience a
Winter Wonderland at Farm Two53

Bringing original 1950s charm and allure of the homestead lifestyle to our guests

Visit Us for a Nostalgic Farm Experience

Step back in time as the spirit of the 1950s blends seamlessly with modern regenerative agriculture at Farm Two53. Nestled in picturesque Alberta countryside, our farm stay has been lovingly restored to its original glory, providing a glimpse of a bygone era while embracing modern permaculture practices. Whether sipping a cup of hot tea while playing a vintage game by the fire, strapping on the cross-country skis, or lacing up the skates to take a spin on the frozen farm pond, we welcome you to experience Farm Two53. Celebrating the restoration of land, buildings, and traditional homesteading skills, we invite you to slow down, reconnect with nature, and immerse yourself in regenerative farm life.

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What to do here:

At Farm Two53, we offer an eclectic array of rentals: short-term stays, a one-of-a-kind venue for your upcoming retreat or special event, film and photography spaces for rent, and a super cool prop library filled with vintage & antique treasures certain to bring magic to any creative project. We practice permaculture and are modern-day homesteaders too, so kickin’ it old school is a perfect fit for us. If you’re nostalgic and have a soft spot for all things vintage, you’ll love our mid-century farm.

Be inspired

Attention creatives, directors, and photographers!

We've discovered that our farm is a pretty cool backdrop for photos, videos, and events, especially in the hands of a creative. If you're one of those, check it out!

Our MCM Location

Stay with us

Remember the good old days? We have captured them right here. Enjoy the simple beauty of farm life with the charm of mid-century modern design.

This is a rare and exclusive experience that you won't find anywhere else.

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Get a tour

Join us for an immersive tour of our regenerative farm and learn about our farming practices. We will take you through our fields and pastures, introduce you to our animals, and answer all your questions about farming and food.

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The Farm Stand

coming soon

Stay tuned, we are currently creating our honour system farm fresh food stand. We will stock this with fresh seasonal items from our farm.

Upcoming Events

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Flower harvest before the storm blows in (with berry-stained feet) - life is good. 🌸🪻🩷

📸 @ava.thiessen as my camera-woman

#farmtwo53 #cuttinggarden #delphiniums #flowers #peonies #farmlife

Another firehall Christmas in the books! 🚒🎄

Hope you had a cozy day surrounded by people you love. Merry Christmas from all of us at the farm! ❤️

#farmtwo53 #firehallchristmas

I’ve been canning up a storm lately and slowly building up stock for the new cellar shelves. Funny how things change - the girl of my youth wouldn’t recognize the girl I am today. Forget about the latest design trend…I’m beyond excited about my new root cellar. Weird how things I once gave priority to have been bumped down the queue and replaced with a whole new way of thinking/living.

In my world, a well stocked root cellar with shelves lined with ferments and homemades in jars and crocks, along with dried herbs and homegrown produce in wooden crates, is a glorious sight to behold. The details of our dumbwaiter design are currently being sorted and will run from the kitchen down to the cellar. Side note, why do new homes not incorporate cellars anymore? It’s a head-scratcher when you think about it, removing a tried and true source of natural refrigeration to a new build, regardless of whether the homeowner preserves or not.

What I’m currently tackling - fresh fruit from BC that I can’t grow (peaches, cherries, plums), juicing farm chokecherries and rhubarb for syrups, and fermenting vinegars from the scraps. August and September are always busy and bountiful! Today the peaches and plums will be processed into butter, pie fillings and sauces. I’m trying some fresh juice concentrates this year, strawberry lemonade is one of them. It’s always a bit of a gamble trying new recipes, but one I rarely regret.

Anyway, off to the harvest room. Happy hump day, friends!

#canning #canningandpreserving #farmtwo53 #homestead #homesteading #preservation #harvest #fermentation #homemadefood #farm #farmlife #farmgirl #interiordesigner #rootcellar #cellar

Racing birds for berries (raspberries, strawberries, chokecherries), gathering clover and tops of raspberry bushes, fermenting fireweed leaves, painting old ‘50s metal, watching frisky kittens, and admiring beautiful moons. All in a Sunday’s work. 💛

#farmtwo53 #farm #farmlife #farmer #50sfarm #harvest #harvestmoon #berries #fireweed #raspberryleaftea #fermentedfireweed #kittens #kittensofinstagram

Back atter for another rhubarb harvest before the rain! This plant never disappoints. Some will head to the freezer and the rest will be processed to extract the concentrate for simple syrup and other goodies. Thinking I may try a mixed fruit vinegar with the concentrate as a base as well. Always experimenting out here!

I’ve been gathering small bits of fruit, adding them to freezer bags as they ripen and will get creative in the fall when time permits. The garden is on its way and I’m currently planning garden #2, which will be planted in the greenhouse come fall. Will be weird but we’re excited to give it a whirl! Not sure how I feel about gardening for three seasons instead of one, but I guess being unable to scrub the garden dirt from under my fingernails will just be my permanent thing.
🤷🏼‍♀️💅👩🏼‍🌾

#farm #farmlife #rhubarb #farmgirl #harvest #farmhouse #farmhousestyle #farmhousedecor #farmtwo53 #farmhousekitchen #homesteading #homestead #farmstead #preservation #garden #gardening #interior #interiordesign #interiordesigner

A fire has been lit! Hubs is in the final construction stage of the greenhouse, finishing up laying the limestone kitchen flooring, and wants this pool tackled asap! Will be a farm game-changer having this old pool up and running. Much of the original details will remain - the cedar ceiling, concrete block walls, and the epoxy floor. The lights are original Bakelite fixtures and will need rewiring and a good clean. The walls will get a fresh coat of paint in the original mint green color and after several pool experts weighed in, the pool itself is getting a special revamp.

Guess we’ll see where we land mid-August. Lofty goals aren’t in short supply out here!
👙🏊‍♀️

#retrorenovation #renovation #1950s #mcm #midcentury #midcenturymodern #vintageswimmingpool #vintage #vintagestyle #vintagepool #slimaarons #retro #pool #poolparty #pooltime #retroaesthetic #vintageaesthetic #1950sstyle #50s #interior #interiordesign #interiordesigner #farmlife #farmhousestyle #farmhouse #oldschool

Summery Saturdays on the farm.

#farm #farmlife #farmhousestyle #chickentractor #kittens #kittensofinstagram #cow #cows #doberman #permaculture #flowers #summer #limestonefloor #renovation #mcm #midcenturymodern #50sfarm

Here’s a little glimpse of our quick trip back home to Sask to celebrate a very special 25th wedding anniversary, Trav’s sister Tanya and her hubby Jesse. I’m missing pics of so many special people despite feeling like the non-designated family paparazzi member, but c’est la vie. Leaving our farm at this time of year is a rare occurrence but thanks to some special farm-sitting friends, we were able to sneak away. The trip was short and sweet but we got to experience so many great things - the old family farm, Jesse’s pasta salad, double OT cornhole games, saplings all growed up, gloriously green dugouts, wise women, iconic painted barns, fresh new babies in and out of the belly, a rare father-son golf game, pre-competition muscles, cousin bonding, and belly laughs on very full bellies (and hearts). ❤️

Congrats on still liking each other after 25 years, Tanya and Jesse…kind of a big deal. Love you both! 🫶🏼

And of course we missed you @avathiessen…only one more exam, then hurry home (safely)! 🙏🏼🥰

#farm
#25thanniversary
#kerrobert
#saskatchewan
#family
#backtothefarmgrind

Here’s a wee peek at our newly restored farmhouse Airbnb, what we call Enid house. Enid and her sister, Iva, had the house built in 1951 and had living quarters designed to suit their individual needs and call their own. Enid was listed as a “spinster” on all of the historical documents at the county office and kept her quarters a quaint two bedroom, one bath. Iva’s space, phase two (currently being restored), was made much larger to accommodate her family. Kind of fun that these sisters chose to stay close in proximity and life until they both passed on.

Phase three, the last phase of this farmhouse’s reno, is the indoor swimming pool. It’s unanimous amongst all of us at this point that it 💯 should have been phase one. Live and learn, I guess. 🤷🏼‍♀️👙🏊‍♀️

We’re told that these walls were filled with lots of love and entertainment, not only for the family but also the community. We hope it’s the same under our watch…fingers crossed that our renos do the ole girl justice! 🤞🏼✨💛

#mcm #midcentury #midcenturymodern #interiordesign #interior #vintage #vintagestyle #vintagehome #vintagedecor #farm #farmlife #farmhousestyle #farmhousedecor #interiordesigner #renovation #renovations #renovationproject #farmhousekitchen #farmtwo53 #vintageinterior #vintageaesthetic #retro #retroaesthetic #retrostyle #retrohome

Feeling grateful today for an awesome dad and hubby. Happy Father’s Day @t2fire and @diehler45, love you both! ❤️❤️

Missed you, @ava.thiessen 🥰

#fathersday #couttscentre #lucky

I’ve known it for a while, but…I married Old MacDonald. 🧑🏼‍🌾❤️

Happy Friday, friends!

#kitten #kittens #kittensofinstagram #dog #dogsofinstagram #doberman #dobermanpinscher #dobermansofinstagram #farm #farmlife #farmtwo53 #cow #farmanimals #turkey #babyanimals #chicken #chickens #chickensofinstagram

Moving steers, Farm Two53 style. A lot of, “Get goin’, boys!” by Jag and a lot of gopher digging by Quill. All in a day’s work. 🐮🚴🤠

#saveahorserideanEbike #steers #cows #grassfed #grassfedbeef #voltbike #ebike #ebikestyle #cattle #farm #farmlife #farmer #farmers #country #countrylife #countryliving #dog #doberman #dobermanpinscher #dobermansofinstagram #fillmytroughwoman

This beautifully rainy morning called me into the kitchen. The coyotes first woke me around 4am but consequently was up early enough to see @thiessenjagger off to work…what a treat. 🤗

Here is a staple at the farm when the hens are fiercely laying, good ole egg salad. I decided to bake the eggs instead of hard boiling and peeling - SO much easier! I baked about 24 eggs in a greased 9x13 pan at 350 for 25ish mins, then chopped them once cooled. Easy peasy!

For the recipe, check out The Perfect Egg Salad on Cafe Delites (https://cafedelites.com/perfect-egg-salad/). I stray from it now but it’s what I use as the foundation. Tastes delicious on sourdough toast, a smear of avocado with lime juice, then topped with egg salad. Absolute egg perfection! 🐓🥚

Hope you enjoy this drizzly, dreamy day, friends. And the egg salad, too. 🥚🤍🌧️

And by the way @lololoreemac and @the.j9, I think this should be the first song we sing when we sample singing in the silo…killer harmonies! 🎶

#farm #farmlife #recipe #eggsalad #farmfresh #farmeggs #eggs #albertafarm #farmtwo53 #hens #layinghensofinstagram #hensofinstagram #farmhouse #farmhousekitchen #raindrops #alberta #ketorecipes

The chicken tractor is officially in action and it was a family affair! Hubs and my Dad put it together and 50 young broilers were added last night, approx 3 days after the steers grazed and 💩‘d on this pasture. How it works - the flies and beetles start to hatch from the steer dung, the broilers go through, pick out the bugs (protein), and spread out the poo. They’re moved to a new patch of pasture every day and as the broilers grow, an additional tractor may be required to give them adequate foraging space. This simple strategy benefits the broilers and the pasture, feeding them both essential nutrients. It also GREATLY benefits the farmers who no longer need to clean out a chicken coop. 💃🕺🏻🎉

Also, Quill gave it the fox/coyote test run…fingers crossed it’s predator-proof! 🤞🏼

#soilcycle #nutrientdense #permaculture
#farm #farmlife #chickentractor #chickens #doberman #farmdog #regenerativeagriculture #rotationalgrazing #farmtwo53 #regenerativefarming

The homemade dandelion vinegar is finally done fermenting! This wild vinegar was stirred twice daily for a couple of weeks, double strained, and now will head down to the cellar to age. We add a glug of our homemade vinegars to poached eggs, bone broths, and to jugs of switchel, to name a few. So easy to make and good for ya, too! Anyone else already busy in their kitchen?

Hope you have a happy Monday, friends ✨

#farm #farmlife #farmtwo53vinegar #homemadevinegar #wildvinegar #fermented #dandelion #dandelionvinegar #culinary #dandelions #homesteading #homesteadinglife #homestead

No surprise but the tree order catalog got the best of Hubs again and another order was placed. Here’s a little glimpse of us planting out the corners of our field (where equipment won’t reach) with sea buckthorns aka nitrogen fixers and saskatoons, both of which are drought tolerant and food producing. Hopefully the deer will share their future bounty with us. 🦌

Side note: Hubs has swapped job hats a few times over the years…from hockey player, to fireman, to farmer. From my humble hat-swap observation, IT’S OFFICIAL - hockey gloves and helmets smell identical to farmer gloves and helmets.
👃🏼🤠🏒🧑🏼‍🚒

#couldknockyoursocksoff #permaculture #regenerativeagriculture #farm #regenerativefarming #nitrogenfixer #seabuckthorn #farmer #hockeyplayerturnedfarmer #albertafarm #ag #farmtwo53

I made this reel last week and today seemed fitting to post it. One thing is for certain - this dog has every one of us firmly wrapped around his paw. 🖤🤎

Here’s another day in the life of Quill and his very important farm work. Clearly time for a new blanket with all the holes he’s chewed in it (and because @thiessenjagger’s faithful daily tuck-in before leaving for work won’t be stopping anytime soon).

Have a great Sunday, friends ☀️

#doberman #dobermanpinscher #kittens #babychicks #dobermansofinstagram #kittensofinstagram #farm #farmlife #farmdog #farmanimals #farmtwo53 #babyanimals #chicken

Just a little dandelion jelly in the making over here at the farm. Removing the petals without the greens was the most time consuming (and still some green snuck in), but this is a tasty little jelly that’s worth the time. I made the jars small sampler sizes, they’ll make a nice addition to cheese and charcuterie boards or gifts for our Airbnb guests.

What are your thoughts…do you consider dandelion a dreaded weed or bountiful blessing? Or both?! 💛🌱

#dandelion #jelly #jam #foraged #farm #farmlife #wild #babychicks #chicken #farmtwo53 #dandelionjelly #recipe #farmsofinstagram #albertafarm

Just a day in the life of our Doberman, Quill. A fun morning for him so far! 🖤🐾

#doberman #dobermanpinscher #dobermansofinstagram #farmdog #farmdogsofinstagram #farmlife #barn #farmtwo53 #chickens #chickensofinstagram #farm #farming #kitten #kittens

Here is phase one of the MCM farmhouse’s “Enid bathroom.” Her living quarters consisted of a modest 2 bedroom, 1 bath set up in the northern wing of the farmhouse and dang, that gal loved her some lime green! After removing the chandelier for rewiring in her master bedroom, we discovered the original ceiling paint color was lime green as well as the original green bathroom ‘50s Bakelite wall tiles (most of which were sadly missing/damaged).

I was given one request by Hubs, which was to keep the original vanity and countertop. The original countertop mystery material is likely a composite of some sort, but definitely something this Designer has ever seen before!

The original bathtub was in rough shape but worthy of salvaging, so it and the original sink were reglazed in a jadeite color. Reglazing isn’t something I’d recommend unless necessary (it can be fragile and susceptible to chipping), but it served us well for this application. Believe it or not, colourful vintage bathroom sets are hard to come by these days! I contemplated hard on redoing everything in the lime colour, but just didn’t love it with the blues in the countertop. After much contemplation I justified the jadeite color since it was one of the home’s original 1950’s colours, found on the swimming pool change room millwork. 🏊‍♀️

Travis and my dad clad the walls in 1x6 fir and I ordered a custom patterned mosaic floor tile. Both of these finishes will be repeated as we continue on to Enid’s sister’s living quarters in phase two.

The icing on the cake was styling the bathroom with lots of vintage goodies: framed needlework/cross stitch, antique linens and apothecary jars, hobnail milk glass, and a garbage can from England over 100 yrs old. Not a fancy bathroom by any means, but a collected, cozy space with all the basics that suit this throwback ‘50s house.

Should I have taken the lime green plunge instead of the jadeite? Let me know your thoughts!

#beforeandafter #interiordesign #bathroomrenovation #farmtwo53 #mcm #midcenturymodern #vintagestyle #bathroomdesign #farmhouse #1950s

Do you enjoy Italian sodas or want to up your cocktail game this summer? Making herbal simple syrups is easy peasy, you should try it! Simply (get it?!) bring equal parts of sugar and water to a boil for the SS base and infuse herbs of your choice until you get your desired flavour (could be an hour or overnight, you decide).

Today I experimented with fresh mint, basil, and citrus, and think I have a refreshing, summery winner. Get creative and play around, let me know what gems you come up with! 🎉

Some things to note:

*If you don’t plan to preserve/water bath can this, just be sure to keep it refrigerated.

*I’ve used honey as the sweetener but it’s a hot commodity and currently in short supply out here on the farm, so opted for sugar this time. Besides, bringing honey to a boil and killing all of its goodness is sacrilege! With that said, if you don’t plan to preserve this, I’d infuse the herbs in the hot water first then gently add the honey at the end to the warm water. As long as the water isn’t too hot, the honey should keep its nutritional components in tact. 🍯🐝

*To make Italian soda, just add your syrup to sparkling water over ice until it suits your fancy. Or shall I say, “foncy?” 🤌🏼

Cheers, friends!

#pinkiesup #italiansoda #cocktails #simplesyrup #cocktailmixer #herbal #farmlife #farmmade #farm #homemade #fromscratch #farmtwo53

A throw-together reel while I’m in the kitchen but here’s what I’m up to right now! These infusions will be added to the farm’s tallow skincare products after they’ve sat for the required time. There’s so much goodness that a simple plant can offer…isn’t nature awesome?!

#tallowskincare #calendula #chamomile #rosehips #oilinfusion #homemade #homemadeskincare #farmtwo53

I love me a good before and after. This reel is also a friendly reminder to us that we aren’t just spinning our wheels out here, progress has actually been made. This farm has never-ending to-dos so it feels good to see the proof in the pudding.

Also, considering I’m a Designer, you’d think I’d know to take better before pics. Nope, despite millions of pics on my phone, the struggle is real to find photographic proof of the hot mess we bought 3 yrs ago. 🙃

This house is a big ole beast and is divided into three main sections - Enid (phase one), Iva (phase two), and the swimming pool (phase three but hands-down should have been phase 1). 👙 Enid and Iva were the two sisters who built the farmhouse in 1951; Enid was listed as a “spinster” on all the county docs and these were her digs. The original kitchen was a dark, closed-in space that held her dining table, a small built-in desk, and her full kitchen complete with fridge and stove…all within a whoppin’ 170 sq ft..

This house has been a huge challenge to know what to keep original and what to alter. It’s a dance I go back and forth with constantly, trying to stay true to the 50s era yet inject the practicality of modern day living. Opening up the kitchen wall was a big decision but thankfully one I don’t regret - the light, what a game-changer!

As we peeled back the layers we caught a glimpse into Enid’s style and found a few pieces of glorious peach marmoleum and floral wallpaper, sadly none of which were salvageable. The green color on the cabs was found on the toe kick of some original millwork in the house and additionally on an old vintage car I fell in love with. The two were so close in color - the green was meant to be! The sink was an original found in the house and the vintage range was purchased on Kijiji.

In a nutshell, Enid’s kitchen is a truly collected space with loads of vintage treasures on every shelf, in every drawer, and within every cupboard. Makes me want to throw on a poodle skirt and whip up a ‘50s molded jelly salad. Well, something like that anyway.

Happy Saturday, friends! ✨

#beforeandafter #midcenturymodern #vintagekitchen #farmtwo53 #mcm #interiordesigner

Snow is on the way so I decided to give oxtail soup a whirl! If the smell in the house in any indication of how the soup will taste, we’re in good shape.

Here’s the link to the recipe if anyone wants to try it: https://cookthestory.com/oxtail-soup/

Happy Tuesday, y’all! ❄️

#albertabeef #grassfed #oxtailsoup #farmtofork #farmtotable #grassfedbeef #regenerativeag #oxtail #farm #farmtwo53 #soup #nosetotail

Preserved tomatoes, @shayeelliott style! We’re almost finished our jar of garden tomatoes so had to make another with store bought. These are so delicious and great added to pastas, salads, sandwiches…you name it! The cap of oil preserves these for months as long as nothing is poking above the oil cap. Try them out, they’re great, and you won’t have to see another moldy tomato on your counter ever again. 😉🍅

Shaye Elliott at the Elliott Homestead has a full YouTube video breaking this down, if you want to check things out in more detail. 🤌🏼

Happy Saturday, friends!

#farmtwo53preservation #foodpreservation #foodporn #foodstagram #preservation #canning #canningtomatoes #farm #farmlife

Bone Marrow Butter!

I used our grass fed/finished beef bones for this marrow butter and added fresh garlic, salt, and spices to my blend. Pretty nummy, if I do say so myself. Give it a try! Your local butcher can hook you up with marrow bones and you can season to your liking.

Happy Saturday, friends! 🤍

#farm #farmlife #farmtwo53marrowbutter #marrowbutter #permaculture #regenerativeag #grassfed #bonemarrow #culinary #farmtotable #farmtofork #preserving #canning

Merry Christmas from our family to yours! We hope your hearts and bellies are filled to the brim this holiday season and 2023 brings you all things good. As Hubs likes to say, “Keep growing!” 🌱❤️🎄

Thanks for capturing this pic for us @renejm @blissphotographicinc (first pic). 📷 🤗

Roasted tomato soup time! Gotta say, despite my fear of blowing up my kitchen, I absolutely love my new pressure canner (it’s an All American 921). Thanks, Hubs. 🥰

Here’s another great Ball recipe, a must try if canning is your jam. I typically make a similar soup to eat fresh (which is a time-sucker), so it will be nice to have some straight off the shelf when I need a quick meal. I usually add a little glug of fresh cream and some fresh basil to serve…delish.
😋

#roastedtomatosoup #pressurecanning #allamerican #foodpreservation #cellar #canning #vintagekitchen #midcentury #midcenturykitchen #vintage #farmhouse #ballcanning #larder #farmtwo53preservation #tomatosoup #homemade #homemadesoup #comfortfood #allamericanpressurecanner

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Experience a
Winter Wonderland at Farm Two53

Visit Us for a Nostalgic Farm Experience