Organic permaculture-inspired nonprofit project in beautiful Finland, MN

Minnesota

7 reviews • Updated 3 days ago

If you are interested in volunteering with us in 2026, please reach out! We ask for a minimum of 2 weeks for all stays. The Land - We are an organic permaculture-inspired project on the edge of the village of Finland, MN. Of the 15 acres, 3.5 acres are developed for perennial and annual food production. On the land, there is a house, barn/event space, Deep Winter Greenhouse (DWG), and the main office for the Organic Consumers Association (our parent organization). A 1/4 acre garden is being developed into an intensive vegetable production area for demonstration and education around growing successfully in this northern climate. A larger perennial garden (3 acres) is established with terraced medicinal herb gardens and berms and swales full of fruiting trees and shrubs. The Work - Our work consists of planting and caring for a mixture of vegetables, herbs, flowers, and fruiting trees and shrubs in a way that works with the land here in the Boreal Region of northeastern Minnesota. Throughout the season, tasks vary and may include establishing compost piles, hauling mulch, manure, and soils, picking and hauling rocks for bed construction, fixing our tamarack log deer fence, mowing, planting, weeding, harvesting, etc. Educational Opportunities - WWOOFers will be able to learn firsthand about Permaculture and AgroEcology methods, soils, seeds, planting, finances, tools and equipment. Additionally, the AgroEcology Center will host trainings throughout the summer on a variety of topics including mushrooms, bees, and medicinals which WWOOFers are welcome to attend. Additional Benefits - Finland is located in the heart of the Lake Superior North Shore region of Minnesota. Amazing nature hikes alongside wild rivers and waterfalls abound, we are only miles away from the Boundary Waters which offer a wonderful backwoods experience for hiking, camping, and canoeing. Living Arrangements - WWOOFers are housed in a newly renovated shared home on the land with the farm manager. WWOOFers will have the second floor to themselves which has its own bathroom and two private bedrooms, while sharing a communal kitchen, living room, and porch. Please note that the second floor has 6 foot ceilings so taller individuals may need to duck through doorframes, etc. There is wifi at the house. Provided food is a mixture of fruits and vegetables grown on the farm and purchased food from our general store which can be tailored to your needs. Meals are prepared on your own but cooperative cooking can be set up by those present. Criteria - Our main criteria are that you like to work, have a good attitude and are community minded. We ask for 20-30 hr/week work commitment and the schedule is flexible over the course of a week. No tobacco use is allowed due to potential plant diseases. We look forward to interviewing you if you are interested to learn more about you and to share more about us. Due to our somewhat off the beaten path location, transportation by car is recommended, yet there is a bus service from Duluth (Arrowhead Transit) with an online schedule.

Learning opportunities

Vegetable farming

Fruit or nut farming

Forestry

Beekeeping

Wild foraging

Flower farming

Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas

Seed saving or production

Vegetable or fruit preservation

Methods or systems

Biological pest control

Biodynamic agriculture

Holistic management

No-till farming

Permaculture

Regenerative agriculture

Mentoring opportunities

LGBTQ+-operated

Woman-operated

Host type

Nonprofit / Community

Certified organic

Former WWOOFer

4.1 Hectares | 10 Acres

Accommodation

2 WWOOFers

Bedroom

Campsite

Children not accepted

Pets not accepted

Meals

Omnivore

Vegetarian

Vegan

Length of stay

1-2 weeks

3-4 weeks

Over a month

Charlotte

Member since 2017

Languages spoken: English Response rate: 100% Response time: typically within 3 days

December 2025

Open

Planned visit

Closed

MapLibre | Protomaps | © OpenStreetMap

Minnesota

Duluth, MN

Reviews

Addy

United States • December 2025

Stayed for a little over a month, but wish I had made it the whole season! Charlotte and Phil are warm and welcoming hosts, accommodations are clean and (relatively) private. Charlotte shares her vast knowledge of various farming methods and practices freely, while providing hands-on learning opportunities over a huge variety of projects and plants. I felt extremely connected to the community as a whole, having access to attend/learn from several local events, projects, and organizations. I am extremely grateful for my time here and for the company of Charlotte, Phil, and the whole community :)

Madison

United States • January 2025

I loved my time here. Charlotte and Phil are incredible hosts and welcomed me into their home with open arms. Whatever the length of your stay you will be introduced to the amazing community in Finland and people doing such cool work. I would highly recommend WWOOFing here if you are interested in working on an experimental operation and being exposed to a wide range of different crops. The work hours are flexible and Charlotte is so knowledgeable and open to any questions you might have. I was in Finland towards the end of summer and through the fall and I can’t imagine a better time to be in the north country. It is the perfect temperature for farming and the leaves are gorgeous. Not only that but there are so many hiking trails and swimming holes to explore. Couldn’t recommend this farm more!!!

Annemarie

United States • September 2024

I had such such a lovely time at this farm!! I learned so much from Charlotte and Phil. I am grateful to have spent the last few months with them!!

Clare

United States • October 2023

I had a wonderful time here! I stayed for about 3 weeks. Charlotte and Phil were great hosts who made me feel so welcomed. The accommodations were also so nice - I had the whole upper floor of the house to myself! Charlotte was so inviting when I first arrived and immediately introduced me to different members of the Finland community (everyone is so cool). I got to visit a few different nearby WWOOF farms during my stay. I got to meet so many badass farmers!! The work at this farm work consisted mainly of weeding, mulching, planting, and harvesting produce. I really appreciated that there was so much flexibility with the hours/the type of work I wanted to do. I also got the opportunity to harvest wild rice with Charlotte and Phil, which was such a cool experience. I would really recommend their farm if you're interested in learning about different growing practices, medicinal plants, and permaculture. This is also a great opportunity to learn about the complex ecosystems of Northern Minnesota and how agriculture fits into this ecosystem. The land is also breathtaking and there are countless opportunities to explore (hiking, swimming, canoeing, etc). I'm so grateful for my experience and highly recommend this farm for first time WWOOFers! :)

Randall

United States • August 2023

What a great experience I had! This was my first WWOOF adventure and was so glad to choose this farm. Charlotte the Farm Manager and her partner were wonderful Hosts and knowledgable teachers. The many activities included weeding the beds and pathways, there were lots of tansy weeds, helping rebuild the small foot bridges between the berms, gathering the branches of a storm downed tree for a hugelkultur, harvesting mushrooms and berries on the farm. We also visited two other local farms and met some wonderful people who shared the same values for honoring the land. We went hiking and did some food foraging for wild blueberries and wild lobster mushrooms. I attended a local workshop on how to harvest wild rice and also how to process it. Met some great folks there! The Farmer's Market was a great place to buy some delicious homemade bread, salsa, listen to some live music and meet the local folks! Charlotte's house was warm and inviting. I had my own bedroom and a shared bathroom. I had a positive experience here and recommend it especially if this is your first time WWOOFING!

Andrei

United States • August 2023

I had a wonderful time at NSAEC! The hosts were wonderful to be around and were devoted to helping us learn what we wanted to learn while we are there. The workload was very chill and the overall work atmosphere was perfect.