Small homestead with chickens, a large vegetable and herb garden, berries, flowers, fruit and more
New Hampshire
From October through April, I have one small efficiency apartment room, it has its own bathroom, shower , efficiency, kitchen, and a large sink to wash dishes in and clean other things. This room is heated. And it has its own entrance separate from the main house. This room is available for short stays and long stays during this time. Remember, you will be working outdoors most of the time. I do have cleaning jobs for challenging weather days.
3 seasons. April -November, I have openings with private rooms , a Seasonal Outdoor shower , sinks and a composting toilet in a small building outside. The rooms are not heated but some of the buildings have wood stoves. I also have van space.
Chores for learning new skills are compost pile building and maintaining, building brick walkways , growing a preparing herbs, splitting wood, stacking wood, cutting brush, Building and planting chicken care, working in the hoop house, building fences and gates, hugelculture, wattle fence building , gardening, lawn mowing, preparing areas for camping in the woods, preparing repurposed materials, and lumber that we will be in building projects and the pruning and mulching the berry bushes and fruit trees. I’m sure there is much more but that gives you an inkling of what you could choose for your learning experiences. All useful skills for living a simple life and living sustainably. Learning opportunities are available around the seasons. Certain things are done in certain seasons so you will have opportunities to do different things in different seasons. Also, this year some trim painting needs to be done on the hoop house.
I have Rustic rooms. Even a yurt. Everything else is outdoors. One of spaces has no heat. There are places that have woodstoves, but you need to maintain them and collect wood. In the winter I have a private room with a double bed. The temperature in this room stays around 60°. When it is below freezing there is a sink next to this room but you will need to use the composting toilet in an outdoor building (everyone uses this )Also you have to be content with your own company.
Open for volunteers who can clean their area before they leave.
The homestead will be our platform for meeting and learning and working. And the pond for swimming. The Food is mostly vegan, plenty of whole grains, pasta, fruits and vegetables, tea, water and canned foods .You will be making your own meals in the tiny kitchen house and occasionally I will have a home-cooked meal to share with you. You may bring any of your favorite foods that you would like to supplement my foods with some of these might be coffee, dairy products, meat, bread. There is a 9 pm quiet time and a request to play personal music using earbuds, also no drugs , alcohol or smoking.
My small rural solar homestead is in the beautiful Monadnock region of New Hampshire. I have an extensive garden of herbs, flowers and vegetables, chickens, and a wood lot. You can participate in day to day living of a simple life. I have a list of helping experiences and you can choose what you would like to do, or what you would like to learn. You must be self motivated because you’ll often be helping out on your own. Four hours of help a day will leave plenty of time for your own hobby or adventuring. After five days you get two days off.
What to bring, your ear plugs and buds if you are sensitive to noise or want to listen to audio ( others may be sensitive to sound), a water bottle, your favorite foods if you can’t live without them, Stout shoes that are good for getting dirty , wet and working in, work gloves and weather appropriate clothing, a head bug net for May and June . It gets cold here at night.
You Will have to figure out your own transportation. There is no easy public transportation to This part of New Hampshire. I can pick you up in Keene New Hampshire at the bus station.
I have Summer and seasonal accommodations and then I have one year round room that stays between 52 and 62°. You would either have a private room for yourself or you could bring a friend and share. But you would not be sharing a room with a stranger.The bathroom situation is a composting toilet( bucket) In a building outdoors. And there is an indoor sink with hot and cold water for winter but when it is not freezing there are outdoor sinks and a shower.
I work often as the town librarian. So I am often out and you would have time on your own . We work from 9am until noon every day, this can be adjusted for specific circumstances but must equal 20 hours a week. There are light carpentry projects in the works, which you may help on depending on where we are at with them but only when David is here. Most of us are up at 8 to get going for the day, but work when you would like to . I will work with you on certain days for an hour or two to get you going on a project . As on any farm everything is in its season. This can be an opportunity to learn these things or help me set up new projects, or help revitalize the areas that need structure. You could build cold frames and tame the berry patch, mulch and make compost, weed the gardens and wild harvest herbs to dry, and much more. I am available to teach or work with you from 9 to 11 on Mondays, Thursdays, most Fridays., And Sunday.
Food is mostly vegan with tea and water for drinks ( you may bring other foods if you want to there is a refrigerator )Meals will be in your space or outdoors. You will make most meals in the a simple kitchen and You’ll be doing your own dishes and if you need snacks there is always the garden. I will provide canned foods , tea, vegetables and fruits, grains like rice and oatmeal and others, spices, oil And beans. If you like other foods you might bring them.
I will need someone for 4 hours a day , five days a week ( you may set up your week as you like. Working more one day and having a free day is acceptable, total equaling 20hours a week). You must be able to work alone on a project that I have given instructions on. If you come as a couple and want to work together I can accommodate that easily. Also, you must be able to move at least three wheelbarrels full of. Wood or compost each day you work..
You will need your own transportation . Within walking distance there are woods, trails, swimming. Mount Monadnock and other small New England peaks are close by. Keene, New Hampshire offers culture, shopping and activities. I can do longer stays of woofers during the warmer seasons (with a trial period to see if we all get along), but can only work with people who can work on their own. If you are self motivated get in touch. See more pictures at face book , Blue Heron in Nelson. This is a quiet household. Being content with your own company and solitude will go a long way. I will get you started on the projects but you need to be self motivated. No smoking, alcohol or drugs on the property. Quiet time at 9 pm.
Organic methods: No chemicals used. Compost and soild enhancers like comfrey dug in. Mulching.
Certifications: we do not use any chemicals, just manure made by our own chickens and compost and mycelium rich soil from the forest.
Current projects: compost building
small buildings, splitting and stacking cord wood
chicken and dog care
brush cutting, gardening , berry picking and cutting and care, harvesting herbs
maple syrup when it is time
Internet access available
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Poultry farming
Forestry
Wild foraging
Flower farming
Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas
Seed saving or production
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Methods or systems
Holistic management
No-till farming
Permaculture
Mentoring opportunities
Woman-operated
Accommodation
Kris
Member since 2016
Languages spoken:
English
Response rate: 100%
Response time: typically within 1 day
November 2025
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Open
Planned visit
Closed
New Hampshire
Keene New Hampshire
Reviews
Gaya
United States
•
September 2025
I had a great time staying with Kris! There’s plenty to do, Kris is a very accommodating host, and my room was comfortable. We built fencing, brick pathways, canned tomatoes, etc. The small town seems to always have something going on, and the library is within walking distance. Definitely stay here if you want to learn about gardening and self sufficiency
Lisa
United States
•
August 2025
Unique stay, rustic, yet beautiful and many opportunities for learning. Kris was knowledgeable and encouraging.
Warren
United States
•
June 2025
I went to Kris because I have very little experience with nature and gardens and homesteading, and she took me in like I was family to show me what she has cultivated over the course of her life. Kris was very patient with my lack of knowledge, and gave me feasible projects based on my lack of experience. She answered every, single question I had and filled me with confidence and motivation for me to do more back on my own land. She is very clear on expectations for people staying here which made it a great experience. I would recommend anyone to Kris and this place- she truly embodies a love for the land and the epitome of a beautiful homestead. I will absolutely be going back to her.
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Cel
United States
•
December 2024
You might think, what is there to do in New Hampshire in late fall? The answer: so much! I had such a fantastic time at this farm. Kris always had projects, big or small, to give me, providing detailed instruction and guidance when needed. Some of my favorites included wood splitting, snowblowing (for the first time in my life!), burning brush piles in the woods, and reorganizing projects in the garage and woodshed. this is a place where sustainable living is taken seriously, and it is a beautiful thing to see nothing wasted, whether it's spreading ashes from the burn piles onto the hibernating garden or creating living fences with fallen branches. In addition to the work itself, which got me outside and moving in a time when it can be so hard to enjoy the dwindling hours of sunshine, the community around the farm is like no other. Weekly potlucks and contra dances bring people together and made me feel so welcome and connected. I'm so grateful for my month at this farm and I'm looking forward to wwoofing here again during the summertime!
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Elissa
United States
•
October 2024
We loved visiting and working at this farm! We always had a variety of task to accomplish and felt we learned everything that was promised. The space we slept in was very clean and matched the description. We appreciated the ability the learn independently with daily check ins! We also loved the rustic style of the kitchen and shower area. Kris was a lovely person who took the time to get to know us and even share a meal, I highly recommend this farm for any first time WWOOFers! Thank you Kris!!!
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Caitlin
United States
•
October 2024
Kris was an absolutely wonderful host and a special person! I only was able to come for a day, and she was so accommodating and welcoming. You feel very comfortable being there. I learned a ton in just the short time I was there. She knows so much about gardening, building, and sustainable living and is happy to share it with you. I really hope to return to Blue Heron again! Thank you Kris :)
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