Homestead retreat in the beautiful Green Mountains of Southern Vermont
Vermont
We live in a two-acre clearing in the foothills of the Green Mountains in Southern Vermont. Beautiful hiking trails weave through the mostly-hardwood forest and connect our house to a college campus and the little village of Marlboro, Vermont. In July and August we walk through the woods to the world-class concerts of the Marlboro Music Festival. Sometimes we host private chamber music concerts at the house as well. Another trail brings us to the shores of South Pond where we swim and canoe and visit with friends.
Our spacious sunny home is solar-powered and heated with firewood from our forest. We began the long-term project of clearing land and building the house in 2010. With the timber-frame house mostly finished, we are now focusing on growing vegetables in raised beds, tending a perennial herb garden, and establishing an "edible forest"" of fruit and nut trees, flowering shrubs, and companion plants that attract pollinators. Permaculture principles guide the design and process.
We are also enjoying the pleasures of caring for twin daughters, born in November 2014. Our eleven-year-old golden retriever, Frieda, and twin cats Ella and Stella are the other lively and affectionate indoor members of our family; chicken are arriving in April. (With the various animals, we are sorry to say we no longer are able to accept WWOOFers accompanied by animal companions.)
Workshops and gatherings occasionally take place on our screen porch and our meditation room is used for yoga, chi gong, sitting meditation, and other restorative practices. (WWOOF volunteers sometimes teach yoga classes for our community there.) We like to host volunteers who enjoy group work projects, swimming in the pond, and singing around the campfire. Volunteers can choose to sleep in a guest room in our home or to tent outside. Meals are shared together in the main house and everyone is welcome to the indoor shower, dining room, living room, and meditation room. The house is universally accessible. We can accommodate any dietary needs with advanced notice. Our house has internet access but no landline. One host speaks German and Tibetan; the other knows a bit of Swedish. The twins love to listen to all of the languages our WWOOFers speak. We ask guests to stay for a minimum of two weeks.
Work projects depend on the seas. In the spring, there is getting the gardens ready, planting, sometimes splitting and stacking wood, occasionally working on small building projects, planting trees and shrubs, etc. Summer is caring for the gardens, harvesting, weeding, sometimes splitting and stacking wood, and other projects that come along. There is one pond near the house for cooling off and another larger lake nearby for swimming and canoeing. In the fall season we are harvesting vegetables, splitting and stacking firewood, making sauerkraut and apple sauce, planting trees and native shrubs, maintaining hiking trails, etc,. Throughout the year we are also playing with our twin girls and having adventures. We welcome WWOOF volunteers even after the gardening season is over (December - March) for a more restful time that might include splitting wood, fermenting vegetables, shoveling snow, helping with carpentry projects, repairing tools, and walking the dog. The nearby city of Brattleboro, Vermont is accessible by bus and train and we will gladly drive volunteers from there to Marlboro. We look forward to meeting you!
Note: Each summer we offer a homestead retreat for young adults interested in practicing mindfulness, living in community, and studying the theme of interdependence. You can read more here: https://www.buddhistinquiry.org/touching_earth/
Organic methods: organic gardening, permaculture landscape design
Certifications: We use only organic products and methods on our homestead. Because we grow vegetables and fruits only for our own consumption, we do not feel a need to seek organic certification.
Current projects: tending vegetable gardens
tending and propagating shrubs and trees in an edible forest garden
clearing brush at forest edge
Internet access available
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Dairy farming
Forestry
Wild foraging
Seed saving or production
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Bakery
Traditional crafts
Methods or systems
Holistic management
No-till farming
Permaculture
Mentoring opportunities
Woman-operated
Host type
Self-sufficiency property
Former WWOOFer
7.3
Hectares
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18
Acres
Kirstin
Member since 2015
Languages spoken:
English, German
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 97%
Response time: typically within 4 days
Vermont
Brattleboro Train Station and Bradley Airport (Hartford, CT)
Reviews
Jason
United States
•
January 2026
My first WWOOF experience and what a great experience to start with. The family and fellow wwoofers were extremely welcoming and so helpful during my time here. I was able to experience winter work related activities such as preparing kindling, moving wood and shifting storage for the next season. As well as indoor activities like making granola and other meals. There was also a bunch of time that I was able to read and relax amongst the beautiful nature that surrounds the home. I really enjoyed the time I spent with everyone in the home and feel I learned a great deal! I thoroughly recommend this WWOOFING experience for anyone considering it, as you won’t be disappointed.
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Emilie
United States
•
December 2025
I had a truly magical, enchanting experience at this homestead in December! Kirstin and William are both incredibly kind, hospitable, intelligent, big-hearted people with a deep love for their community and extended WWOOFer family. I learned many things from them during my stay and was able to go on all sorts of little adventures. William taught me how to ski so that I could take their dog out on the ski trail uphill from their home when there was enough snow, showed me how to make yogurt, and showed me how to light a fire in their wood masonry heater to keep the house warm overnight. Kirstin gave me some great cooking tips, and she also took me to see local Christmas pageants and candle-lighting services, the cozy village of Putney, an intimate little Winter Solstice celebration with friends, and even ice skating on the Wantastegok River! To decorate the house for the holidays, we walked out onto the land and foraged princess pine, wolf's foot, and winter berries, and cut down a balsam fir tree with a handsaw to use as a Christmas tree. I also got to explore downtown Brattleboro, see a performance of "Little Women" at the New England Youth Theater, and went to a Christmas cheese fondue party hosted by wonderful neighbors and their families. It was also a delight to be able to bond and hang out with Kirstin and William's twins, who are adorable, funny, and a joy to be around. I loved being a part of the family and will always cherish my time with them!
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Em
United States
•
November 2025
I had a brief but wonderful WWOOFing experience at this homestead in November of this year! I helped harvest some of the last root and green veggies from the garden, prepare the beds a bit for spring planting, helped clear a ravine, planted sod, and helped move mulch around. I also got to help prepare dinners and birthday activities for the lovely twin children, and spend time with Frida the dog! Could not recommend this homestead more. In my short stay I found the family and community to be warm, intentional, excellent at teaching, and really peaceful.
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Leah
United States
•
November 2025
I am so grateful to have spent a few weeks with the Edelglass family during October. Kirstin is such a selfless host who helped me find another location to WWOOF at in early October while their house was at capacity. I felt very supported and respected as a volunteer, and I feel so lucky to have experienced this land, which is so full of love.
William and Kirstin are some truly one-of-a-kind hosts, and the roots of their community run deep. Work was approximately 3 hours per day and ranged from harvesting, planting, fermenting, and dog walking. I appreciate how much trust Kirstin has in the WWOOFers and the patience she cultivates as a guide.
This WWOOF experience is not just an exchange of work, it's an exchange of respect and kindness. I loved living in such a beautiful community around some truly special individuals. I will carry this experience in my heart and hope to return one day. Sending my sincerest love and gratitude to the Edelglass family!
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Megan
United States
•
February 2025
I spent one week with this lovely family in January, and I am so grateful for my experience! Kirstin and William were so warm, welcoming, and helpful when I arrived. The family was such a joy to be around and I certainly felt right at home even being there for such a short time. I feel lucky to have been there during a decent snow, as I was able to go sledding, learn cross-country skiing, and cozy up inside to watch the snow fall with a cup of tea and a book from their diverse collection. Work was only 3 hours a day and tasks were enjoyable and rewarding. I split and moved wood inside for the fire, glazed second-hand windows, made yogurt, helped with dinner and cleaning, and my favorite task- walking Freida their dog. It barely felt like work and it was fun to learn new skills while having wonderful company. My time was very restful and regenerative, I had plenty of time to myself to be quiet and reflective. 10000/10 experience, thank you Kirstin and William!
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Justin
United States
•
January 2025
My experience was absolutely wonderful. I cannot recommend this WWOOFing spot enough, and am already planning my next stay. The family is so sweet, generous, compassionate, wise, and open-minded, and I felt so connected to them and grateful for their willingness to share their home and life wisdom with us. The work was light as we visited in winter--it included walks with the dog (exploring the lovely trails around their homestead), bringing fire wood from the shed to their house, splitting kindling, organizing tasks, sanding and oiling a shelf, reglazing second-hand windows, and cooking & baking. Kirstin is a great teacher. She is patient, thorough, and answers every question with enthusiasm. We learned so much about living more sustainably and intentionally, and had lovely conversations about the ecosystem around us and at large. In our downtime, Kirstin showed us new cooking and baking techniques and recipes (making low-lactose yogurt, cooking with dried beans, making humus, baking gluten & dairy free treats, making oat milk from scratch, making granola, etc.), gave us podcast suggestions, showed us dozens of books that sparked our curiosity, and taught us different crafting techniques like wood burning and felting! Dinners were eaten together with a song at the start, which became something we looked forward to each evening, and evenings after dinner usually consisted of games, engaging conversations, and/or reading. Thank you!
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