Vegetables, Fruit, Permaculture, Animal husbandry, perfect for internat'l wwoofers, 1 hour from NYC

New Jersey

46 reviews • Updated 1 month ago

Hi! We are Matt and Janelle and we have been hosting wwoofers since 2010! First of all: Here is a video of our farm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCT2J9MRtQ0 If you're looking for a place with a homey feel and a welcoming cultural stay (for our international wwoofers in particular,) and you enjoy delicious home-cooked, organic meals while learning about sustainable, organic farming, our place is for you. We have a sustainable 5 acres where we raise our own food - meat, vegetables, grains, and fruit. And don't forget to bring your bathing suit so you can relax in our large in-ground pool after working outside. WWOOFers who come to Hard Cider Homestead will learn about and participate in a variety of sustainable and organic agricultural practices which will include vegetable growing, pastured poultry, composting, canning & preserving, and general farm maintenance. We love growing, although not a comprehensive list, heirloom tomatoes, beets, strawberries, garlic, pickling ingredients, salsa ingredients (both to be canned for the winter) and cutting flowers. But there is so much more! We will cook every dinner for you with our home-grown organic meat and veggies, and we all eat together. Farmer Matt is a hobby chef [read: yummy food!] and Wife-y likes to bake, so we can accommodate some simple food needs. You will be sleeping in our house with us. You will have a lovely room to yourself with a comfortable bed and your own bathroom, accessed from the hall. Since you will be considered a member of our family, we will ask you to help with dinner preparation and dish clean up in the evenings. Our request is that you work 30 hours a week, but in any combination you'd like. And we really love our international wwoofers since not only can we share our love of the land and organic farming, but also our culture. Remember, you are not coming to the US, from another country, as a worker or volunteer. You are coming as our friend! We welcome you as a member of our family! In order to get here, you can take a train from Newark Airport or New York City on the New Jersey Transit rail line which will cost you about $20 and will take you 1/2 hour from our farm where we would then pick you up. There is no public transportation to our house. We are 25 minutes from Princeton, 1 hour from New York City and Philadelphia, 2 hours by car from Lancaster County, where the Amish live, 3 hours from Baltimore, 4 hours from Washington, DC., and very close to other large organic farms. Janelle is fluent in French. We do have a high-energy dog. And we don't accept teenagers. Those ages 19 and below need not apply. Please no smoking at all, even outside. Current projects: In the spring and summer, we are planting and harvesting. There is field maintenance as well as structure maintenance. In the summer and fall, we are harvesting and continue with maintenance. We also do pastured poultry, and animal processing. Here is the comment from our very first WWOOFer Marie, whose review was deleted many years ago: I remained three weeks at Janelle and Matt's farm in Princeton, from 25th october to 14th november 2010. I really enjoyed my stay there. It was my first time as a Wwoofer and I wanted learn english, and because of that, I have chosen this farm because Janelle speaks French and I thought it would have been more comfortable for me at the beginning just in case. Of course, the deal with Janelle was to talk in English ! Because it was my main goal.My work with Matt was a little hard physically at the beginning because I wasn't trained for that :) but every time it was great to talk with him when we work. I slept in a big bedroom. And I won't forget all the meals I ate during these three weeks !! Janelle and Matt are great cook ! Everything was fresh, and how can I forget the cookies, muffins, and waffles !?!!We had fun for Halloween, my birthday and many thing ! Thank for every thing ! Eleonor and Henry, their children, are very nice.So, yes, work could be hard sometimes, but you won't work more that Matt told you. And even if he look like impatient, you will have a lot of fun !Marie

Learning opportunities

Vegetable farming

Fruit or nut farming

Poultry farming

Pig farming

Sheep or goat farming

Flower farming

Seed saving or production

Meat processing

Vegetable or fruit preservation

Bakery

Methods or systems

Biodynamic agriculture

Holistic management

Permaculture

Regenerative agriculture

Host type

Self-sufficiency property

1.6 Hectares | 4 Acres

WWOOF-Verified

Accommodation

1 WWOOFer

Bedroom

Children not accepted

Pets not accepted

Meals

Omnivore

Length of stay

1 day (local)

1-2 weeks

3-4 weeks

Janelle

Member since 2014

Languages spoken: English, French Response rate: 100% Response time: typically within 1 day

November 2025

Open

Planned visit

Closed

MapLibre | Protomaps | © OpenStreetMap

New Jersey

We can pick you up in Princeton, NJ from the New Jersey Transit train. It's a direct line from Newark Airport and New York City, which takes about an hour.

Reviews

Jingping

China • September 2025

What an incredible three weeks! I learned so much, including weeding, planting pawpaw trees, and harvesting tomatoes, gourds, potatoes, peaches... I also took care of the animals—chickens, turkeys, pigs, and sheep—and even rode the tractor. One of the highlights was bonding with Walter, the sweetest dog. Whether I was reading under a tree with him by my side, relaxing together on the stairs in the sun, or going on a road trip to Hopewell to get compost, I truly enjoyed his company. Janelle and Matt are wonderful cooks, and every evening felt like dining in an international restaurant, with Italian, French, and Greek dishes on the table. They even prepared a Chinese meal for me with fried pork noodles and bok choy! I also loved homemade treats—peach ice cream made from the farm’s peaches, cookies, waffles, and blueberry muffins. I was always well-fed and cared for, just like part of the family. Janelle and Matt also made sure I experienced the local area. Matt introduced me to local families, and Janelle drove me to Philadelphia, where we explored the Constitution Center and Independence Hall, enjoyed a big scoop of coffee ice cream. Together, we also visited the Amish Market and flea market, went cycling along the canal and Delaware River, explored Lambertville...I’ll truly miss the days I spent here—the farm itself, sweet and fit Walter, humorous Matt, and kind Janelle. This was such a meaningful and memorable experience for me. Thank you both for your generosity!

Anatole

France • August 2025

Janelle et Matt sont des hôtes incroyables !! J’ai passé 10 jours mémorables dans leur ferme située aux alentours de Princeton. J’étais venu pour découvrir le monde de la ferme mais aussi la culture américaine et c’est ce que j’ai pu voir durant ce séjour. J’ai aussi pu réaliser plusieurs projets comme la rénovation d’une serre ou encore la culture de différents plantes et légumes. À côté de cela, j’ai découvert les environs de la ferme comme la magnifique ville de Princeton et le supermarché des Amish. Je recommande donc vivement de venir chez Janelle et Matt si vous êtes à la recherche d’une expérience enrichissante et partager des bons moments au quotidien !

Damiano

Italy • July 2025

This is what WWOOFing should be I arrived as a stranger, and they welcomed me like family. Matt and Janelle are a joyful couple, and their harmony makes the place peaceful. With so much land and variety, each of the 10 days I stayed brought new tasks — from renewing the greenhouse and processing chickens to caring for the land and animals. But it wasn’t just work: they shared their daily life with me too. I got to explore towns, meet people, savor new food — a true cultural exchange, especially for internationals. Those moments made it special. I left a bit dirtier, but much happier.

Sarah

United States • June 2025

When I chose this farm, I expected to get my hands dirty and only do farm work. However, I learned more from everyday life. Janelle and Matt are loving, funny, passionate about different cultures, and take care of you as part of their family. I stayed for one week in late June, and the activities included weeding and watering the vegetables, picking fruits like currants and raspberries, and processing chickens. Matt also has a lot of side projects from time to time. For example, I helped with setting up chicken fences, picking up compost from restaurants, and editing educational videos for Matt's "italianfarmerusa" Instagram account. When you are not working, Matt and Janelle will take you on excursions to nearby towns. I'm very thankful to have visited Princeton, Flemington, Hopewell, and the Amish market. Life here is a unique experience. You get to know American culture from every aspect and the nuts and bolts of running a homestead.

Raj

United States • June 2025

I spent a day at Matt & Janelle's farm and had an incredible experience. I got to learn about sustainable farming practices, got my hands dirty and gained valuable skills. Matt is a wonderful host and a great teacher. He shared his knowledge about farming practices and also the logic behind why things are done a particular way, like how different plants have complementary needs and hence rotating them can yield better crops. My time at the farm included learning about garlic and strawberry cultivation, using straw v/s mulch, pruning tomato branches ("suckers"). Matt also explained about how he uses permaculture principles in his vineyard and how that benefits both his grape harvest and the turkeys. Spent some time , weeding beds, picking currants and cleaning water tubs. I enjoyed my day at the farm with Matt and made a friend who I hope to stay in touch with. I left with a newfound appreciation for the hard work and dedication that goes into running a farm. I'm grateful for the opportunity Matt and Janelle gave me.

Kenny

United States • April 2025

Great people! Very educational and hands on experience.