Orchards, tallgrass prairie, timber and chickens on 75 acres and a river

Iowa

34 reviews • Updated 2 months ago

Want to learn about growing fruits and nuts? September and October are Asian pear, hazelnut, paw paw, chestnut and apple harvesting time! Suzan has 15 years of experience growing perennial crops on multiple acres. She has attended scores of organic and farming conferences to learn more about wash/pack sheds, growing specialty crops and more. Our farm enjoys diversified revenue streams including Hipcamp, donations from hosting free events and sales of fruits and nuts. This Fall, learn how to work a freeze dryer, draw people to events on the farm, host events, work a flail mower and/or chainsaw and prepare the plantings for winter. We're located 7 miles north of I-80 and 25 minutes from Iowa City, a university town with a vibrant farmers market and lots of entertainment venues. If you have your own car, you can go downtown on your ample off time to catch the many festivals and live music Iowa City and Davenport offer. You get a private room and bathroom and kitchen. We feed you three good meals a day (omnivore) and often have fresh homemade bread on hand and can teach you how to make it. We seldom expect an average of more than half a day's work (4 to 5 hours) though you can do more if you like. You'll have plenty of time to relax, hike, explore, watch birds and deer or whatever you like. We have a bunch of chickens - including a few brand new chicks - and three friendly dogs - a Bernadoodle named Chilly, a CockaTsu named Lil Bit and a Red Heeler/Collie mix named Gunnar. Suzan will be outside working alongside you, teaching you what she knows and learning from you too. We eat at the table for all meals unless we choose to eat lunch in the field. We are a progressive, comfortable homestead transitioning to on-farm sales of excess produce and freeze-dried goodies. Check out the reviews to see our long history of being popular WWOOF hosts! Only contact us if you're truly interested in organic and natural food production, prairie and timber maintenance, thanks.

Learning opportunities

Vegetable farming

Fruit or nut farming

Forestry

Wild foraging

Vegetable or fruit preservation

Renewable energy production

Mechanics / tools / technology

Methods or systems

No-till farming

Permaculture

Regenerative agriculture

Mentoring opportunities

Woman-operated

Host type

Production farm

28.3 Hectares | 70 Acres

WWOOF-Verified

Accommodation

2 WWOOFers

Bedroom

Camper / RV

Campsite

Children not accepted

Pets not accepted

Meals

Omnivore

Length of stay

Less than a week

1-2 weeks

3-4 weeks

Suzan

Member since 2014

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

November 2025

Open

Planned visit

Closed

MapLibre | Protomaps | © OpenStreetMap

Iowa

Iowa City or Davenport

Reviews

Josephine

United States • August 2025

I had a wonderful time with Suzan and Paul and I would definitely recommend this farm. I learned something new everyday! Each day we would tackle different tasks from the list, so no two days were the same, which I loved. Typically we would eat breakfast then go out to work until lunchtime. The wwoofer apartment was very comfortable and clean. I enjoyed spending time with Suzan and Paul and their adorable dogs, and I hope to return someday!

Grayson

United States • August 2025

I stayed with Suzan and Paul for a week, and I absolutely enjoyed my stay here! Work expectations are reasonable, and I always felt safe during my stay and in doing tasks on the farm. Suzan is knowledgeable and eggar to teach everything she knows about farming/homesteading and prairie management and restoration to anyone who is also eggar to learn! Some of my favorite things were the elderberry harvesting and processing, learning how to drive the EV side-by-side, and learning how to make fresh bread! I couldn't recommend this place enough!

Averie

United States • February 2025

I stayed with Suzan and Paul for three weeks, and the bulk of the work was fruit and nut tree pruning and firewood collection. Suzan taught me so many things, most notably how and why to prune trees, how to use a chainsaw, frost seeding, shelling chestnuts and hazelnuts, propagating blueberries, and even how to drive a tractor. At the end of my stay, Suzan and I attended the Marbleseed Conference in La Crosse, and got to learn even more! Paul taught me how to bake bread, and I got to take some home to my family. They were such wonderful hosts, always respectful and communicative, and I never felt like I was overworked or underappreciated. Their dogs were so friendly, and their land is overall, beautiful. I'm so glad I got to stay with them!

Adelina

United States • August 2024

Suzan and Paul are absolutely wonderful people, and I would highly recommend this farm! I learned so much while staying there, and Suzan was always willing to teach new skills and answer questions about the operation of her land. I'll definitely be back for the incredible events they host for the local community — truly, such a wonderful place!

Corwin

United States • August 2024

I had a great and enlightening time here! Suzan and Paul were wonderful hosts with a lot of knowledge to share. Also, their dogs are adorable.

Zoe

United States • May 2024

This was my first WWOOF stay where I gained many new skills and experiences! Some highlights include: using a chainsaw(!!), burning a prairie, log splitting, farm tool techniques, trail maintenance. I even learned to drive around their big orange tractor! You’ll work directly with Suzan on projects like mulching fruit trees, building a chicken fence, or host events like a Solar Eclipse party. Bonus: I was in charge of feeding/watering the chickens (and the 14 adorable baby chicks that hatched while I was here). Suzan encourages integrating WWOOFers into the local Iowa community. She drove me to many cool community events +work exchanges, where I volunteered at a food recovery program, worked at neighboring farms, attended Sunday events, and more. Overall I gained a lot of confidence in myself working here. Suzan is an excellent instructor to ensure you’re safe + well informed using equipment. Suzan and Paul were fantastic hosts and provided all necessary accommodations during my stay. They were very conscious of not over-working WWOOFers and appreciative of your hard work. When mentioning my health condition, they went out of their way to ensure I had reliable foods I needed. Plus, their meals were absolutely delicious and homemade. Finally, Suzan and Paul are easy to converse with, and we had many intellectually-stimulating discussions. These hosts truly care about their WWOOFers and provide an immersive and well-rounded experience full of opportunities. Thank you!!