Work & Play:
Country Co-Working Residencies
Rural co-working residencies on 50 acres of forest in Grey Highlands, Ontario — two hours north of Toronto — for entrepreneurs, writers, remote workers, and anyone with a project that needs sustained time, clean air, good food, and the company of others doing meaningful work.
Because you have a project that keeps getting pushed to next week…
It’s a book, a business plan, a body of research, a course, a proposal, a creative work you've been circling for months. You know what it needs: long, unbroken hours of concentration, the kind of sustained quiet that lets an idea develop into something real. But your days are carved into 30-minute slots, and no one around you is working on anything similar, so there's no one to think with, no one to say "have you considered it from this angle?"
You don't need more discipline. What you need is a different environment entirely. You need a work retreat where the conditions are designed for focus — where your meals appear without you making them, the air is clean enough to think in, and the people around you are deep in their own projects, creating a shared seriousness that pulls everyone forward.
"The missing ingredient isn't more hours. It's protected hours — sustained focus and the company of others who are busy working away alongside you."
What a stay @ Seed gives you
Your best work actually requires sustained, quiet time to go deep.
Whether you come for two days or five, the structure is the same: long, uninterrupted stretches where the only thing on your schedule is the work in front of you. Your private room has a desk. Your meals are taken care of. The phone goes quiet because there's nothing competing for your attention except 50 acres of forest and the sound of your own thinking. Most guests tell us they accomplish more in a few days here than they have in weeks at home.
Designed for you to breathe.
Your nervous system shapes your thinking more than your to-do list does. Every morning begins with a guided breathwork session with the People of the Prana, the daily sauna gives your body a place to release and the trails in the forest and the open expanse of sky gives you the perspective you need. After even a few days your project looks different because you feel different — clearer, calmer, and able to hold larger ideas without strain.
Other minds, different perspectives.
A novelist working across the table from a nonprofit founder. A therapist building a course eating lunch beside an academic finishing a dissertation. An app developer and a filmmaker comparing notes at the fire pit. These conversations happen naturally when people doing very different work share meals, walks, and quiet evenings together. You will leave with perspectives you could not have found inside your own field — and with people who genuinely understand the particular loneliness of building something meaningful.
Inspiration through stillness & silence.
The breakthroughs here tend to arrive quietly — during a walk through the forest after a morning of writing, or in a conversation at breakfast that reframes the problem you've been stuck on for weeks, or in the sauna when you finally stop trying. The land, the pace, and the rare luxury of having nothing to do except the thing that matters most create a quality of attention that most environments actively work against.
A rhythm designed for your deepest work
There is no rigid communal schedule at this country co-working residency — you work at your own pace and rhythm. The lodge observes dedicated quiet hours from 9am to 5pm so that everyone can focus without interruption. Unlimited tea and coffee are available throughout your stay. Beyond that, the day follows a simple flow: mornings anchored in breath and body, long stretches of protected work time, and evenings spent however you choose.
A day @ in the life…
6:30 am — Breathing session with the People of the Prana aimed to clear your head and set your intentions before you sit down to do focused, grounded work.
7:30-9:00 am — Breakfast Served
9:00 am — Deep work · quiet hours begin. The lodge is quiet from 9am to 5pm so that everyone can do their most focused work without interruption.
12:00-1:00 pm — Lunch Served (Buffet style): a healthy vegan or vegetarian meal is served so that you don’t have to break from the rhythm of your workflow to cook.
4:00-5:30 pm —Sauna & Quiet Hours are lifted.
Evenings — Dinner and Gathering
Dinner is not provided, and that is intentional. Many residents enjoy the ritual of cooking as a way to step away from the work and shift gears. You have full access to the kitchen to prepare your own meals between 5:00 and 7:00 pm, and organic, locally sourced ready-made meals are available to purchase and heat up if you prefer.
On some evenings at the SEED Lodge there are classes that begin at 7pm such as yoga, art, or a guest facilitator which are included in your stay free of charge.
Who comes to the Country Co-Working Residency?
Entrepreneurs, writers, remote workers, and anyone with a project that needs space.
The people who come to SEED Lodge are remarkably varied — entrepreneurs and founders, writers and academics, coaches and consultants, designers and artists, filmmakers and musicians, course creators and content creators, therapists building a new practice, nonprofit leaders rethinking strategy.
What they share is simple: they all have a project that requires sustained concentration, and they can't find that where they are right now.
Many are remote workers and freelancers who love the freedom of working from home but have hit the limits of it — the isolation, the distractions, the way every room in the house has become an office. Some are digital nomads passing through Ontario who want more than a café with WiFi — a remote work retreat with accommodation, meals, and real community. Others are on sabbatical, between projects, or at a turning point where they need space to think clearly about what comes next.
Investment
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![A cozy bedroom with two twin beds placed on opposite sides, each with patterned bedding and pillows. A small bookshelf with books sits between the beds beneath a window with white curtains. On each side of the window, there are framed artworks on the wall. Two lamps on small tables are positioned beside each bed, providing warm lighting. The ceiling is made of wooden planks with a ceiling fan and light fixture.]()
Private Room
2–4 night stay: $249/night + tax
Private room with desk
Shared bathrooms
Breakfast & Lunch Daily
Unlimited tea and coffee
Morning breathing/yoga session
Daily sauna
Evening programming some nights
Georgian Bay, Bruce trail nearby and access to 50+ acres of forest
Full residency - 5 nights
$200/night ($1,000 total +tax ): Sunday evening – Friday at noon.
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![A cozy bedroom with a wooden ceiling, white walls, and two windows with beige curtains. The bed has white bedding, pillows, and a pink striped blanket at the foot. A wooden bedside table with a plant, a Buddha statue, and reading glasses is beside the bed. The room is warmly lit with a gold-colored lamp.]()
Ensuite Room
2-4 night stay: $295/night + tax (One room available — books quickly)
Private room with queen bed and desk
Private ensuite with bath
Breakfast & Lunch Daily
Unlimited tea and coffee
Morning breathing/yoga session
Daily sauna
Evening programming some nights
Georgian Bay, Bruce trail nearby and access to 50+ acres of forest
Full residency - 5 nights
$250/night ($1,250 total +tax ): Sunday evening – Friday at noon.
Come work with us!
The work gets done because of where you are.
The silence here is real, and it changes the pace of your nervous system within hours of arriving. The land gives you permission to slow down, and so your mind focuses.
Some people find themselves sleeping deeply when they first arrive — that is why we suggest a stay of longer than two days, to fully integrate the benefits.
The lodge has 9 private guest rooms, each with a desk. There are common workspaces with reliable WiFi.
In the kitchen, real food is prepared from local ingredients. There is a a sauna and a yoga room. The lodge is wheelchair accessible.
It is designed for people to work, think, play and rest.
Esther spent 25 years as a psychotherapist watching brilliant, creative people burn out doing meaningful work in conditions that were slowly dismantling them — alone at a desk, cut off from their bodies, running on caffeine and willpower instead of rhythm and rest. That experience is what led her to build SEED Lodge and to dedicate her work to creating a new type of work culture where wellness and work coexist in the same conversation, where work and play are not only possible but necessary.
Optional Add-On:
1:1 Creative Clarity Session
Esther offers private creativity coaching through arts-based psychotherapy during your stay. This is for the creative block you can't think your way through, the decision where the spreadsheet says one thing and your gut says another, the business question that needs a different kind of thinking, or the moment when the project needs you to see something about yourself before it can move forward. Eligible for psychotherapy coverage in Ontario and Quebec.
Your host
Esther Kalaba
Founder, SEED Lodge & People of the Prana
We believe the people building businesses, writing books, creating art, and doing research that matters deserve better conditions than a kitchen table and a Wi-Fi connection. They deserve sustained time, clean air, deep breath, and most importantly thrive in the presence of others who understand what it requires to bring ideas to life.
Stay for less & help the lodge run beautifully.
During each co-working residency week, we offer one work exchange spot at a reduced rate of $100/night ($500 for the full five-night residency). In exchange, you take on a set of daily tasks that keep the lodge running smoothly for everyone: breakfast and lunch preparation and cleanup, keeping the coffee and tea stocked throughout the day, a daily sweep of the common spaces, bathroom cleaning and restocking every two days, and lighting the sauna each afternoon.
The tasks are concentrated in the morning and early afternoon, leaving the middle of your day free for your own project. You still have access to everything the residency offers — your private room with a desk, morning breathwork, meals, sauna, evening programming, and the community.
This is a good fit for someone who enjoys the rhythm of practical, hands-on work alongside their creative or professional project, and who wants to be part of the residency at a more accessible price point. One spot is available per residency week.
Interested? Email us at arrive@seedlodge.ca and tell us a bit about who you are and what you're working on.
At SEED Lodge, we know that growing big dreams means having the right soil for seeds to take root.
So many creatives, writers, and entrepreneurs have stayed here and felt genuinely nurtured by the land, the community, and the abundance of inspiration that lives in this place. Your dreams, your business, your creative project — these things matter in the world, and they deserve a time and space where they can be tended to with care.
We also believe that work and wellness and play can coexist — that we don't have to sacrifice one for the other, and that finding this balance is not a luxury but a necessity. The SEED Country Co-Working Residency in Grey Highlands, Ontario is that time and that space.
Join us, and let's make beautiful changes in the world together.
Your project is ready.
Your room is waiting.
Residency weeks run monthly, year-round, with space for 9 guests per week. Choose the dates that fit your project, whether you need a two-day sprint or the full five-night residency. Summer dates fill early. Whether you're looking for a writing residency in Ontario, a remote work retreat near Toronto, or a rural coworking space with the kind of community you can't find in the city, the SEED Lodge is the place.
Questions? Reach us at arrive@theseedlodge.com
JOIN THE SEED COMMUNITY
Be the first to know when residency dates open, receive early access to events and workshops, and become part of a growing community of entrepreneurs, creatives, and practitioners who believe work and wellness belong together.
Frequently Asked Questions
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You can reserve your dates directly through our website. We recommend booking at least two weeks in advance. Once you book, we'll send you a welcome guide with everything you need to prepare for your stay.
What is the minimum stay? The minimum stay is two nights. However, we strongly recommend the full five-night residency (Sunday evening to Friday noon) to fully settle in and experience the benefits of sustained, focused time on the land. Most guests tell us the shift really happens around day three because that’s how long it takes for the nervous system to relax.
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It's not a traditional retreat — there is no structured programming you're required to attend. This is a co-working residency designed for people who have real work to do and need the right environment to do it. The morning breathwork and evening gatherings are available to you if you choose to join.
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Each residency begins on Sunday evening at 5pm and a complementary welcome dinner and introduction at 7pm. Residents can stay for a minimum of two days (until Tuesday at noon) or choose to purchase additional nights. The recommended stay is 5 nights to get the full benefit.
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We recommend everyone arrive on Sunday for introductions however if there is space you are able to arrive on another day during the week. Please contact us for more information.
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The residency is designed for desk-based work — writing, computer work, research, planning, and any project that primarily requires a laptop, a notebook, and sustained concentration. Past guests have worked on books, business plans, thesis chapters, grant proposals, course content, pitch decks, strategic plans, podcast scripts, website builds, and creative writing of all kinds. At this time the lodge does not have a dedicated studio space, so the residency is best suited to projects that can be done from a desk and a comfortable chair rather than large-scale visual art, music production, or other studio-based practices.
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Bring your laptop, your project, comfortable clothes, and anything you need for your work. We provide linens, towels, and toiletries. If you plan to cook dinner, you're welcome to bring ingredients or purchase organic, locally sourced ready-made meals on site.
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Yes. The lodge has reliable WiFi throughout the property. If your work requires video calls, we ask that you use headphones and take the calls in your room or in a space where you won't be disturbing any other guest.
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Each of the nine guest rooms is private with a desk for working. The rooms are quirky and individually decorated, with sunrise and sunset facing views depending on which side of the lodge you're in. Eight rooms have shared bathrooms — four toilets and showers plus five communal sinks make it easy — and one room has a private ensuite. The rooms are comfortable, characterful, and designed for rest and focus.
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Yes. SEED Lodge is wheelchair accessible. If you have specific accessibility needs, please let us know when you book and we will make sure everything is prepared for your arrival.
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The 6:30am breathwork session is optional but encouraged. Most guests find it transforms the quality of their working day. If mornings aren't your thing, you are welcome to sleep in and join at breakfast.
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Breakfast is healthy and varied. Lunch is always vegan or vegetarian, prepared with local ingredients. Dinner is self-catered — you have full access to the kitchen between 5:00 and 7:00 pm, and organic, locally sourced ready-made meals are available to purchase if you prefer not to cook.
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No. SEED Lodge is a completely substance-free property. No alcohol, recreational drugs, cannabis, or vaping products are permitted anywhere on the property at any time. This policy exists to maintain a safe, grounded, and focused environment for all residents, and it is a condition of your stay. Smoking is also not permitted on the property — if you choose to smoke, we ask that you do so off the property and dispose of cigarette butts in a sealed container, never on the ground. This policy is non-negotiable and is outlined in the residency agreement that all guests sign before arrival.
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Absolutely. Pairs and small groups are welcome. Many collaborators find that a few days at SEED Lodge together — with forest walks between working sessions and no distractions — produces more alignment and progress than weeks of video calls. Contact us for alternate pricing if you would like to share a room.
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About two hours north, in the Grey Highlands near Meaford. Georgian Bay is ten minutes away, and the Bruce Trail runs nearby. Far enough to feel like a completely different world, close enough to drive home Friday afternoon.
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Yes. If you have any kind of project that needs concentrated time — whether that's a thesis, a grant proposal, a creative portfolio, a strategic plan, or simply the thinking you can never get to during a normal week — this residency is designed for you.
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SEED Lodge is one of very few rural co-working residencies in Canada that combines overnight accommodation, daily meals, breathwork, sauna, and a creative community on a single property. Most coworking spaces in Ontario are urban and desk-only. Most retreats don't offer the infrastructure for sustained, focused work. The country co-working residency at SEED Lodge sits at the intersection of both — a place to do your best work in conditions that most work environments can't offer.
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A non-refundable deposit of 50% is required to hold your spot, with the remaining balance due 30 days before your arrival date. If you cancel more than 30 days before your stay, your deposit may be applied to a rescheduled visit within one calendar year, subject to a $200 administrative fee. If you cancel 30 days or less before your arrival and we are able to fill your spot, a refund will be issued minus the $200 administrative fee. If we cannot fill the spot, no refund is available. If you arrive and decide to leave early, no reimbursement will occur. Full details are outlined in the residency agreement that all guests sign before arrival.