Hands-on homesteading with goats, poultry, gardens, cheese, bees, organic cooking and more...

California

27 reviews • Updated 17 hours ago

Are you ready to fully immerse yourself in life on a working homestead? Join us for a rewarding and educational stay where you'll gain valuable skills, connect with the land, and enjoy the rhythms of a farm lifestyle. _______________________________________ Farm discription: We are a small, diverse homestead located in the beautiful Central Coast region of California, nestled among oak-covered hills and surrounded by local vineyards. Just 10 miles from the nearest town, our 6-acre farm is home to: • Dairy goats, sheep, chickens, ducks, turkeys, and bees • Friendly farm dogs and cats • Raised garden beds and a new greenhouse • A peaceful, quiet environment ideal for reflection, learning, and unplugging from busy city life We’re a semi-retired couple, passionate about sustainable living and sharing knowledge. Our 19-year-old granddaughter also lives with us while attending community college. _______________________________________ Learning opportunities: Our farm is active nearly year-round (January–November), with milking and feeding twice daily. We generally work from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm and resume evening chores after dinner around 8:00 pm. Afternoons are free for rest, reading, hiking, crafts, or optional farm projects. Hands-on learning opportunities include: 1. Dairy Goat Care & Milking — Milking twice daily and learning to hand-milk. 2. Cheese Making — Hands-on cheese making (smoked mozzarella is a favorite!). 3. Animal Husbandry — Feeding, egg collection, and pasture management via rotational grazing. 4. Lamb & Poultry Processing — Learn to process meat on-farm (seasonal). 5. Gardening — Planting, weeding, composting, and greenhouse propagation. 6. Beekeeping — Help with seasonal honey harvesting. 7. Cooking — Daily organic meals plus bone broth, kefir, fermented veggies, and more. 8. Fiber Arts & Crafts — Learn rug weaving, quilt-making, or contribute to our farm cookbook project. 9. Farm Maintenance — Cleaning pens, weeding, unloading hay, small repairs, and more. Next opennings: • Feb 11–25, 2026: Kidding season—a unique opportunity to bottle-feed baby goats • Feb 26 - Mar 12, 2026 kidding season continues • Apr 13 - 27, 2026 _______________________________________ Meals & Lifestyle We cook and share three healthy, home-cooked meals daily (7:30 am, noon, 6pm), using organically sourced ingredients . We maintain a mostly gluten-free, sugar-free, organic diet and avoid processed foods. That said, homemade sourdough bread is baked regularly for those who eat gluten! Please note: • We cannot accommodate vegans, vegetarians, pescatarians, or dairy-free diets. Our farm experience is deeply rooted in the full-cycle connection between raising, processing, and preparing our food together. • We eat together and expect participation in meal prep and clean-up as part of daily community life. _______________________________________ Accommodations: You’ll stay in a private 19′ travel trailer parked next to the house. You’ll share a guest bathroom inside the main home. We host one WWOOFer at a time to ensure a more personal, immersive experience. WiFi is available, but this is not a suitable environment for remote work or online classes—your focus should be the farm. _______________________________________ Location & Free Time The farm is remote—20 minutes to the nearest town and about 45 minutes to the nearest bus/train station (we’re happy to arrange pickup). In your free time, enjoy: • Hiking the surrounding hills • Swimming in the pool (in season) • Reading from our well-stocked library • Drawing, writing, crafts, or hiking with the goats • Learning fiber arts like rug weaving or quilting _______________________________________ What We’re Looking For We value hard work, a positive attitude, and genuine curiosity. The ideal candidate is: • Physically fit and enjoys hands-on work • Open-minded, respectful, and eager to learn • Able to work alongside others or independently and follow directions • Comfortable with animals and all aspects of farm life—including butchering • Fluent in English • Interested in sustainable living, real food, and traditional skills _______________________________________ Important Guidelines Before applying, please make sure this experience is a good fit for you. Requirements: • Minimum stay: 2 weeks (longer stays preferred; we often host for months or even a year!) • Must provide: at least two reviews or references • Must have: travel or medical insurance (wwoof has a policy) • No smoking, drugs, children, pets, or couples • Must be fully committed to your stay—this is not a part-time or casual placement. _______________________________________ Ready to Apply? We’d love to hear from you! Please include the following in your message: 1. Why you want to join us and what you hope to learn 2. Any relevant experience (farm, kitchen, crafts, etc.) 3. What you can contribute 4. Your availability (and which dates/season you’re applying for) 5. Any dietary needs or allergies 6. Confirmation you meet the requirements (insurance, references, no remote work, etc.) We aim to reply within 24 hours. Once accepted, we’ll stay in touch regularly to prepare for your arrival. We take our commitment to you seriously and ask that you do the same in return. _______________________________________ Thank You! We’ve hosted WWOOFers for over 12 years and are grateful for helpers who have enriched life on our farm—and left with new skills, confidence, and memories. Whether you're curious about farm-to-table living, animal husbandry, or rural simplicity, this is your chance to dive in. We hope to welcome you to our farm soon! _______________________________________

Learning opportunities

Vegetable farming

Poultry farming

Sheep or goat farming

Dairy farming

Beekeeping

Cheesemaking

Meat processing

Vegetable or fruit preservation

Natural cosmetics fabrication

Traditional crafts

Methods or systems

Holistic management

No-till farming

Permaculture

Regenerative agriculture

Rotational grazing

Mentoring opportunities

Woman-operated

Host type

Self-sufficiency property

2.4 Hectares | 6 Acres

WWOOF-Verified

Accommodation

1 WWOOFer

Camper / RV

Children not accepted

Pets not accepted

Meals

Omnivore

Length of stay

1-2 weeks

3-4 weeks

Over a month

Janet

Member since 2013

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

November 2025

Open

Planned visit

Closed

MapLibre | Protomaps | © OpenStreetMap

California

San Jose Airport, Gilroy Bus/Train Station

Reviews

Renee

United States • October 2025

Janet has been hosting for almost 10 years, and she truly embodies the mission of the WWOOF program. Janet is extremely knowledgeable about animals, gardening, cooking, crafts and sustainable practices. Through my stay here, Janet has inspired me to make changes in my life such as healthier eating practices and taking up creative hobbies again. Time feels different at this farm - it is a refuge away from the business of city life, and connects you back to nature. It is such a treat to enjoy farm-to-table meals -- homemade bread, cheese from goats and vegetables grown from the garden! Janet is communicative, and she listens to what each WWOOFer hopes to learn. She respects boundaries in terms of the work schedule. She is so fun to be around, and has great stories to share. Her family made me feel at home during my stay. Janet strives to make sure each WWOOFer enjoys their stay, and she truly cares about their experience. This was my first WWOOF experience and Janet was very patient as I learned the ropes! I will definitely be coming back to stay. The goats are lovely, Janet also has 4 amazing dogs as well!

Catherine

United States • August 2024

Janet is an awesome hostess!!! I had a wonderful learning experience on her farm. She was patient with my rate of progress with milking goats, and very appreciative of other ways that I was able to contribute. She always has a lot of activities going on, so there is never a dull moment. I enjoyed the variety of activities that she offered, and she is a fabulous cook, using many home grown ingredients. I highly recommend woofing on Janet's farm. I felt very welcome there, and there are activities that many new and experienced woofers will be able to contribute to.

Rachel

United States • September 2022

I am so thankful that I chose Bell Hill Farms for my first WWOOF experience, I couldn’t have asked for a better time! Janet and John are both so welcoming, and ready to teach you anything you’re interested in. My stay was only for a month, but I learned so much and felt so supported the whole time. Janet is a wonderful teacher, super encouraging and grateful for everything you do on the farm. Anyone would be lucky to get a chance to work alongside Janet at Bell Hill, I can’t wait to come back and help out myself!

Nadia

United States • August 2022

I’m thankful for my stay at Bell Hill Farm, Janet and John were very welcoming and daily dinners with them were always great. The work is structured and flows well, and the routine on the farm provides predictability. I enjoyed working with all the goats and taking them on hikes, there are definitely opportunities to learn a lot about them, as well as cheese making, soap making, butchering and more. Overall my three week stay was great, and a good balance of rejuvenation and chores. Janet is very passionate about what she does and the experience she provides. I’d definitely recommend!

Brandi

United States • July 2022

I had a wonderful time at Bell Hill Farm! Janet is an amazing WWOOF host and anyone would be lucky to come here. There is a reason Janet has so many positive reviews - she strives to make your stay the best as possible and is willing to teach you anything. The work expectations were very clear and reasonable and just as listed on the profile. I helped milk the goats and tended to the ducks, turkeys, baby chicks, chickens, and sheep. She has an amazing garden and flowers that I helped water. The surrounding area is also fun to explore. In my free time, I went to Pinnacles National Park (30 minutes away), Monterey and the coast (1 hour away), and San Jose (1 hour away). Janet is also an amazing cook and you can't beat the farm fresh home cooking! Highly recommend!

Rebecca

United States • June 2022

WOW! Was I blessed to arrive at Bell Hill Farm, the property was beautiful, and Janet was so welcoming and I felt at right home. I was excited for each and every day on the the farm. Janet is a great farm owner very organized and an amazing cook, dinner every night was a delicacy! Janet shared many tasty healthy & nutritious recipes, and ways to use all the milk and eggs we had coming in! She is a great teacher very patient and kind! I was able to learn way more than I bargained for. I loved spending time in the garden planting & learning about new plants. I was lucky enough to help milk some of the sweetest gold star milkers!! We had amazing outings going to the farm stand and even other farms! Each and every day was something new from bathing goats to butchering a sheep, never a dull moment. The trailer was so homey and had an awesome view of the milkers. I cannot wait to return to enjoy more goat walks up the mountain and learn about kidding season!! Truly such a beautiful homestead ran by one beautiful woman! Consider yourself lucky to stay with Janet! <3