We are a small-scale diversified farm located in Western NC 15 minutes from downtown Boone in Zionville, NC. We live on a 35 acre farm and raise a broad spectrum of vegetables on a little under 2 acres. We also raise pasture chicken, turkey, pork, beef and goat. We focus on three main market channels: two weekly farmer’s markets, a vegetable and meat CSA, and local restaurants.
The 2023 season will be our twelfth year in crop production and ninth year in animal production at our current farm place. We are continuing to refine our crop rotation, cover crop management, harvesting and composting techniques. Our focus at Against the Grain is to nurture the soil in order to grow high quality, nutritious food for our local community.
Depending on the season, wwoofers will have the opportunity to gain experience in planting techniques, soil fertility, weed control, pest management, irrigation, harvesting, marketing, equipment use/maintenance, record keeping, Biodynamic preparations and livestock management. Some tasks may seem redundant or monotonous, so it’s very important for woofers to be able to maintain a positive attitude.
During the production season, wwoofers will expect to be exposed pork (July through December) and beef (all year) as well as field production of a full spectrum of diversified, direct market vegetables. It is difficult for someone who is on the farm for a short amount of time to gain a lot of exposure to all of the enterprises that the farm participates in. We will do our best to honor the interests of the wwoofer and place them on chores and tasks that match with their inclinations. During the winter months, wwoofers will be exposed to season extension vegetable production (mostly salad greens), small construction projects, farm clean up and organization and some livestock production.
It is essential for wwoofers to understand that farm work is very physical. We do our best to vary the tasks throughout the day, in order to prevent too much time being spent on one job; however, farm work is often repetitive by nature and very physically demanding. It is important to be realistic and honest about your past work experience and physical stamina. We work in all types of weather conditions, so come prepared with a variety of appropriate attire.
We anticipate wwoofers to exchange 25 hours of work each week for room and board. The days and times of work can vary, based on the season, the farm’s needs and the wwoofers interests. Sometimes wwoofers will be working with farm apprentices and sometimes right along side farmers. Occasionally, wwoofers will be asked to work independently, but only once the wwoofer is comfortable with the task at hand. It is very important for wwoofers to be able to take direction and to be receptive to constructive feedback. We will give instructions as we go and try to explain “how” and “why” of a given task. We are not an educational farm, but we focus on teaching while we work.
The housing for wwoofers will vary based on availability at the time. We have several insulated sheds and a school bus that serve as sleeping quarters. We also have sheltered places to camp during the warm months. We have a shared community kitchen with a washer and dryer that is insulated and heated, for year round use. There is an outdoor shower for the warm months and a shower in the kitchen for use when it’s cold.
Since the farm is 15 minutes from downtown Boone, there are a variety of cultural and community opportunities. Western NC is also rich with hiking, camping and water recreation.
Certifications: We are certified Organic through One Cert Inc
Internet access available
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Cattle farming
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Methods or systems
Biological pest control
Biodynamic agriculture
Holistic management
Regenerative agriculture
Host type
Production farm
Certified organic
