Organic, Regenerative and Resilient Living Ranch

Idaho

4 reviews • Updated 1 month ago

Our campus is in two locations in and near the Idaho Rocky Mountains where we have a small urban farm near Boise and a much larger regenerative ranch in the high desert near Marsing , Idaho (1 hour from Boise). We use the facilities for research and development of aquaponic systems, hydroponic systems, and regenerative farming. We strive to improve upon previous methods of intensive yet regenerative and sustainable agricultural systems. aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics. We are also in the early stages of creating an intentional community where spirituality and resilience are major goals and factors guiding the community development. For almost 17 years, we operated a large ranch in Colorado, where we have hosted volunteers for almost 13 years. We have been here in Idaho for almost two years and we have recently acquired our Ranch near Marsing, Idaho. Our recent move to Idaho was to expand our regenerative living to a much larger ranch that we are early in the process of developing . Summers are wonderfully mild and dry while winters are cool and pleasant. We do have snow, but daytime hours are almost always above freezing. We have a wide array of climate changes. Our base location is only a short 20 minute drive from Boise with skiing in winter, year around fishing, hiking, biking and all kinds of outdoor activities. We have excellent cell phone coverage and unlimited at both locations Wi-Fi availability. We can arrange for transportation for you while you are staying with us, in many cases. Guests stay in a modern two bedroom apartment with all the amenities of home while they are in our Boise location and for now we commute (about a 35 mile drive) to our Marsing site. You will have a fully stocked private kitchen and bathroom in the Boise area. When you stay overnight in Marsing you will be the only resident in a fully stocked one bedroom RV. We will transport you back and forth from our Marsing location or you can take your own vehicle if you would like. You will also have a private laundry room with washer and dryer in the Boise area. The apartment is heated and air conditioned. We will provide you all your food needs for three meals a day. Please talk with us about your unique food or lodging needs. You will work as handy persons doing gardening, carpentry, grounds cleaning and maintenance and animal training. We ask for 20~ 25 hrs a week, generally five 4-5 hour days. Generally, we train a Helper for one key role and have that be their main focus area rather than have people switching from one area to another. We also have business work to do if that is an interest area for you. However, you are always welcome to join in on other business activities after your daily shift is done, and occasionally, we have big projects like building fences and day travel that require extra hands and attention. We provide some food produced at one of our ranches. We will provide all the food for three meals per day, and you will cook for yourself due to our busy schedule. We do have group meals on a periodic basis, but not always daily. We select food for you that will meet your dietary interests (vegan, omnivore, etc.). We feel that both parties benefit the most when our volunteers have longer stays; therefore, we require a stay of at least 4- 6 weeks. We are a unique regenerative/sustainable farming and ranching community. We strongly believe in the Access and Collaborative Economy (ACE) and we do a lot of collaborative projects. Contact us! we would love to hear from you. At this time, we are only accepting people that can understand at least conversational English. Unfortunately, we cannot accept pets. When we have availability couples are welcome. Be respectful of all residents, wildlife, and the land. We are in an extremely dry area and fires are always an issue. We do not allow smoking at all. We do not allow pets, except in very special circumstances. We love animals, but we have working dogs on site that are involved with disciplined competition. We also have dog training on site and our clients do not like to encounter random guest animals. Organic methods: Hydroponics, aquaponics, ecological forestry, watershed management, and more. Certifications: We are not certified because we see minimal benefit from the process and we are somewhat cynical about how farms we know that are Certified Organic are really not organic at all.

Learning opportunities

Vegetable farming

Poultry farming

Raising of other farm animals

Forestry

Aquaculture

Wild foraging

Seed saving or production

Green Building

Renewable energy production

Mechanics / tools / technology

Methods or systems

Aquaponics

Hydroponics

Permaculture

Regenerative agriculture

Host type

Production farm

64.8 Hectares | 160 Acres

Accommodation

2 WWOOFers

Bedroom

Children not accepted

Pets not accepted

Meals

Omnivore

Vegetarian

Vegan

Length of stay

3-4 weeks

Over a month

Wayne

Member since 2017

Languages spoken: English Response rate: 94% Response time: typically within 7 days

November 2025

Open

Planned visit

Closed

MapLibre | Protomaps | © OpenStreetMap

Idaho

Boise International Airport

Reviews

Todd

United States • April 2023

I spent 4 months at this ranch; had a great experience and I will be back for more. Wayne and Deb have been wonderful hosts (and all around humans) and the animals are all awesome. I was able to learn to care for the 50 plus alpacas and ~30 Chickens in a short period of time. I would describe part of the property as a "permaculturalists junkyard' where there are systems in storage for hydroponics, aquaponics, fodder growing, greenhouses, etc., all waiting to be st up and used by the right person. If you are wiling to put in your ~20hrs of Wwoof chores (animal care, lawn care, gardening, cleaning, fixing stuff, etc.) there is a great opportunity here to learn on your own or even start your own business. (There are also endless opportunities for recreation in the area in case your want to Wwoof and then play.) A lot going on this growing season with new Layer chicks and tons of gardening/plant growing.

Reply from Wayne

Todd thanks so much for the very kind words. I think you ver accurately described what we have and are about here. I would also like to compliment you for your qualities as a WWOOFer and a human. You are thoughtful, prompt, trustworthy, hard-working, and a number of other quality characteristics. I will recommend you highly to other hosts and for other opportunities you may pursue. You are also a blast to play pickleball with and to be with for other fun things. Oh, and yes, a very good artist!

Victoria

United States • December 2022

I think that these hosts collectively have a lot of good information and knowledge. I left one week into my three week stay due to the living accommodations and being asked to do work unrelated to farming/ranching. The trailer I was set up in was leaky and couldn't maintain a temperature above 45 at night. The main toilet available was a port-a-potty. When it tipped over during a windstorm WWOOFers were asked to clean up the raw human sewage. I was asked to complete personal tasks like level out the dirt of a shed to create a personal recreation area (putting range and tennis court).

Reply from Wayne

Victoria, I have waited some time to reply to your very inaccurate post. I was very disappointed in what you posted and disappointed in WWOOF for even posting it. You seem to be a nice person, and other than just leaving without any real notice you were a good worker and person. Best wishes in all you do.

carly

United States • November 2018

Wayne and Deb we're very hospitable. Wayne greeted us warmly upon our arrival, helped us park our beast of a bus and then proceeded to ask us about our specific intrests/ favorite kind of farm work, ect. Working with the alpacas was an experience I will cherish and my partner Nick was left to his own devices, tasked to fix things. If you're interested in chickens, Sarah, whom Nick and I refer to as the chicken savant, is worth meeting and also working on the farm. We only stayed a short time, but the land was beautiful and the people kind and we would recommend this farm to anyone that has interest in alpacas, working dogs, chickens and/or hospitable hosts.

Kim

United States • March 2018

I enjoyed my nearly 5 month stay with Wayne & Deb on the alpaca ranch. I got to see first hand the challenges and joys of operating a livestock-based farm. Also how difficult it can be finding reliable, consistent ranch hands. Because of this, I was able to get a lot of experience working with the boy alpacas, assisting Deb with their daily feeding and cleaning of their stalls and pens. Once an awesome ranch hand was hired, I kept busy organizing the library and helping Wayne with office work, (scanning business cards into Evernote, setting up spreadsheets, proofreading websites, etc.) The valley is so beautiful and peaceful and provides many opportunities for nature walks and hikes. Winter isn't the best time for vegetable farming, so you will have more to do during the spring and summer months. Deb & Wayne welcomed me to their home to a clean room and bath. For meals, I provided a list of my preferred groceries and Deb bought for me. I tried out several new recipes during my stay. It was also fun getting to know the dogs and cats. Thanks for everything Deb & Wayne!!