Unique learning experience in farming and wine-making in beautiful, historic Leelanau County, MI

Michigan

23 reviews • Updated 1 year ago

A unique learning experience in farming, and wine-making in beautiful, historic Leelanau County's only organic vineyard. We are a couple with 2 young, running a small farm-first winery among the beaches, woods and vines of the county. WWOOFers will help with farm duties like caring for sheep and chickens and pruning and planting vines; also winemaking work in the cellar.. This year's internship window is May 1 until Thanksgiving. No minimum, 4 weeks maximum at least to start. Described below, interns will focus in an area of need for our farm that takes into account their interests, from winemaking to animal husbandry, to working in the garden. 5.5 days/week, between 4-6 hours/day. Solos and couples of all stripes welcome. There is a shared space in the back of the winery that has an intern shower and bathroom inside, as well as a kitchen. Our accommodations are clean and organized. There is a single cot in the loft space above the intern area or camping is available. We have camping gear. Groceries provided for meals that interns will prepare in our shared kitchen space. No children or pets. Bicycles potentially provided. Willing to work with special diets. Organic methods: We use animals to help prune and fertilize our vines and gardens, and to help with pest control as much as possible. We spray organic pesticides only when absolutely necessary. Certifications: Organic practices, permaculture, sustainable agriculture Current projects: Planting, pruning and maintenance of vines, production of wine and cider, preparation in the tasting room. Preparing, planting and maintaining the garden and landscaping around the winery. Animal husbandry for chickens and sheep. Internet access available and is now high speed!

Learning opportunities

Vegetable farming

Pig farming

Sheep or goat farming

Viticulture

Forestry

Meat processing

Vegetable or fruit preservation

Beer, cider, wine, or juice making

Methods or systems

Biological pest control

Holistic management

Permaculture

Host type

Production farm

6.1 Hectares | 15 Acres

WWOOF-Verified

Accommodation

3 WWOOFers

Bedroom

Campsite

Children not accepted

Pets not accepted

Meals

Vegetarian

Length of stay

Less than a week

1-2 weeks

3-4 weeks

Over a month

Tim

Member since 2020

Languages spoken: English Response rate: 100% Response time: typically within 5 days

November 2025

Open

Planned visit

Closed

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Michigan

Reviews

Aaron

United States • November 2025

This was my first woofing experience and I stayed for around 3 and a half weeks! Tim and Betsy were friendly and welcoming!! The farm and surrounding area was beautiful and there was abundant opportunity for adventures (beaches and hiking galore). I was able to help with harvesting grapes, pressing apples/grapes into cider/wine, collecting eggs, feeding and watering chickens, painting signs, and random farm tasks. I LEARNED SOOO MUCH ABOUT WINE. The bathroom and kitchenette space were clean and lovely. One small challenge was that the bathroom/kitchen space shared a wall with their airbnb so there was an expectation not to shower or cook after 7pm or before 9am. But honestly I was just glad to have access to a clean shower. Altogether this was a really great experience and I learned so much.

Reply from Tim

Thanks for staying with us, Aaron, You were an absolute pleasure to host: kind, thoughtful, clean and helpful. Just want to make a quick note that yes, when the AirBnb is booked, we do ask for quiet hours out of respect for our other guests, but even in the height of our season, the room is booked half or fewer of the total nights, so for at least half of the time, these quiet hours do not apply. Thanks again, Aaron, you are welcome back anytime! Hope to catch a glass of wine or cider with you next time.

Mari

United States • November 2025

I spent about a week working with tim and betsy at green bird cellars right after harvest season and learned so much about the winemaking process. they accepted me with open arms even though it was my first time on a vineyard and made me feel like an important part of their production. while at green bird, I got to learn about both traditional winemaking methods as well as natural winemaking, which is a rare opportunity. tim and betsy made me feel right at home in such a short period of time and I couldn’t have asked for a better first time experience in winemaking and farming.

Reply from Tim

Mari, it was an absolute pleasure hosting you. We feel like we learned a ton from you, and certainly benefited from your hard work and kindness. WWOOFers like you are why we keep up with the program. Wish you the best, and hope to see you either on the farm or elsewhere sooner than later!

Madelyn

United States • October 2025

This was a beautiful farm with good cider. Northport and the entire peninsula is awesome. On the farm, I had a light workload and enjoyed the apple pressing process. As a solo female, I want to give more details about the living space. You get to choose from one of three camping sites on the property. The property is secluded, and includes the winery, the winery airbnb, two past-owner residences, and another airbnb. Tim and Betsy live nearby but not on the property and were reachable for me until 8 pm. I always had cell service or was in wifi range. As someone with lots of solo camping experience, I felt 8/10 safe in the most secluded site, with some non-winery airbnb roaming near my space taking off points

Reply from Tim

Thanks for staying with us, Madelyn. I want to comment on the scenario you depicted. A neighbor was on a hike at night and when they saw you they immediately walked away. Because you were startled, I immediately came over (long after 8), offered for you an indoor space, which you declined, and then helped you move your tent. Safety is our utmost concern, in particular for solo female travelers. I hope this was evident in my response that evening. I am sincerely sorry this made you feel unsafe, but I am not responsible for neighbors on adjacent properties who do not pose a legitimate safety concern. It is unfair that you chose to highlight a scenario that may dissuade WWOOFers from staying with us on our peaceful farm, for the reason that you simply saw another person.

Alaina

United States • September 2025

This was a wonderful WWOOFing experience! The grounds are stunning, and Tim and his family were incredibly kind and welcoming. I worked about 4.5–5 hours each morning, with tasks like gathering eggs, feeding animals, harvesting, weeding, and helping clean winemaking equipment. Work wrapped up in the early afternoon, often followed by a glass of delicious organic wine which was such a treat! As a solo female traveler, I especially appreciated how safe and comfortable the environment felt. Tim made it clear from the start that this was a respectful and safe space. The camping area was incredibly private as well and he added thoughtful touches to the quarters, like a soft tent area and a private fire pit tucked into the vineyard. If you enjoy tent camping, stargazing, and organic wine in a beautiful and welcoming setting, I would highly recommend this WWOOF experience!

Reply from Tim

As we close our season, just want to note what fun it was to host you on our farm. You were positive and easy to work with. You helped make our farm better. Many, many thanks! Come back anytime!

Suhitha

United States • July 2025

My friend and I had an amazing time at Tim and Betsy’s farm! It was both of our first times WWOOFing and they were super thorough in explaining tasks and responsibilities. The work itself was also varied and enjoyable — they try to make the work fun for the people they host! We were tent camping in the vineyard, which was comfortable for us and felt very safe. The town and nature outside the farm is also beautiful and offers a lot to explore once the work is done. Apart from all this, we loved getting to know Tim, Betsy, and their wonderful family, who were so kind and welcoming.This experience will definitely remain very special to us.

Andrew

United States • October 2024

The time I spent at this farm was such a positive and informative experience. The hosts are such warm and accommodating people, I felt right at home for the entire stay. Their property is in such an interesting and unique part of the state being so close to some of the best coastline on Lake Michigan. This farm is a magnet for cool and interesting people and I feel so privileged to have experienced a little slice of their life. The only thing I wished for more of was time, I seriously could never get enough of the charming hills and people of the Leelanau peninsula.