Small diverse intentional community of nature & music lovers and have camping, wildlife, and more!
Virginia
We have been actively participating in the WWOOF program for 6 years. We live on an 83-acre mountainside that is aimed along the lines of Four Quarters, Findhorn, and Brushwood. We are a small diverse intentional community of nature and music lovers and have camping, music, wildlife, and an informal education venue in Western Amherst County, Virginia. We aim to expand the existing organic herbal and vegetable gardens on the property. Using a make-do & mend system. Foraging, recycling, & upcycling wherever possible rather than buying new and putting more pressure on the planet and us. We have a lot of cats (9), who live in different buildings on the property, so expect cat hair. 2 dogs, turkeys, ducks, guinea fowl, chickens, and (unfortunately) an abundance of stinkbugs in some seasons.
The center of our ethos is that everybody has the potential to bloom and grow. If blooming for you means helping design & build an amazing set of gardens and learning how to teach others how to do the same in person & through video, this could be for you. If blooming for you means working in a creative musical environment, then this could be for you. If blooming for you means shamanic journeying with the help of others, then this could be for you. Do you want to write a book? Make a film? Build a tiny house, Learn how to grow organically, harvest ethically, & make medicines that work in line with your body's needs, This could be for you. I (Fran) am well informed about special diets, especially gluten & dairy-free.
If you love music, a good debate, and conversation, gardening, fowl, & don't mind getting your hands dirty with physical projects, we may just be perfect for each other. Duties include daily care for animals, including chickens, ducks, cats, & dogs. You might help with grounds maintenance on 5 acres & help staff our scheduled events on the property. Interface with guests who come to camp or stay in our yurt. Cleaning the yurt in between guests & preparing for future guests. Cleaning restrooms & showers as required. Planting, growing, weeding, harvesting & foraging are all tasks that you may be asked to help with.
Ideal candidates would possess the mentality, knowledge, & ability to live and work with the difficulties associated with mountain life while enjoying the beauty that surrounds us & the products that we create. We embrace earth-centered spirituality. We love people who know how to work hard when needed as well as play hard. We love self-starters, team players, solo workers, & people able to think for themselves. We are currently looking especially for people who have knowledge of solar, plumbing, and electrics. Having downtime is important to us. Allowing the mountain to work its magic.
We are eventually looking for people who want to permanently become part of our growing intentional community as we have visions of an eco-village on our mountain.
We are also looking for a small group of 2/3 people who would like to make music together on our stage while helping to achieve the day-to-day tasks and projects if only for short periods of time.
We currently have the capacity in our worker's house (the harmony hut) for 3-4 WWOOFers, & we are hoping with your help to build a small bunkhouse that can accommodate 2-3 more people (this may be something you are involved in ). There is also a possibility of camping if you want to stay and there is no room in the harmony hut. Ideally, we would like WWOOFer to commit to 2 -4 weeks, after that time you leave and take time to decide if you want to come back and stay longer. We do not currently consider WWOOFers with children and/or pets. We would definitely consider WWOOFers who want a longer (maybe eventually permanent, we do have previous WWOOFers who have become residents) placement. Sometimes the work is easy, sometimes it's hard and it varies according to what needs doing. We only ask that you come with a willingness to participate fully and be 'present' while you are here. We have a rigorous intake including a questionnaire. So be prepared to answer questions.
Communal meals made by the resident hosts happen on a daily basis for the evening meal and WWOOFer are encourage to take a turn if they are confident. Sunday is when everyone helps themselves or goes out to eat. Breakfast happens after yoga, meditation, group activity, and daily planning meetings. WWOOFers are provided with the basics to make their lunches. There is sometimes a daily soup with homemade bread for lunch. We restrict the use of gluten and dairy products where possible and try to bake with gluten-free flour. Oat milk is usually available, and Organic cow's milk is used to make yogurt. What we can't grow or forage for, we try to buy locally & organic wherever possible and & provide sufficient funds are available. Vegan/vegetarian meals can be made available. Donations towards food are not expected but always gratefully received.
Mentoring in herbal medicine and plants is part of what we offer as well as an herbal intake for each WWOOFer who would like one (please ask on arrival).
We are BIPOC & LGBTQ allies and open to all who are willing to fit in with our way of life.
Help us minimize our environmental impact by choosing natural soap and other non-toxic personal care products. We practice daily meditation group meditation and yoga (Monday to Friday)which is optional. We do feel that you will gain more if you fully participate.
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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
Bakery
Natural cosmetics fabrication
Traditional crafts
Green Building
Methods or systems
Biological pest control
Biodynamic agriculture
Holistic management
No-till farming
Permaculture
Mentoring opportunities
LGBTQ+-operated
Woman-operated
BIPOC-operated
Host type
Nonprofit / Community
33.6
Hectares
|
83
Acres
Accommodation
Fran (Frances)
Member since 2020
Languages spoken:
Arabic, English, Punjabi, Sign language, Spanish
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 100%
Response time: typically within 1 day
Virginia
Lynchburg/Charlotesville/Rowanoak
Reviews
Emily
United States
•
March 2026
My time here meant so much to me that it took me a very long time to actually write a review, which felt like I’d be tying it up with a bow. I simply cannot recommend it enough: It’s a beautiful place with amazing people, which will work wonders in helping you reframe your life and gain much-needed perspective. It’s so easy to get caught up in an everyday routine without giving much thought to how you’re spending your time, and this is a place that helps you refocus, connect with the earth, learn a lot, make wonderful friends, admire some majestic cats, and simply be grateful.
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Frida
United States
•
February 2026
This was the ideal venue for spiritual work, writing, and recuperation during this particularly cold winter. I greatly enjoyed cooking for everyone, caring for chickens, game night, tea tasting, and the many conversations about ways of approaching the world. I ultimately extended my visit by a week, and truly felt like part of the community by the end of my stay.
The mountain is home to an incredible group of people and animals, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in intentional community or just looking to get away from the world for a bit. I know I will carry my experience at Arcadia with me for years to come, and am incredibly grateful for the opportunity afforded to me by Matt, Fran, Finley, Taylor, and Rafa. Thank you all for a beautiful month!!!
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Sky
United States
•
November 2025
Dear Fran, Matt and the other residents,
Thank you so much for hosting Alice and I for 3 weeks. We learned so much from you, from the herbs, from the mountain and all the other beings here. I recommend this wwoof for anyone looking to learn more about herbs, deepen their spiritual practice, and who wants to help this small community thrive. This is truly a magical place and we hope to return soon.
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Margo
United States
•
July 2025
My three short weeks here meant so much to me. Its community members welcomed me with open arms and showed me how to care for the birds (including some adorable newborn ducks), use power tools, and forage for herbs on the property. Fran's knowledge of herbalism is encyclopedic, and she shared her methods for making herbal teas and tinctures with me and another WWOOFer. Morning yoga and meditation did a lot to ensure we started our days on the right foot.
It's clear that everyone here stands by their values, living in harmony with the land and with one another. Though my stay ended only a few days ago, I already miss this beautiful place and hope to return one day soon.
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Carolyn
United States
•
June 2025
My time was spent taking care of the farm animals and sitting by the creek in quiet reflection and worked for days on an over-grown path to the yurt that was full of weeds, cleaned out compost buckets, cleaned the yurt and compost bathrooms, fixed the barbecue grill, helped with dinner and dishes, organized a basement and junk pile behind the house, and enjoyed the mountain air. Thank you so much Fran for hosting me and I wish you and your community the very best.
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Stefanie
Germany
•
June 2025
This was the best wwoofing experience we had so far. Fran and Matt offer a space for healing and community. We were very happy to support them with gardening, cleaning and maintenance work. We enjoyed to start the day with yoga and medication and appreciated the the delicious and healthy meals for dinner, which were prepared in turns. We felt being a part of the community and enjoyed the deep exchange on various topics.
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