New small farm in beautiful western North Carolina
North Carolina
Temporary update: Temporarily, the accommodation is not the spacious apartment pictured, but rather a small single bedroom with shared bathroom, or a four person tent on the covered back porch with blowup mattress.
We have a small 13.5 acre property which we are slowly turning into a small farm, not commercial, but rather raising food for ourselves and friends. We are emphasizing perennial plants such as fruit and nut trees, berry bushes, etc. We have a veggie garden, and would like help putting up a greenhouse. Animals so far are one horse, four adorable pigs, for sheep, and one goat. Considering a dairy cow. We make Christmas wreaths made from our evergreen trees. We are not a registered organic farm, but will farm that way.
We live in beautiful western North Carolina, outside the small towns of Murphy and Andrews. It is rolling hills near the Appalachian Mountains. We are a family of four. Our interest in farming comes from our backgrounds. My husband grew up on a sheep farm in New Zealand. I have a master's degree in Conservation Ecology and Sustainable Development. We also have one kid at home.
Our expectations of WWOOFer visitors: We welcome you to our home as a visitor. We enjoy meeting new people and cultural and idea exchanges. We welcome visitors who are interested in learning about the process of setting up a new farm and want to share our lifestyle and chores, which might take around four hours a day. Chores could vary, depending on your interests, but could include normal activities such as weeding, harvesting, preserving the harvest, mowing, pruning, animal care, creating raised garden beds, stacking firewood, invasive species eradication, native plant planting, handyman repairs, and similar. Or someone with carpentry skills who knows how to build a horse run-in shelter would be particularly welcome!
When WWOOFers are needed: Any time
Suggested length of stay: Pretty flexible. A week or two might work out well, but there is always a day or two of activities, or if we get along, and you are a good fit, longer might work out.
Children or Pets okay: Yes. We have two kids ourselves. I have been a WWOOFer with a child. A well behaved, quiet dog would be okay, with the caveat that you would need to keep the dog under your control at all times This area has coyotes and stray dogs which could hurt a loose dog. You would need to pay for any damage your dog causes.
Accommodation: Small bedroom with a single bed. Shared bathroom. Or a large four-person tent on the covered back porch.
Transportation options: It would be best if you had a car. Sometimes, we might be able to pick you up in Chattanooga, TN or Asheville, NC.
Languages spoken: English, Japanese, and basic Spanish
Meals: We eat a variety of foods including American, New Zealand, Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, etc. Omnivores, vegans, and vegetarians who can eat with meat eaters and share cooking pans are welcome. Usually for breakfast and lunch everyone cooks for themselves, and we eat dinner together.
Nearby sights and fun things to do: Outdoor activities, primarily. Hiking on the Appalachian Trail or other trails, lots of waterfalls, boating or swimming at lakes, white water rafting on the Nantahala River. Most of these are about 30 minutes away. Two hours to any big city. One hour and a half to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Close to home we have the John C. Campbell Folk School with contra dancing twice a week and free concerts. Murphy, NC has a casino.
Organic methods: Mulching, no till, organic fertilizers, avoid monocultures, high diversity, chop and drop with perennial legumes and deep rooted plants, etc.
Certifications: Not organic certified, but farm that way.
Current projects: Building more raised beds for veggies. Planting lots of nut and fruit trees, pruning existing trees. Eradicating invasive plants. Planting native plants. Feed the horse and pigs. Stack firewood. Carpenter skills? Build a three sided run in shelter for horses or cow.
Internet access available
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Forestry
Beekeeping
Wild foraging
Flower farming
Seed saving or production
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Beer, cider, wine, or juice making
Bakery
Methods or systems
Holistic management
No-till farming
Permaculture
Mentoring opportunities
Woman-operated
Host type
Self-sufficiency property
Former WWOOFer
5.3
Hectares
|
13
Acres
Andrea
Member since 2020
Languages spoken:
English, Japanese
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 83%
Response time: typically within 2 days
North Carolina
Chattanooga, TN, Asheville, NC, or Gainesville, GA
Reviews
Miranda
United States
•
January 2026
My time here was very nice and peaceful. I really enjoyed visiting the nearby forest as well as the animals. The room is comfortable and Andrea is a great cook with plenty of healthy food from their garden even in the winter. Andrea is very flexible with tasks and makes sure you are taken care of. A very kind and lovely family. They even took me country dancing which was so much fun!
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Vivian
United States
•
October 2025
I enjoyed staying at this farm. I experienced what it's like raising pigs, sheep, and a horse. I already had chickens so I knew what to expect with those. Andrea is a super nice host and kept me fed very well. She's a good cook! Her homestead is in a very quiet location in a beautiful part of North Carolina. The activities that I helped her with on her farm were as she listed. I was very fortunate to be a Wwoofer the same week that the John C Campbell Folk School festival took place. I was able to attend on Saturday and Sunday and still managed to get my work hours in without any difficulty. Her family was very welcoming and the sleeping arrangements were extremely comfortable.
I would highly recommend this farm!
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Alice
France
•
October 2024
Bastien and I had a wonderfull time at Andrea's
We spent a short week at her farm
Andrea is a very kind and caring person , considerate , with a very good and generous heart
She made great effort to be understood (we are french people) and taught us many things about plants , animals,trees...
She asks how much informations we want to have ,makes sure everything is ok and proposes different activities
We were very comfortable in her house
During our time off ,she suggested locations and places to go hiking, she and her husband Keith gave us great advices
She is an amazing cook and prepared many different dishes
We got to share a very lovely evening discovering traditional food of the region, it was so delicious
It's very easy and enjoyable to talk with Andrea
We got to meet her very well behaved, polite and funny daughter , it was a delight
Keith is also a very good person, we had interesting talks with him, we also learned many things about ways in America like football, tips ,and things like that
We are so happy we wwoofed in this particular farm
The animals are incredibly cute and welcomy , it really was a pleasure to participate in this farm
We really learned a lot
I definitely recommend to go, you clearly won't regret it and grow from the experience like we did
Thanks a million time to all three of you and your adorable animals
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Katherine
United States
•
May 2024
Andrea welcomed me to her family's homestead on quite a short notice, but it seemed like hardly any time had passed before I felt right at home. As the days passed I swiftly fell into the rhythm of morning and afternoon feeding times for the animals, light tasks around the household or on the land, my afternoon work for a remote job, and long evening walks along the gently sloping roads. In my experience with WWOOF, Andrea is exceptional in her communication and clarity regarding guidelines, objectives, and expectations, while also being exceptionally good-humored, good-hearted, open, and welcoming. Knowing that I have an interest in moving to this area, she often shared anecdotes, advice, and experiences over the course of a day, and gave me tips on cool local places to visit (for events, hikes, and coffee!). My accommodations (the basement apartment, my tent in the yard, or on occasion another spare room) were clean, spacious, and comfortable; the food was plentiful and delicious; the work was sufficient for learning and for bodily exercise without being exhausting or overwhelming; and my daily schedule was clear and well-balanced. Truly one of the best visits I've had through this program - I strongly recommend Andrea and her farm if you are interested in coming to this corner of the world, and hope to return soon myself!
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Ruth
United States
•
January 2024
Andrea and her husband were wonderful hosts! I throughly enjoyed my stay with them and I will be miss the piggies and Three Socks the horse!
Olivia
United States
•
October 2022
I had such a great Wwoofing experience at New Farm in Progress. Andrea, Keith, Natalie, Max(dog) and three socks (horse) were so kind, warm and welcoming towards myself and my furry companion. Even on such short notice on my part, which I am especially grateful for. My visit was during the off season, so I did some transplanting, weeding, harvesting of tomatoes and zucchini and fed the horse daily. Additionally, I expressed an interest in canning and bee keeping with the hosts and they quickly made a point of taking the time to show me those and answer my many questions. The accommodations were super clean and comfortable and it was nice to have our separate space. However, I also very much enjoyed gathering every evening for a delicious dinner and will treasure those moments spent with the family. I would highly recommend a visit to this farm. I felt as though I learned a lot and my work efforts were appreciated. Thank you so much for allowing us the opportunity to visit your farm and we hope to return in the future.
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