Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
8 Apr 2024
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 1 day
Feedback
8
Email verified
Badges (1)
Details
Description
Our family farm and homestead is 2 acres. It’s located within a Land Co-op, an intentional community landtrust,in Central NY’s Fingerlakes area. My husband, Karl and I (Alison) raise organic vegetables, herbs, fruit, flowers, potted herbs and perennials on our farm and homestead. We make herbal tinctures, salves and soap and save our own seeds. We raise poultry, rabbits and dairy goats and use draft ponies for doing some farm tasks. We use a rototiller, but most is done by hand. We make cheese, yogurt, fermented vegetables and kraut, kombucha, wine and do lots of canning. We have one paid, local employee for tasks related to producing and selling products at the farmers market. Our workawayers help us with tasks related to producing and storing food for the family. This includes planting, weeding, harvesting, processing, cooking meals, canning, freezing, fermenting, wine making and animal care. The length of stay is flexible, but we prefer at least 2 to 3 weeks. We can host volunteers during our growing season, which is from March through September. Children and pets are not usually hosted. We eat a mixed diet including vegetables, dairy and meat from the farm. We want to share experience, knowledge, culture and companionship and create a mutually beneficial experience.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Language practiceGardeningAnimal CareFarmstay helpCreating/ Cooking family mealsHelp around the houseUN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We love to cook with all our homegrown food. We also love to share new food and recipes and music and stories that workawayers bring. Food is a great cultural exchange along with music and working together. We are producing the majority of our own food and producing our own solar energy. We are saving our own seeds for many flowers and vegetables. We are teaching sustainability and having fun.
Help
Help could include planting, weeding, harvesting, canning, herb processing, butchering (if desired), greenhouse, processing vegetables for ferments, cooking, and animal care. We built a new earth sheltered greenhouse in the summer of 2015. It has vastly improved our ability to grow things year round, and is much easier to heat.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Catalan: Beginner
German: Beginner
French: BeginnerAccommodation
We have a 10 x 17 foot platform with a large cabin tent on it. It has a mattress and rug and is under a large tarp. We have sleeping space for one volunteer at a time. We share the house for cooking and socializing. Our bathroom is in the house and we have an outdoor composting toilet.
What else ...
We are in New York State's Fingerlakes District, so there's lots of hills, lakes, parks, and waterfalls. There is a mostly wooded 432 acre hillside has a beautiful ravine with a stream. There's a dirt road going up the hill and many trails. There are 20 community residents living in 13 owner built homes using alternative design and energy, uses consensus decision making at it’s meetings and hosts one to two gatherings every summer, plus occasional potlucks and parties. Karl and I can provide transportation to and from the local Greyhound bus station in Cortland, NY and possibly Syracuse if necessary.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
One
Hours expected
Maximum 5 hours a day, 5 days a week
Feedback (8)
The communication was great and they were super flexible with my schedule. I would have loved to stay longer but with my… read more
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(5.0)
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(5.0)
The communication was great and they were super flexible with my schedule. I would have loved to stay longer but with my… read more
I usually started my days helping Karl or doing weedings, then I helped Alison in the Garden. Some days were more busy than others, depending on the weather mostly. Every hand you can… read more