Honey and blueberry producer located about 45 minutes from New Orleans

Louisiana

41 reviews • Updated 6 months ago

Hello from southeast Louisiana. We are a small start-up located about 45 minutes from New Orleans. We raise bees, chickens, flowers, & blueberries. Our operation sits on 50 acres of mixed hardwood forest, nestled between a wildlife refuge, a State Park, & a 30-mile-long Rails-to-Trails bike path. Opportunities to hike, bike, & canoe abound, & should you want world-renowned dining & a vibrant music scene, New Orleans is a short drive from the farm. We are an official Monarch Waystation and partner with the USDA in a Conservation Stewardship Program that includes increasing pollinator habitat. We seed to feed the pollinators so in addition to migrating Monarchs you will see a kaleidoscope of butterflies, bees, & hummingbirds here. As a special treat, fireflies can be seen many evenings May - September. We have limited indoor lodging. There is a loft in the climate-controlled barn, but we have plenty of room for campers & tents if you can handle rustic. We live on the property in an RV. There is an indoor kitchen and shower/bathroom, as well as outdoor showers and composting toilets. Internet access is available at the barn. Keep climate in mind when you consider a stay in the Gulf South. It can be hot & humid from May through September. Conversely, we can see freezing temps from November to March with January and February being the coldest. Hurricane season is June through October with late August/early September the most active. April, October, & November are, as Goldilocks famously said, usually just right. We evacuate for hurricanes. If you come during hurricane season please be prepared for the possibility of evacuation. You can discuss your plans with us if you are unsure what this entails. Being stuck without power & AC in the bug-infested southern heat is apocalyptic at best. The workload is light but WWOOFers are here to learn & work so we expect you to pitch in 4 to 5 hours a day, 4 or 5 days a week, or some similar pre-agreed-upon contribution. The best stay length right now would be two weeks to a month. Children & pets (but absolutely no aggressive animals allowed) are welcome. If you have small children let's talk about how you can incorporate child care with contributions to the farm. If you want to bring a pet it's great as long as they pose no threat to the often free-range poultry, customers, and sheep. We are omnivores but happily accommodate vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, &c meals as well. We usually have lunch and dinner together & WWOOFers are encouraged to help plan & prep meals. Breakfast is on your own but we supply all the fixings. We love the opportunity to meet new people & promote organic farming. Hope to see you out here! Organic methods: We treat with Neem or other horticultural oils as needed, and control weeds primarily with mechanical means, mulching, and by hand. We control pests in our bees with natural means (i.e., no antibiotics or chemicals to treat mites), and our mostly free-range hens are only supplemented with non-medicated food. Certifications: We use organic methods--no pesticides or chemicals and a lot of hand weeding, but are not certified organic. Projects in 2025: We rely heavily on agrotourism and June is our blueberry harvest so we spend the spring prepping the farm to look great during the harvest and influx of people. Anyone coming in May will primarily contribute by weeding blueberries, flowers, and the veg garden. If you come in June you will interact with folks visiting the farm. You may also have an opportunity to help with the honey harvest. Sadly, we do not have any building projects because the federal government reneged on an approved grant, leaving us financially strapped. But we will rebound and come 2026 we'll have hammer in h and and get back to making capital improvements. Some examples include building a raised deck for a safari-style tent, trail construction, site-plan development for a new entrance to the farm, and fence installation and repair. Honey harvest is in early June. After that, we will look to split hives and grow the bee yard. If you have more than two people or some other situation we didn't cover, tell us what you have and we'll see if we can accommodate you. We're flexible and easy to get along with. Hope to see you out here.

Learning opportunities

Vegetable farming

Fruit or nut farming

Poultry farming

Forestry

Beekeeping

Flower farming

Seed saving or production

Meat processing

Traditional crafts

Mechanics / tools / technology

Methods or systems

Biological pest control

Holistic management

No-till farming

Mentoring opportunities

Woman-operated

Veteran-operated

Host type

Production farm

20.2 Hectares | 50 Acres

Accommodation

4+ WWOOFers

Camper / RV

Campsite

Yurt / Tipi

Children accepted

Pets accepted

Meals

Omnivore

Vegetarian

Vegan

Length of stay

1-2 weeks

3-4 weeks

Over a month

Cheri

Member since 2021

Languages spoken: English Response rate: 100% Response time: typically within 1 day

December 2025

Open

Planned visit

Closed

MapLibre | Protomaps | © OpenStreetMap

Louisiana

Train station in Slidell or New Orleans, or New Orleans International Airport. We can pick up in New Orleans on weekdays only.

Reviews

Mathieu

France • October 2025

My stay was wonderful. It was my first WWOOFing experience and i really appreciate it. The place was confortable and food was provided. Cheri and Tim were really cool with me and i enjoyed my stay in their farm. Wish you all the best !

Reply from Cheri

Were glad you enjoyed your time on the farm. You have a great attitude and outlook on life -- and I'm sure you will have many more good WWOOF, and non-WWOOF, experiences. Thank you again for making us a small part of your journey.

Kenny

United States • June 2025

As a first time WWOOFer, I had a great few days at Cheri & Tim's farm! It was June, so my stay coincided with U-Pick and honey harvest. Cheri let me know before I came that if working in a hot beesuit amidst a swarm of angry bees wasn't my thing, I could stay in the barn to extract honey from the frames instead. But I wanted to dive right in, and I'm glad I did, because it was so neat to see the process from hive to jar, and learn things from Cheri like how the queen is kept out of the rest of the hive, or what the cells with brood look like. In addition to the honey harvest, we fed the animals, gathered eggs, did some weeding, and drove to a few stores in search of mason jar lids for the honey. We ate lunches and dinners together in the barn (it's large and air-conditioned), and there was always plenty good food to go around. I slept on a fold-out bed in the garage/workshop side of the barn, which affords less privacy than the loft. There are a few other spots WOOFERs can stay, such as the screened-in treehouse, the tent, or a little A-frame, but in the summer heat, the barn's probably your best bet. Cheri & Tim are generous, gracious, and good company. They'll ensure you're well taken care of and that your beesuit is done properly and not leaving you vulnerable to stings! Thanks to them, I've got a taste of WWOOFing and am excited for more WWOOFing adventures down the road.

Reply from Cheri

Dive right in, you did! We truly appreciated your interest in the farm, and all your help with the projects and chores. Thank you for taking the time to write the thorough review, and best to you in your future WWOOF/life adventures.

Josephine

United States • March 2025

Although it was a very short visit I had a great time at Cheri and Tim’s. I stopped in for just a few days, but it was a valuable experience. The farm is beautiful, and I learned a lot. I enjoyed the organized structure of the farm, and the way Cheri operates things makes total sense to me. I would certainly recommend this farm, and I would definitely go back someday!

Florent

France • February 2025

I really enjoyed my 3-week stay here. Cheri and Tim are very kind and gentle. We worked on several projects and Cheri took the time to teach me the needed skills and even more. The place was really great, I was feeling safe and comfortable, and the food is really good. I completely recommend this farm ! J’ai vraiment apprécié mon séjour de 3 semaines ici. Cheri et Tim sont très aimables et bienveillants. On a travaillé sur quelques projets et Cheri a toujours pris le temps de m’apprendre le nécessaire et même plus. La ferme est un bel endroit, où je me suis senti confortable et en sécurité, et en plus la nourriture est bonne. Je recommande !

Julianna

United States • January 2025

I came about a week earlier than expected and she welcomed me last minute with open arms! My first night up in the loft was a little buggy(mosquitos!). There was a bug net on the main bed, but she had another awesome wwoofer(Hannah) staying there already. I could've put my tent up there to control the bugs but I didn't really want to climb up and down stairs with my stuff and during the night. Cheri graciously offered and I opted to stay in the treehouse for the next few nights since there were no hip campers. I really enjoyed my stay at that spot. Temps started to drop so I moved into the hothouse with another amazing wwoofer(Christian) and stayed there for the remainder of my time. I will say the roosters will be yelling throughout the night if you opt to stay in the hothouse. I really didn't mind the roosters because there was a wonderful woodfire stove, lovely greenery, and the sounds of nature that I thoroughly enjoyed. Our weekdays started at about 8am after breakfast and briefing. We usually ended our days around noon. Tasks included: construction, weeding, planting, housekeeping, beekeeping, and animal husbandry. I frequently took gloria(the mule) out on walks in the afternoons and had the privilege of brushing her a few times after storms came through. They have two adorable jack russell terriers and they will keep you entertained constantly. Rue, Tommy, and the herd of sheep are great coworkers. I cannot thank Cheri and Tim enough for this wonderful experience.

Reply from Cheri

Julianna, this is a great review--informative, showcasing the good and the challenging things about life on our farm. I appreciate the time you took to write it, and all your contributions during your stay with us. Best of luck to you in the future and know our barn door is always open.

Ryan

United States • January 2025

Cheri and Tim were very welcoming hosts. Cheri is an amazing chef, full of positive energy, and has a great sense of humor. Tim is a badass and a great story teller. Our stay here was more than accommodating. There is a lot of opportunity for learning about bees, construction, local Louisiana culture, and mechanical knowledge. They are both willing to help you with anything you need and am thankful for our experience at their farm. I'd recommend this farm to anyone wanting to experience living in the bayou. Cheri and Tim won't steer you wrong.