Farming and restoration projects in the beautiful Oley Hills, eastern PA
Country: United States
Last Activity: 04/05/2012
Description
Our Farm is located high in the forested Oley hills about 1.5 hours NE of Philadelphia, in the southeast corner of Pennsylvania. We raise pastured poultry, hogs, and sometimes sheep and goats too, and we also grow veggies for our own use.
We welcome last-minute helpers so often have our farm on the last-minute host list - and if you are planning ahead that's great too!
We welcome last-minute helpers so often have our farm on the last-minute host list - and if you are planning ahead that's great too!
Area
Pennsylvania
Type of work
Other,Art project,
Animal care,
Help with Eco project,
Farming,
General Maintenance,
Cooking / shopping,
Building,
Gardening
Work
Day to day farm activities include caring for livestock, collecting eggs, going to farmers markets, going to other farms to pick up feed, supplies etc. In addition there are always projects in progress - when we moved here, our farm hadn't been farmed for over 30 years, so a lot of our current projects revolve around reclaiming fields and restoring buildings. We are very interested in alternative energy and green building, so try and incorporate these principles into our projects. Current projects on the List include: converting the smoke house into a farm store and guest accommodation, fencing and restoring fields, and restoring our barn.
Languages spoken
English, a smattering of Hindi
Accommodation
We usually have space for folks with a tent or camper, and our spare room may also be available depending on time of year and who else is staying here.
What else ...
There are also opportunities to visit other farms in the area, and there may also be workshops and field days in this region that may be of interest. If there are things that you are particularly interested in learning, please let us know as even if it is not something that we do here, we may be able to arrange for you to visit a farm that does that. There may also be opportunities for part-time/casual work in the area.
Winter is our quiet time, but there are still animals to take care of, and there is a surprising amount to do so we are open to having volunteer/s at this time.
There is public transport to Allentown from Philadelphia and NY City, and we can pick someone up from Allentown. We speak English and a smattering of Hindi!
We are in a very out-of-the-way, peaceful location and yet only a 10 minute drive to local towns and highways. There are lots of quiet country roads for walking and cycling and we are surrounded by woods with lots of wildlife and birds, and we have a very active arts and music community in the area. Lancaster county, Hawk Mountain, the Poconos and the Delaware River are all easy day trips from here. We enjoy taking advantage of these great resources and you are welcome to join us, or to explore on your own depending on what you prefer.
We are omnivores but can easily accommodate lacto-ovo vegetarians. When you contact us, please be sure to include a some information about yourself - what your interests are, previous farm experience, relevant skills, what you hope to learn etc. Thanks.
Winter is our quiet time, but there are still animals to take care of, and there is a surprising amount to do so we are open to having volunteer/s at this time.
There is public transport to Allentown from Philadelphia and NY City, and we can pick someone up from Allentown. We speak English and a smattering of Hindi!
We are in a very out-of-the-way, peaceful location and yet only a 10 minute drive to local towns and highways. There are lots of quiet country roads for walking and cycling and we are surrounded by woods with lots of wildlife and birds, and we have a very active arts and music community in the area. Lancaster county, Hawk Mountain, the Poconos and the Delaware River are all easy day trips from here. We enjoy taking advantage of these great resources and you are welcome to join us, or to explore on your own depending on what you prefer.
We are omnivores but can easily accommodate lacto-ovo vegetarians. When you contact us, please be sure to include a some information about yourself - what your interests are, previous farm experience, relevant skills, what you hope to learn etc. Thanks.
Host ref number: 14237678444d
Feedback left about host
I did not get to stay as long as I would have liked, but this place connected to my heart strings right away. I think the beautiful animals (especially the piggies) might have had something to do with that, but it certainly didn't hurt that Nitya was welcoming me with open arms and feeding me delicious farm fresh food either!
Jeff provided the more
Jeff provided the more
Gosh this farm is magical. I didn't get to stay as long as I wanted but I intend to return at some point and help knock out a big project. The atmosphere, the lifestyle, the family meals. I just absolutely fell in love with this place and these people.
Lenny stopped by for a short visit and jumped right in to help. He is focussed and grounded and was a pleasure to work with. He is also an talented cook and we had a lot of fun in the kitchen. We are looking forward to seeing you again sometime Lenny - blessings for your travels!
I stayed at here for only three days, but it was such a wonderful experience. I learned so much about organic farming. Jeff and Nitya were welcoming and very wiling to chat, guide, and teach by example. Nitya has such expertise with animals, their needs and nature. It was quite an adventure for me, and the other volunteers were fun too. Very more
Sherry changed her plans to join us at the last minute to help during a big painting project we were working on. She helped take care of things in the house, harvested potatoes and did a very impressive paint job on the doors of the barn without getting paint on the old cast iron hinges! We had a great time and shared some lovely meals and lots of more
Matt stayed with us for a few days at what was a busy time for us. It was a pleasure to host him and he was very flexible and his help was a real blessing. He is observant and thoughtful and because of everything that was going on several times I had to explain a task without actually showing him what to do and he was able to go and take care of more
Matt and Magenta stayed with us for a week and helped out around the farm. They were enthusiastic, flexible and willing to do whatever was needed. We thoroughly enjoyed having them and are looking forward to seeing them again next time they are in our area.
Nitya and Jeff are the best! They answered every question we had, with patience and grace even though we were awkward city-slickers. I learned so much at their farm. The land is gorgeous and their home is one of the most comfortable I have stayed in.
Plus, we had some of the best food I've ever had! Those sausages were amazing.
Plus, we had some of the best food I've ever had! Those sausages were amazing.
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