8-acre organic farming compound with sled dogs in Alaska

Alaska

11 reviews • Updated 1 month ago

Francis and Julie run a Bed-and-Breakfast and sled dog kennel on the 8-acre small-scale organic farming compound. Owned and managed by Francis, an Alaskan resident of over 50 years, and Julie, a retired educator with 32 years of teaching experience. We are former USDA-NRCS EQIP participants and practice experimental and research-oriented cold-climate growing methods including composting, nutrient/pest management, and high tunnel food production. We also offer educational and consultation services to Yup'ik villages along the Kuskokwim River interested in upstart farming activities. Compound activities can include: seeding/transplanting garden and high tunnel, composting, salmon fishing, sled dog kennel maintenance, small construction projects, firewood preparation, meal preparation assistance--many places to fit in! You will have comfortable living accommodations and meals in exchange for four to five hours of work per day. A minimum of 2 weeks is preferred. We speak English and eat real food, organic and locally acquired when possible. Because of the proximity to the dog kennel, pets are not allowed. Bethel has various seasonal opportunities for social, educational, and cultural experiences such as fishing and fish preservation, boating, canoeing, Saturday market, berry picking, bike riding, exploring the tundra, and community intramural sports events like softball, soccer, ultimate Frisbee, sand volleyball, and more. If you like meeting interesting people on the western edge of Alaska, join us! Things to know about Bethel and the compound: We work on the compound 7 days a week, however, WWOOFers get one day a week off. We meet in the morning over coffee or tea to prioritize activities and offer instruction. Sometimes you will be working independently on projects. Jobs require bending, stooping, lifting--and energy. Generally, breakfast and lunch are self-serve meals. Dinner is usually a group effort. Your cell phone may not work well in Bethel, however Wi-fi is available. Everything in Alaska is expensive from travel to food to utilities (ex: milk $12/gallon, gas $6+/gallon). We are happy to house/feed you but ask that you live a conservation-conscious lifestyle. For example, much of Bethel is on a hauled water/sewage system. We get water delivered once a week and sewage is backhauled. Please come with a water-conscious mindset. If you come in the summer during subsistence fishing activities, please know that you can ride along in the boat but will not be allowed to fish, as per state and federal regulations. You may help preserve fish (i.e., smoking, canning, or freezing). If you hope to participate in the commercial fishery, a commercial crew license is necessary and can be negotiated with the boat's captain. We have 14 sled dogs kenneled on the compound. If you have severe allergies to dogs and cannot be near them, let us know. Organic methods: ladybugs Certifications: we are not third-party certified for organic farming. We do not use insecticides or pesticides on the property, but we do fertilize the raised beds. Current projects: planting crops, preparing for flower and vegetable sales, weeding, tearing down old chicken coop, sandbags for erosion control, prepping for painting projects, firewood splitting and stacking, Internet access available

Learning opportunities

Vegetable farming

Fruit or nut farming

Wild foraging

Flower farming

Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas

Vegetable or fruit preservation

Bakery

Traditional crafts

Methods or systems

Holistic management

Mentoring opportunities

Woman-operated

Host type

Production farm

0.4 Hectares | 1 Acres

WWOOF-Verified

Accommodation

3 WWOOFers

Bedroom

Cabin / Mobile-home

Children not accepted

Pets not accepted

Meals

Omnivore

Vegetarian

Vegan

Length of stay

1-2 weeks

3-4 weeks

Over a month

Julie

Member since 2014

Languages spoken: English Response rate: 71% Response time: typically within 9 days

November 2025

Open

Planned visit

Closed

MapLibre | Protomaps | © OpenStreetMap

Alaska

Bethel, AK

Reviews

Alexandra

Switzerland • May 2025

Julie and Fran made my first wwoofing experience unforgettable. I learned a lot and shared some wonderful moments. I can only recommend this place and thank Julie for her kindness and patience. I was even lucky enough to take part in the Cama-ï festival at the end of March. Seeing the plants grow up to be sold at the market is extremely gratifying. Thanks again!

Alix

United States • September 2022

Highly recommend! Julie and Fran are one of a kind. You can expect an extremely welcoming feel and great conversation from these two. I spent most of the time canning, cooking, baking, and harvesting (tomatoes, strawberries, beans, potatoes, ...) with Julie, which was so much fun. We got to work side by side and chat about anything and everything. I believe most tasks around the farm do not require much prior experience. And Julie is extremely accommodating, so tasks are flexible to fit your interests. The food and housing were incredible. You will feel right at home in no time. Besides the farm, Bethel has more to offer than meets the eye. The surrounding tundra is breathtaking. And if you want, there's a lot you can learn about the native Yup'ik culture. I hope you enjoy!

Sophie

United States • June 2022

Our time at Julie's farm was beyond wonderful. I wwoofed with my friend and first-time WWOOFer, Karissa, and we both very much enjoyed our three week stay. We recommend visiting for memorial day weekend, as that's when the big plant sale happens- we spent the first few days prepping for that, and tending to all sorts of plants. We learned so many plant names, and impressed ourselves by the end. Our work days consisted of tending to plants, making and shifting dirt and compost, watering, planting, weeding, tilling, etc. For fun, we learned to make jams, pie, and salmon salad, and had delicious dinners with excellent conversation. We had Sundays off, and played pickup soccer with the locals, went to the cinema, went to a local bob ross paint class, went on bike rides and walks, dyed with indigo, and more. They also have a canoe and live right on the river! One specific highlight was meeting and going to a Pamyua concert- a local band that made it big and returned for a hometown show. Julie was incredibly kind (and an incredible hard worker!) who made sure we had all the experiences we wanted to. We went to a local village to help a family move, and got to go on a fishing trip when we were there! I've been to a few WWOOF hosts and Julie went above and beyond- she is a great teacher. And Fran has so many stories too (never failing to make me laugh)! They have so much to teach, and I hope to return to Bethel some day! Seriously excellent. Thank you for everything, Julie and Fran!

Adrian

United States • July 2021

I had an amazing time at Far West Fish & Farm! The accommodations were top notch and some of the best I've had while WWOOFing. I did tasks such as: transplanting, weeding, compost rotation, planting, harvesting, jam making, moving straw bales, filling sandbags, gutting fish, putting skin on new high tunnel, implementing plant structures and plenty of other tasks. The work load was pretty laid back and tasks weren't super strenuous or tedious. Julie & Fran are great hosts and go through great effort to make sure you're well accommodated. I had plenty of time to go exploring and do fun things such as kayaking, biking, walking, and got to ride in the boat a few times. I even got a few welding lessons from one of the friendly locals Bob Wasierski. Thank you Julie & Fran for such a great time and for my first Alaskan adventures!

Jackie

United States • July 2021

Julie and Fran are some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Julie spends her days making sure your experience is truly an exchange, teaching you everything you want to know while you WWOOF for her. She will go out of her way to make sure you’re comfortable and doing the tasks you love. We spent a lot of time in her farm, but also a lot of time cooking/baking (which I really enjoyed)—so the food is phenomenal. Get ready for homemade bread every morning (or other options if you like that too). There’s pickup soccer on the weekends, and you can always borrow Julie’s bike to bike around the town, and she’s happy to drive you when she has time as well. Lots of people to meet and everyone is incredibly nice. Sometimes people stay in the B&B and sometimes not, but everyone loves to hear why you’re there and if you like it or not. There’s never a dull conversation in Bethel. Cannot recommend this place enough!!

Benjamin

United States • July 2018

Highly recommended!...I stayed at Fran and Julie's farm operation for a little over a month and had a blast. Between the high tunnel greenhouses, the chicken coop, the outside garden, the wood pile, fresh-caught fish, and a variety of ongoing projects, there was no shortage of things to do...The accommodations were luxiourious by wwoof standards, Julie is an amazing cook, Fran is full of Alaska stories, and both are well connected with the Bethel community and its happenings. I appreciate the time to kayak, bike, swim, and explore the city after work hours each day... Its fun to be part of an ever-growing farm operation.