Profile information
Host rating
85 %
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 1 day
Feedback
1
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Details
Description
We have been homesteading on this farm since 2007. Our farm is not yet commercial. We are focused on fruit and nut trees which are mostly young. Most nut trees don't produce full crops for 20 years. About 3 acres out of 8 or so intensively planted orchard areas are in maturity, producing fruit. So we are a hobby farm and homestead at this point, focused on sustainability and feeding ourselves, friends and family. Fingers-crossed, we will start producing and selling at a small-scale at farmers markets/commercially in 2026 or so.
We have a beautiful spot in South-West Central Indiana, USA with a mix of woodlands, pasture, fruit & nut orchard, ponds and gardens. We raise livestock in a caring loving way, mostly to feed family. There are cows, chickens, and usually a pig or 2 as well as dogs and cats. We also produce our own maple syrup, log-grown shiitake mushrooms and are quite proficient foragers of edible plants. For travelers interested in homesteading and self-sufficiency in rural settings, we offer a tremendous amount of experience. Plus, we have been international travelers ourselves!
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
UN sustainablity goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Life in rural USA offers connection to life in the rural areas where you are from. Human beings are all connected to the soil, water and animal life around them. Rural USA may at first glance appear to be culturally homogeneous but there are pockets of diversity. From a cultural exchange perspective, we would benefit travelers by demonstrating our connection to the natural world and humankind. We celebrate USA holidays and we celebrate the seasons. Our homestead culture is to celebrate each of life's gift and joys: the tapping of the maples at the close of winter, the singing of the frogs in spring, the splashing in the cool pond waters in summer, eating crisp Asian pears in fall and sledding down the hills in winter. We promote a culture of connection and a culture of celebration. We specialize in growing fruit and nut trees so there is good opportunity to learn about Prunus, Diospyros, Juglans, Pyrus, Malus and other species that we work as we manage hundreds of cultivars to produce in no-spray, beyond organic orchards.
Help
Our homestead always has an a lot of things going on mostly related to the season. At harvest time, we will be picking fruit, processing for storage, drying, etc. In spring, we will plant vegetable crops for our family garden, graft fruit trees, incubate eggs and start the first broilers on pasture. In summer, we are weeding and mowing, scything and eating berries. In fall we harvest apples, pears, plums and many other kinds of fruit as well as walnuts, chestnuts, hazelnuts and many other kinds of nuts from our family garden. In fall, we also prepare firewood and plant garlic. Help requested from travelers will be dependent on season.
Main tasks might be taking care of individual fruit trees by laying cardboard to smother grass and topping with mulch, weeding in the garden, collecting fruits, maintaining walking trails, chopping firewood, collecting eggs or participating in farm building projects like a small bridge over a creek or a new coop for chickens. If you speak Spanish, Mandarin, or Mongolian language then we will enjoy practicing our language learning speaking with you.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Mongolian: Fluent
Spanish: Beginner
Chinese (Mandarin): BeginnerThis host offers a language exchange
We are fluent in English and Mongolian and interested in advancing our beginner Mandarin Chinese and Spanish.
Accommodation
Next to a 2-acre pond and on the edge of the woods, we have a small cabin on that is equipped for guests with a sleeping loft and small living space including front porch and open-fire cooking area. Accommodations are comfortable but without running water, like “glamping”. The cabin is accessible only via foot path and narrow bridge or by 4x4 over rugged road that crosses creek during dry soil conditions. There is no Wi-Fi at the cabin and cell service is poor through Verizon, not available through Sprint. We can make opportunities for using Wi-Fi at the main house. Pads for sleeping at the cabin are comfortable and upstairs loft also has carpet. We can provide clean sheets and pillow. Upstairs may be hot during the humid summer and it may be preferable to move the pads down to the lower level or sleep in a tent or hammock with mosquito net (provided). We have propane camp stove for cooking as well as a propane heater for cold mornings in early spring or late fall. Swimming is possible in the 2-acre pond. Pond water can also be used for bathing with provided camp shower. There are multiple docks for easy access to pond. Drinking water can be provided from municipal source in 5-gallon containers, if desired.
Cast iron cooking pan, stainless steel pot, dish washing, salt & pepper and basic cooking and eating implements are provided at the cabin. For food, we provide fresh eggs each morning and seasonal greens/garlic/onion, etc. as desired. Guests will cook eggs on their own to their desired taste. Alternately, oatmeal with maple syrup/ butter is provided. We provide one main, hot, home-cooked meal each day in afternoon, usually with ingredients from our farm, usually with beef, pork or chicken. In the evenings, we provide sour dough bread loaf, yoghurt, nuts and herbal teas. Also, we provide trail mix and granola-type snacks. We take good care of guests and you will not be hungry. Guests are also welcome to fish from the pond. Bass, catfish, bluegill and sunfish abound. Fishing equipment provided. Depending on the season, we will also share fruit harvest: apples, peaches, plums, pears, etc.
Bathroom is above ground composting toilet inside an outhouse. Cedar shavings are added to the toilet after use.
What else ...
Our farmstead is located in a very rural setting and an ideal traveler will be one that is interested in nature and enjoys solitary, quiet environment to practice writing or drawing, poetry or reading. We have a small shelf of books in English for consideration at the cabin and are welcome to supplement titles from our home library which is extensive for topics on sustainability, literature, poetry and art. Our property also has hiking trails for exploring, the pond can be used for recreation like canoeing, kayaking, and swimming (canoe and kayaks available). Mentioned above, fishing rods and tackle can be provided, and the large pond is stocked.
We can likely accommodate couples and 2 people traveling together.
We expect that most travelers will spend the majority of their time during their stay on our property. We can provide for all basic needs. We can pick up travelers that do not have their own transportation in nearby cities: Bloomington, Indiana; Terre Haute, Indiana or Indianapolis. Both Bloomington and Terre Haute are about 35 minutes away by car. Indianapolis is about 1 hr 15 minutes by car. Public transportation is not available from our farm. Rideshare companies like Lyft and Uber do not operate in our area or would likely be very expensive. .
The best natural areas to visit in Owen County, Indiana are in McCormick’s Creek State Park. It offers many amenities built around a beautiful canyon and creek that flow into the adjacent White River and is nearby the town of Spencer, Indiana with small shops, brewery, restaurants, and grocery.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
Campervan or motorhome opportunities are limited. Main traveler cabin for lodging is located in area that can only be accessed with 4x4 vehicle during dry conditions without trailer. Opportunities for larger campervans, trailers or motorhomes will be rare, for example, only for a short window after hay has been cut in a pasture.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
Feedback (1)
A lot of different things are going on at their farmstead: there are multiple orchards, (silvo)pasture for sheep and cattle, (food)… read more
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Feedback
A lot of different things are going on at their farmstead: there are multiple orchards, (silvo)pasture for sheep and cattle, (food)… read more
