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11 Juni 2024
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Beschreibung
Our 50 acre, rustic ranch rests around 2,000 feet atop the pine, oak and maple covered, Mowbray Mountain, 45 minutes north of Chattanooga in Dunlap, Tennessee. The ranch is part of a local greenbelt, that prohibits clear cutting. A 2,000 acre, public land trust sits behind us, gifting us a vast expanse of uninhabited wilderness out our backdoor. We’re located near the sacred Cherokee Trail of Tears and Cumberland Trail, while 20 minutes away from a rural, country town. Our home runs off-grid relying on solar panel power and a well. The sun is our electric company and the aquifer our water company. Vegetable, herb and flower gardens accent the house, with the property showcasing humble waterfalls, a large pond with fish, creeks and even remnants of a moonshine still. Our labor of love tasks us with caring for our dear animal family. We have 2 horses, 1 pony, a mule, 2 donkeys and a rescued cow. In addition we have 5 cats and 2 dogs, not to mention a flock of chickens, some guinea fowl and a quail. Local flora and fauna flourish here. We live in a wild, edible mushroom utopia and often gather Chantrelles, chicken of the woods and other species right from our backyard to eat that day. We get regular visits from deer and turkeys, while hearing owls and coyotes at night, with the rare bear sighting now and then.
Our homestead features its own well, garage, storage building, geodesic dome, while the main residence was built from trees on the property. We love living here. It’s lots of hard work, and a beautiful way to live in community. My husband Bill works full-time remotely, while I handle most of the day to day ranch duties.
We embrace nurturing the land and a connection with nature and one another. Our home provides a swell setting for creatives, writers, painters, musicians and artists of all kinds. When we live our art, we become life artists. We enjoy yoga, mediation, spirituality, live music, campfires, philosophy, cultural exchange & interchange, cooking, eating, the occasional nip and having fun. We encourage co-creating and discovering sustainable, alternative building projects and ideas! We appreciate all input. We welcome people regardless of race, class, ethnicity, nationality, political or sexual identity. The wide ranging diversity of people who pass through the ranch, humbles us in realizing that we’re all humans, and all connected. Workaway helps us realize how much more we have in common than not. If you love the outdoors, animals, meeting new people from around the world, and southern culture, you’ll have an amazing time here.Arten von Hilfe und Lernmöglichkeiten
KunstprojekteHilfe bei ÖkoprojektenGartenarbeitenHeimwerker- und BauarbeitenBetreuung von TierenMithilfe auf einem BauernhofZubereiten / Kochen von Mahlzeiten für die FamilieHausarbeitenHandwerkliche ArbeitenUNO-Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung, die dieser Gastgeber verfolgt
Kultureller Austausch und Lernmöglichkeiten
Anyone interested in off-grid living, forest dwelling, permaculture, farm animal lovers and outdoor, nature lovers will learn tons here. If you wish to be entwined with nature, look no further. The closest city is Chattanooga which is famous for its outdoor activities (rock climbing, hiking, kayaking, paragliding, waterfalls, streams, lakes, fishing, etc.) it is a college town with great pubs and cafes.
When we can, we love to go horseback riding and we can teach you how to ride. Additionally, we have a crew of local friends who can share all their love and wisdom of the surrounding vicinity, people and culture with you and teach you more about horses, moonshine, and the weirdest toothpicks you’ve ever heard of in your life among many other things.
If you’re into southern culture and history, and especially country music, you’ll find yourself in paradise here. We often go to a local community center for a southern comfort food buffet and live bluegrass music. Once in a while, we also take a field trip to a nearby Mennonite community to stock up on provisions while watching horse drawn buggies breeze by. This is the United States tourists never see, only travelers do.
We’re close to a lot of Civil War battlefields and historic sights. We’re only 2 miles from Paradise Falls (known as Furnace Rock by locals) recounted as a clandestine Confederate bullet production location by locals.
There’s also a great farmers market in Chattanooga that we visit on Sundays, April to December. Every vendor is required to make or produce their wares in their house and by hand, so the market breeds originality, creativity and artistry without the tacky plastic vibe of tourist traps.
Sherri’s son Taylor has his own business (unaffiliated with the ranch) and operates a booth at the Chattanooga farmer’s market. He sells floral artwork and exotic plants. Taylor is a great way to meet and greet local vendors and get a feel for Chattanooga’s artsy, crafty and eclectic vibe.
Lastly, we never know who’s coming to visit us next, or where they’re from. We’ve hosted people from all around the world here in a short period of time, which offers a unique and diverse cross-cultural millieu that provides endless learning, wisdom, insight and laughs. So you may be enjoying your stay with foreigners you never imagined becoming friends with.Arbeit
Above all, we need:
Handymen & women
People skilled in trades
Builders
We also have a keen interest in hosting some painters/muralists. We’d love to add more artistic flair to the ranch. Artistic inspiration and creativity is encouraged here.
We also need help with the care of our horses, donkeys and cow. Organic gardening help for our blueberries, vegetables, and herbs. We need assistance land clearing, forest and rock harvesting for our own building projects, and general farm chores.
We’re seeking fun, motivated, positive, caring, and open minded helpers, willing to learn new skills and share their knowledge too! We are happy to host responsible, honest, hard-working and adventure loving people.
We’ve learned some things in our time here at the mountaintop ranch retreat. The ranch challenges you to become what you’re not, by “putting the nettle to the mettle.” That is to say, a person’s ability to respond to adversity in a playful and spirited way, will help them maximize their experience here and succeed. The ranch obliges some to leave the city and escape to the rural, to go from clean to dirty, etc. In light of this, we disregard gendered job roles. We totally love Mr. Moms and Rosie the Riveters. Men here cook and clean, while women split logs and throw hay bales. If you’re open to becoming a different person during your stay, we’ll love you.
Off-grid living requires mental fortitude, responsibility, teamwork, accountability, courage, being teachable/trainable and above all, resilience. If you possess these traits, consider yourself invited.
We maintain a robust balance between work and play. If we make play work, and work play, then we live in paradise because we can’t decipher between the two. We ask in return to please contribute more than you consume. Being off-grid, our resources (power & water) aren’t infinite. We generally don’t conform to urban protocols when it comes to power & water usage, as well as hygiene at times. If you’re the type of person who has to shower daily, leaves the water running while brushing teeth, or can’t turn a shower off while lathering, or can’t use an outhouse, you’ll be an awkward fit here.
NOTE: We do not take guests traveling with dogs. Sorry. We love all our doggos to death, however, too many times, visiting dogs have attacked our chickens and guineas. We’ve lost a handful of our feathered friends already, and can’t lose anymore.
We would prefer a 1week to six week stay. Due to training, needs of the farm, and gaining a general sense of how things flow here, a guest needs 10 to 14 days to get up to speed. The key is having at least 8 days of work here, not including weekends, to find the rhythm.
If you are just passing thru, vans and motorhomes are welcome.Sprachen
Gesprochene Sprachen
Spanisch: GrundkenntnisseDieser Gastgeber bietet Sprachaustausch an
Bill speaks a bit of Spanish, and would love to learn more!Unterkunft
We are offer an upstairs, shared, mixed sex bunk room and bathroom in the central house. Living in close quarters means minimal privacy. We also have an outhouse.
We have no HVAC here, so please don't expect air conditioning or heat, although our wood burning stove may have you sweating.
We’ve hosted people who come and stay in their van, camper, tent or whatever. If we looked booked up, but you have your own accommodation, please hit us up. You’ll likely be able to come for a visit with no worries.
All meals will be covered, super nutritious delicious food guaranteed. We are foodies! Despite living off-grid on a mountain, we eat like a Michelin starred restaurant. There will be no rice and beans here 3x/day. You won’t even have to buy your own protein. The quality of the food is a bit of a trick, because you want to work more to burn off excess calories. ;)
Breakfast is usually on your own (sometimes we cook), lunch is cooked half of the time (the other half is sandwiches or leftovers) and dinner is almost always cooked. Sometimes we go out for dinner, like the bluegrass buffet. We enjoy reaping what we’ve sown, as we eat plenty of fresh, seasonal veggies from our garden. Pioneer woman, frontiersman and chuck wagon diets work well here to stay ranch strong.
You'll have access to all the 50 acres to explore as you wish. You’re free to ride our horses, make use of the Honda 4 wheeler, paddle board, fish in the pond, hike the trails or take a nap in the hammock on the catio. The ranch also has fire pits, an outdoor shower and deck for you to enjoy the beautiful views, the sounds of nature, the stars, either alone or with friends.
There is also lots to see and explore in the city of Chattanooga. The outdoorsman’s dream means beautiful hiking, swimming, kayaking, rock climbing fishing, etc. The city also boasts pubs, cafes and shopping.
We often can give rides to town and plan excursions. We know an excellent Mexican grocery store in Chattanooga that makes the best salsa this side of the Rio Grande.Was noch ...
Rock City is close, as well as Paradise Falls. Paradise Falls has a giant cave and swimming hole only 2 miles away, which makes for a beautiful hike. Lookout Mountain, Signal Mountain, and Raccoon Mountain are all within a 1 hour drive. There are plenty of caves around here if you’re into spelunking.
Chattanooga is 40 minutes away. A progressive fun to explore college town with an aquarium, restaurants and museums . We are happy to give rides to town when we go. We want to make sure you have fun, and free time to explore and adventurize on your own.
Please bring clothes that can get dirty, that are seasonally appropriate. It can get very hot and humid here as well as cold.
Basic outdoor gear is helpful, like headlamps, flashlights, pocket knives, water bottle, etc.
The ranch does wonders for sleeping and biorhythms. Most people sleep well here and often find themselves retiring at an earlier hour.Etwas mehr Information
Internet Zugang
Eingeschränkter Internet Zugang
Wir besitzen Tiere
Wir sind Raucher
Familien möglich
Kann Digital Nomads unterbringen
We have great high speed internet. This is our only connection to the grid. My husband Willard works from our home online. You are welcome to work in the living room, upstairs, or weather permitting, on our large porches.
Platz zum Abstellen von Camper Vans
We have plenty of room for your camper/van .
Kapazität - wie viele Workawayer maximal
mehr als zwei
Arbeitszeiten
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
Feedback (26)
She is a hard worker with lots of great ideas!
fun to be around, always willing to help out, was determined to get the job done! She also took a leadership role with the other workawayers. She helped with Cooking, gardening, caring for our animals and loaded and hauled a lot of debris, burned large wood… read more
Bit of an old soul for a 19 years old. He was willing to give anything a try and worked hard to get it right. He learned to drive the quad and dragged the pasture, organized in the garage, helped garden , plant, weed and even planted a large tree.
He was always up beat, volunteered to cook,
And was great around… read more
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Dies sind zusätzliche optionale Bewertungen, wenn Mitglieder Feedback hinterlassen. Es wird die im Schnitt hinterlassene Bewertung für jede Option angezeigt.
Korrekte Angaben im Profil:
(4.9)
Kultureller Austausch:
(5.0)
Kommunikation:
(4.8)
She is a hard worker with lots of great ideas!
fun to be around, always willing to help out, was determined to get the job done! She also took a leadership role with the other workawayers. She helped with Cooking, gardening, caring for our animals and loaded and hauled a lot of debris, burned large wood… read more
Bit of an old soul for a 19 years old. He was willing to give anything a try and worked hard to get it right. He learned to drive the quad and dragged the pasture, organized in the garage, helped garden , plant, weed and even planted a large tree.
He was always up beat, volunteered to cook,
And was great around… read more
Sherry and Bill were kind and caring with me. They have a lovely, warm and large place with lots of nature, well behaved and friendly animals. I loved them all, and i already miss them. The beautiful ranch gave me the opportunity to learn new things I wanted to learn such as building,… read more
She helped out in the garden, raking and burning leaves, decorated for Christmas , hung outdoor lights, and lovingly cared for our chickens, cats and horses.… read more
And… read more
She exceeded our expectations. She is a Hard worker, fast learner, very detailed, and willing to try anything. Great in the kitchen, wonderful with our grandson, and has a sunny positive attitude . She loved learning new things like driving a four wheeler… read more
They helped with many projects including chicken coop building, cleaning leaves from gutters, household repairs, and animal care . They cooked delicious vegan and vegetarian meals for us . They are extremely creative and… read more
I loved helping them out with the animals and doing odd tasks around the house and the… read more
Anyone would be… read more
They were a joy to have around and are hard workers. Kelly’s horse wisdom came in handy with the big animals on our farm , and Megan’s love for all of our animals really showed. Together they helped clear a large pasture and did lots of gardening. They helped with all the meals and house duties.… read more
She was wonderful help in the garden, and turned the harvest into delicious pesto, and salsa! She was always enthusiastic and can really tear it up on the dance floor. she Loved hiking and adventure!
Always pleasant , helpful and a delight to have around. She plans to return and we can’t wait to have her back!
Ally wasn’t afraid of hard work and put her best efforts into each given task whether it was gardening, animal care or painting.
Ally’s experience and passion for… read more
He makes cool plant decorations and knows quite a bit about mushroom hunting, which I also enjoyed doing a couple times with Sherri… read more
He was a self starter and gentle , upbeat spirit. Great in the kitchen too!
Talented, smart and disciplined young man.
Keegan also kept us entertained with his beautiful singing voice and ukulele!
Hurry back Keegan we all… read more
She knew her way around the kitchen and helped with cooking. Also helped garden and painted a beautiful mural on our barn.
Very respectful and eager to help out.
She even rode a mule for the first time.
W hope to have her back!
A big thanks to… read more
She had a good attitude, great help and easy to get along with. She split wood like a lumberjack, cared for the animals with great love and compassion. And kept us all laughing. Hope to see you again this spring!
Thanks a million Charles,
Join or… read more
Gracias pot todo Grace. Vuelve… read more
Yolanda was always… read more
Kate is fun to be around, a fast learner, and her adventurous spirit .
Thanks Kate, hope to see you again.
We liked her energy and would love to have her back.
They adapted quickly to a rural environment that was a new experience for them. Faeze even rode Marley, a large horse through forest trails .
Hasam helped us with numerous handyman projects, fixing a drawer , replacing deck boards, repairing a chicken coop door. And more.
Faeza was… read more
They are truly the dream team. Self starting and very motivated. Kind hearted and pleasure to be around at all times. Positive and uplifting girls. Hardworking, and went over and above expectations.
They were excellent with all of my animals. Great organizers , made healthy and delicious food,… read more
Sherri and Bill are hardworking,… read more
Self starting and very motivated. Kind hearted and a pleasure to be around at all times. Positive and uplifting girls.
They went over and above expectations.
All of the animals loved them . Gifted caregivers. Great organizers, made delicious and healthy food.… read more
The team was helpful on many building projects like loading hay, gardening, building a chicken run , cleaning windows, and Jordon was quick to make a delicious meal. Grow to understand the importance of community they… read more
Volunteered to stay a few days longer and is welcome back anytime.
It’s always a pleasure sharing our home with earth conscious people who have deep connection to nature and the land.
We enjoyed our time spent in this… read more
I couldn’t have imagined a better team. Hard working and very self motivated.
We had so much fun and they kept us entertained singing and playing music for us. They are very talented musicians.
It was also a wonderful cultural exchange, We all learned from each… read more
We had an absolutely amazing time the 10 days we stayed at their beautiful homestead. We really felt how they wanted us to have the best time, by showing us the local community and introducing us to their friends.
We build a chicken run which was a really fun project… read more