We are open again for woofers after being closed since January 2019 due to temporary family needs in our house, Covid,, and moving to & building a new llama farm. We are excited to welcome new woofers to stay and enjoy the llama life with us!
Our farm is located in a quiet farming community just outside Greeneville, Tennessee, in the northeast corner of East Tennessee, near the borders of North Carolina, Kentucky, and Virginia. We are in the final stages of completing our dream Barndominium and farm of approximately 26 acres, with breathtaking, full views of the Smoky Mountains.
We are Jerry and Carolyn, both retired educators. Jerry spent many years as a high school principal and retired in June 2017. Carolyn taught elementary school for 15 years before becoming a high school art teacher, retiring in May 2021. Retirement hasn’t slowed us down—in fact, it’s allowed us to fully embrace the farm lifestyle we love.
Over the years, we’ve raised many kinds of animals, including goats, sheep, pigs, cattle, and horses. In 1998, we purchased our first llamas, and that decision changed our lives forever. Carolyn, originally from Jacksonville, Florida, was very much a city girl and rarely ventured into the barn unless baby animals were being born. That all changed with llamas.
The running joke on the farm is:
“Before llamas, Jerry couldn’t get Carolyn to come to the barn. Now he can’t get her to come back to the house—so we built a Barndominium to house us and the baby llamas.”
Carolyn has truly become a farm girl and would happily spend every waking hour with the llamas if she could. Our shared passion for these incredible animals has helped us reconnect deeply, especially now that our two children are grown and we are retired. We don’t have time for “empty nest syndrome”—there’s far too much life and joy here.
The Farm & Animals
Our current animal family includes:
Approximately 60 llamas
Chickens
Two indoor/outdoor cats
Bernie, our Anatolian Shepherd llama-guard dog
Milow, our new baby Dachsund
Visitors must not be allergic to dogs or cats. Llamas are hypoallergenic.
Our Home & Guest Accommodations
In 2017, we built and opened a small RV campground beside our former farm. After operating it for four years, we sold the campground so we could refocus fully on the llama farm. We also sold our original farm and are now completing our new Barndominium (home + barn). The main living space is complete and includes a large open-concept living room, dining area, and kitchen, along with our master bedroom and bathroom on the main floor.
WWOOFers' accommodations are upstairs in a private guest suite, which includes:
A bedroom with a king-size bed
A full private bathroom
A lounging area with a stunning, “million-dollar” mountain view
We can accommodate 1–2 WWOOFers at a time. If two visitors know each other (same gender or a couple), they will share the bedroom and have their own private bathroom and lounging area.
All sheets and linens are provided.
No children or pets at this time.
Food & Daily Life
Breakfast and lunch items are provided for visitors, and we share a family dinner most evenings. We enjoy relaxed meals, good conversation, and connecting with the people who come to stay with us.
Farm Activities & Creative Offerings:
Life on the new farm includes:
Sustainable gardening
Hiking with llamas
Agritourism events such as farm visits, hayrides, birthday parties, and family reunions
Carolyn is an artist working in several mediums and offers:
Spinning and weaving classes (she will teach woofers to spin & weave if interested)
“Sip & Paint” painting parties
WWOOFer Expectations:
WWOOFers work no more than 6 hours per day, 5 days per week. Saturdays and Sundays are off to rest or explore the area, though days can be flexed to accommodate farm needs and visitor plans.
Typical work includes:
Feeding and grooming llamas
Halter training baby llamas
Barn & pasture maintenance
General family farm chores
Seasonal projects may include:
Building raised garden beds
Constructing an old-window greenhouse
Painting projects
Maintaining llama trails
Gardening and landscaping
Mowing
Assisting with agritourism events
House Rules & Stay Length:
We are a non-smoking household and do not accept smokers, as we share our home with visitors.
No drugs.
Alcohol (beer or wine) is allowed in moderation for guests 21+, per Tennessee law.
Visitors may stay 1–4 weeks, with longer stays possible if it’s a good fit. We do not schedule WWOOFers more than 120 days in advance.
Location & Transportation:
We are close to Hiking and biking trails, Whitewater rafting, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Virginia Creeper Trail, and Davy Crockett Birthplace Park.
We can provide pickup from the Tri-Cities Airport or the Johnson City, TN bus station, or you are welcome to drive your own vehicle.
Final Thoughts:
We have hosted over 25 WWOOFers in the past and took a break beginning in January 2019 . We are now ready and excited to welcome help again and to share both our love for llamas and the rewarding hard work that comes with this lifestyle.
We look forward to meeting you.
Warm regards,
Jerry & Carolyn
** Certifications: We garden organically using composted llama manure, but are not certified organic.
** You will have the opportunity to learn spinning, weaving, drawing & painting as Carolyn is an artist & a certified art teacher.
** Excellent Internet access is available.
We are fully booked for 2026! We are Accepting woofers for the 2027 season beginning January 2nd.
Read more
Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Poultry farming
Raising of other farm animals
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Traditional crafts
Methods or systems
Rotational grazing
Host type
Production farm
10.5
Hectares
|
26
Acres
