No-Till, Vermiculture, Hügelkultur, Herbs,Veggies,Chick Soil Food Web, Worm Tea & Educational Center
New Jersey
Hi WWOOFers! Welcome to our farm in South Jersey USA.
We host WWOOFers who are eager to learn about regenerative farming techniques.
Currently seeking a chicken care and worm master apprentice. This person will learn about feeding and caring for our 60 chicken flock. Long term preferred
Also seeking a farm assistant manager apprentice. Learn what we do on our micro farm and have an active role in sharing this magical place with others.
We are a teaching farm where you will learn about sustainable, regenerative methods of growing food and restoring the soil. We are now scheduling WWOOFer for winter prep. We are looking for help to trim dormant berry bushes, trees, help with chickens and other tasks.
The property is 13-acres and we have two big gardens where we grow veggies, berries & herbs. We raise 60 free-range, pasture chickens for eggs. We also have a worm farm where we raise worms for castings/fertilizer. You can visit the Medicine Wheel, the Labyrinth & Fairy Grove on walking paths in the woods surrounding our farm . We have 2 energetic dogs, 1 sweet older cat, 2 fun-loving twin cats.
Only natural, no-till, beyond organic (more-ganic) farming methods have been used for the past 45 years! Hügelkultur, Vermiculture, Lasagna gardening, vertical growing, raised beds, Thermophilic compost, woodchip gardening, mulching and more!
We welcome WWOOFers who have a positive outlook on life and are enthusiastic about learning sustainable, regenerative growing practices. Camping experience is useful. Some gardening experience is beneficial but not necessary. Knowledge of how to do minor repairs, work with power tools & a chainsaw is a plus, but not necessary. We have most of the tools needed to do these repairs.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:
You will have fun with "boots-in-the-dirt", "hands-on" learning experiences. See all the activities that go into having a small, regenerative farm/garden. The longer you stay, the more you will learn. We have an extensive library of gardening/farming books available to the WWOOFers for studying. WWOOFers will receive informational handouts on the topics we are working on. We have question and answer sessions and informational exchanges with other students present. This is a great learning experience.
WHAT’S NEEDED: Along with the top two positions we are looking for two long term wwoofers to be interns. We would like these interns for 2-3 months starting in March or April. You will be helping plant starter plants and much more as listed below.
We have a detailed selection process but you will learn a lot.
Right now we need Chicken care, cutting back berry bushes, mulching, weeding, cutting and drying herbs, minor carpentry repairs, etc. We are always in need of those skilled in the use of a chainsaw.
ACCOMMODATIONS:
We have a 2-story cabin & a 27-foot camper. There is electricity for lighting, charging phones, laptops, running fans. There is room for your own self-contained pop-ups, RVs & campers. There are several outside farm-style hydrants, 3 wash stations, a seasonal outdoor hot water shower, a compost toilet & a outhouse.
NO drugs or marijuana allowed on the property. We are a drug free farm.
No smoking of any kind or vaping.
We do not permit any excessive or underage drinking. Anyone who is disruptive will be asked to leave the property.
We have a 35-foot Native American Medicine Wheel and Woodland Labyrinth, along with a Fairy Grove. WWOOFers are invited to join our spiritual & drumming circles around the wheel if you so desire.
FUN STUFF: There are many local activities in the area including: wineries, breweries, distilleries, coffee houses, flea markets, Rowan University, mega shopping centers. Philadelphia is half-hour away; New York City is 2 hours away. Atlantic City and many Jersey shore points are a little over 1-hour away. Delaware is 30 minutes away. There is access to swimming at a local lake and hiking at Elephant Swamp. In the spring and fall there are lots of yard sales.
TRANSPORTATION FROM PHILADELPHIA: Bus #410 from Philly takes 1 hour & 30 minutes and will stop less than half mile from our farm. From there it is easy to walk to our farm.
ZOOM CALL: If you are interested in talking to us about possibilities, please request a Zoom call to see if we are a fit. We are friendly, fun-loving, hard-working farmer/teachers.
ORGANIC METHODS: Lasagna Gardening (sheet composting), Thermophilic Composting, Ruth Stout method, Back to Eden Farming method, Morganic (More Than Organic), heavy mulching, vermi-composting, Hügelkultur, natural, no chemicals, no-tilling, little to no watering, and Dr. Elaine's Soil Food Web techniques.
Certifications: We use all natural methods of farming. Mary is presently studying the Soil Food Web course with Dr. Elaine Ingham where she is learning about soil biology and chemistry which she will share with WWOOFer students. We do not use any chemicals.
Please watch this video from one of our WWOOFers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DhpJEQ7ka8
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Poultry farming
Wild foraging
Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas
Seed saving or production
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Methods or systems
Biodynamic agriculture
Holistic management
No-till farming
Permaculture
Regenerative agriculture
Mentoring opportunities
Woman-operated
Host type
Production farm
5.3
Hectares
|
13
Acres
Accommodation
Mary
Member since 2019
Languages spoken:
English
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 92%
Response time: typically within 6 days
New Jersey
Philadelphia - Bus #410 stops half mile from farm
Reviews
Tammi
United States
•
May 2026
It was very kind of Nancy to let me come just for the day to explore her lovely farm, to see if it would’ve a fit for us. There’s so much to see and do, and I know when I return I will be very busy. Nancy is AWESOME. She’s got a true Capricorn spirit - grounded to Earth, yet flexible, open-minded, and very willing to accommodate.
Nancy is direct, which I LOVE because I need explicit direction. She is not going to leave you guessing about what she expects. She’s got a great balance of firm, but gentle. We had a lot of laughs, and I felt safe to just be my weird self.
I can’t wait to go back and team up with Nancy and Sunshine Farm to absorb all of her immense wisdom. She’s a human library of organic farming information, mixed with the coziness of dear friend. ** her pets are also super sweet!!
You won’t be disappointed and you will not be bored, if you choose Sunshine Farm!
Happy Farming
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Sarah
United States
•
April 2026
We had a wonderful time with Nancy during our day visit! We learned loads about Nancy’s sustainable practices and were able to get hands-on experience with verma culture, building environmentally-friendly mulch beds, and transplanting tomato plants! We look forward to coming back and visiting her and the two most adorable dogs. Nancy was the best host we could have asked for😎
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Jonah
United States
•
October 2025
I had a great time at this farm! Though my stay was only four days, I felt the experience was fulfilling and left me feeling inspired. Mary and Nancy are very accommodating hosts and passionate about education, and I learned a lot about vermiculture, lasagna gardening and the deep litter method. My tasks were mostly related to moving wood chips and fertilized dirt back and forth from the chicken coops as well as weeding mugwort. The work was challenging and rigorous and I finished each day feeing relaxed and able to enjoy the serene forested land around the farm. There was time each day to go out and explore South Jersey after and I had a fantastic time adventuring with another WWOOFer who was there.
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Reply from Mary
Thank you Jonah for your descriptive review. It was such a pleasure having this fellow on our farm.
Daniel
United States
•
May 2025
Mary & Nancy were wonderful hosts!! Every day there was something new to learn & Mary was diligent in making sure I was doing what interested me as well as giving me flexibility in case the weather got too hot or my allergies got worse. There was a lot of work with chickens and learning all about them was a definite highlight, we also attempted a few alternative gardening techniques and Mary encouraged doing research, and thinking critically if we ran into an issue, gave me reading material if I had questions about anything, and taught me a lot about plant identification in the process, I hope I can make it back soon!
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Cedell
United States
•
March 2025
Mary and Nancy were lovely hosts. They had plenty of things to teach about various farming practices and were thorough and precise when relaying information.
Mary frequently reviewed content we'd learned from the day and provided printouts and suggestions for notes. She was also available for questions during tasks and provided tips and tricks when necessary.
Nancy prepared meals and ensured there were things to eat when she wasn't going to be around. She packed lunches, ensured we had plenty of coffee and treats and was attentive to our needs and preferences.
The work was strenuous but not overly so and we had ample breaks and kept a good pace.
I enjoyed myself and will definitely hope to come back sometime in the future!
Thanks Mary and Nancy for a good time.
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Reply from Mary
Cedell, you were great and i would welcome you back anytime. Keep in touch. :)
Ben
United States
•
November 2024
This was my first wwoofing experience and Mary and Nancy were great hosts. I learned a lot from them about composting and gardening and using resources wisely. They take things that most people throw away and use them to create healthy sustainable farming methods. They were really nice and supportive and patient and I enjoyed sharing meals and spending time with them. They helped me set goals for myself and improve as a human. I definitely recommend Sunshine Farm to other wwoofers.
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