Ongoing Need: Smallholding, Orchard, Regenerative, Permaculture, 99% vegetarian

Hawaii

10 reviews • Updated 7 hours ago

*June 2025: We have an immediate need; our scheduled guest changed his plans Dear WWOOFers, Thank you for stopping and looking at this profile. If you intend to request from us, please take the time to read all the way to the end. We receive multiple requests every week. WHO WE HOST: We're seeking a WWOOFer (two people: friends, couple, partners, siblings also considered) to assist us with diverse tasks. We love to host upbeat and energetic learners who can work with us in keeping our 5 acres well-cared for. Farm/garden, tropical agriculture and living experience preferred, but not essential. We're looking for people who have a keen interest in and focus on plants, food, soils and practicing land-based skills, not first-time travelers looking for a cheap Hawaii vacation. At the moment our preferred situation is having an intelligent, adaptable, hard-working, self-motivated person join us for a month or more. Our household is friendly, lively and flexible. We're not hands-off : we offer mentorship in a variety of skills and a grounded, healthy place in which to learn. At the same time, when someone learns tasks well enough to work independently, that frees us up for house repairs, mechanical maintenance, errands, etc. We are good communicators : we won't leave you hanging with unclear expectations and we're also not perfectionistic micromanagers. There is no need to have machine experience, but a willingness to use a machete and hand sickle, and to dig holes / use a pick and posthole digger occasionally, is important. Though the work can be physical, hot, sweaty and dirty, we are reasonable people who also like to stay cool, take breaks, rinse off and not burn ourselves out. You can trust us to support you in good self-care, rest, drinking lots of water, using positive body-mechanics and tool-use practices (30- year movement dance and yoga teacher here). We ask for 22.5 hours per week of work. The way this is spread out over the week is flexible and open to cooperative discussion. TASKS WE NEED HELP WITH: -propagation of seeds, cuttings; management of propagation areas and transplanting of new cuttings -watering and maintaining the health of new tree plantings (fruit orchards, native forest belts and nitrogen-fixing trees) -both light and heavy pruning, clearing, chipping, and brush cutting -sickling, weeding, and managing vegetation -fruit and vegetable harvesting, processing and drying -making compost and biologically active soil preparations -hand pollinating -mulching, feeding and applying organic amendments to trees -gardening (weed, water and care of vegetable/flower/herb garden) -planting planting planting - a few miscellaneous infrastructure, hard landscaping + revitalization projects. OUR HOME: We share our home with our WWOOFers. There's the opportunity for privacy for everyone, but we are an interactive household and we share the common areas, which we strive to keep pleasant, clear and relaxing. We like to be tidy (farm tidy) and expect our guests to be aware of their impact on common spaces, pitching in with cleaning up, sweeping, weekly laundry of linens etc. During our video interviews with requesting WWOOFers we have the opportunity to go into depth about our living styles, diets, preferences, habits and so on to make sure we will be a good fit. We have two accommodation spaces (one indoor, one luxury outdoor) and we sometimes host one, sometimes two guests at once. There is an outdoor shower in addition to the indoor bathroom and half-bath and the shared kitchen and living spaces. BACKGROUND : This land slowly feeds us more and more fully each month; it feeds our friends and neighbors; it is beginning to feed community food programs, and it will eventually offer more opportunity for income-producing and commercial-scale food & herb farming. We started from a unfenced, overgrown, neglected and rubbish-strewn pastures. Over nearly four years we have been creating a of patchwork of interlinked cultivated spaces, native tree plantings, and flower and food gardens near the house. We first planted many of the species we most want represented in our diet, such as citrus, bananas, avocados, canoe crops (kalo, 'ulu, uala) cassava, pumpkins, culinary herbs, vegetables and favorite fruits. Since the beginning we have propagated and planted out hundreds and hundreds of trees and plants: fast growers, nitrogen fixers, erosion-controllers, pollinator attractors and ground covers to conform to the steep contours and fence lines as well as ornamentals and shade plants. Now we're adding more exotic fruit mini-orchards, putting out larger trees we've grown in our nursery, and focusing on planting additional belts of highly productive and dense pioneer/green manure and food plants. We keep a busy vegetable and herb garden that provides produce for our meals. We will continue planting our lower acreage as a native pocket forest. We've completed two phases of planting'ohi'a, koa, koa'ia, kukui, native hibiscus, milo, loulou, kava, kalo, a'ali'i and other Hawaiian / Polynesian species. IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE REQUESTING: WWOOFing applicant should make sure they are OK with making these agreements with us:   - To practice clear and truthful communication with us to the best of your ability; to communicate with clarity throughout our time together about any thing important. - To bring their own work gloves, work boots or closed-toe shoes and sturdy work pants. This is a requirement. We want everyone to be safe and protected when working. Even though this is Hawaii, we don’t only wear shorts and sandals in the field, though of course that’s totally fine if appropriate. Pulling out old fencing = protective work clothing required. Sowing seed trays = dress as you like!   - To abstain from cannabis, tobacco, and all recreational drugs and alcohol during their stay with us. We really mean this and we appreciate your respecting this request.   - To understand that we don’t live by the beach, and that we don’t have good public transportation here. On your days off, travel to the beach or any other recreational areas is your responsibility. We are happy to help as we can and share rides when we go that way.    - To work with us to have a mutual plan for your departure date, and to have enough savings to travel onward from here. We're hard-working fun-loving people strongly motivated to bring more health, beauty & diversity to this land. We express our life energy through welcoming beauty, making delicious food, tending gardens, volunteering, hiking, running, dancing, stretching, singing, making connections and sharing skills. We like to eat well, read, discuss and learn; we aspire to balance effort with rest. Between the two of us we have extensive gardening, farming and homebuilding experience. If these conditions match please consider contacting us for a video interview. OUR FIRST PROFILE (2022): We are a couple in our mid-50s who have been stewarding this farm for almost one year. We're looking for motivated & energetic people to help us get over the hump of some large tasks, move forward with cultivating seeds, cuttings, stock for green manure, and planting trees for a diverse edible, native and habitat forest. In the process we hope to offer good hospitality, company and mentorship. We would welcome an extended relationship or a return visit from WWOOFers who feel a connection to this land & a desire to continue working with us. The work that is happening on our place is the work of Beginning. It's the work of approaching the blank slate and imagining the future. It's the work of initiating, planning, envisioning; and also of repairing, restoring and replenishing. It's not yet the work of "listening to the sound of fruit dropping." For almost one year we've been cleaning up the land, removing derelict structures and preparing soil. We look for helpers who are willing to learn this phase of farmsteading, to gain the experience of entering onto raw or damaged land in order to participate in soil-building & planting for diversity. Anyone who has the vision & enthusiasm for the hard work of Beginning is welcome! Our 5-acre land on the Hamakua Coast of Hawai'i Island has been home to many intensive agricultural operations over the past decades, including a rose farm (before cut flower production moved to South America), an anthurium/orchid farm, vegetables, eucalyptus seedling nursery, and cow grazing. Many of these uses have been extractive and hard on the land. The nursery propagation in particular left a lot of rubbish to clean up. Most recently neglect allowed existing fruit trees to die, fences to fall, and water lines to break. We've been working steadily to repair everything and are planting cover crop, food and ornamental plants almost every day. WWOOFers would be expected to help us the creative and regenerative work of preparing the ground for new plantings, planting food & nitrogen-fixing trees, tending existing trees and working in the garden & propagation area. There are so many projects to do, so apart from the essential work of cleaning & preparing the land for planting (which is our top priority), we hope WWOOFers will have choices about where to help according to their interests and skills.

Learning opportunities

Vegetable farming

Fruit or nut farming

Forestry

Flower farming

Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas

Seed saving or production

Bakery

Traditional crafts

Food justice / sovereignty

Mechanics / tools / technology

Methods or systems

Biological pest control

Biodynamic agriculture

No-till farming

Permaculture

Regenerative agriculture

Mentoring opportunities

Woman-operated

Host type

Self-sufficiency property

Former WWOOFer

2 Hectares | 5 Acres

Accommodation

2 WWOOFers

Bedroom

Campsite

Children not accepted

Pets not accepted

Meals

Vegetarian

Length of stay

1-2 weeks

3-4 weeks

Over a month

Katie

Member since 2022

Languages spoken: English, French, Spanish Response rate: 100% Response time: typically within 2 days

November 2025

Open

Planned visit

Closed

MapLibre | Protomaps | © OpenStreetMap

Hawaii

Bus is about 3 miles away; Hilo and Kailua-Kona airport 60-75 min away

Reviews

Averi

United States • March 2025

I don't have words to thoroughly capture my time with Katie and Tiger. I feel very spoiled having had this be my first WWOOFing experience. From day one, Katie and Tiger made me feel welcome in their beautiful home and excited to participate in the things they had going on around the farm. Katie patiently guided me through every task, sharing her vast knowledge and passion for the land. I stayed for almost a month, and work varied from planting trees and seeds to gathering crops and cutting grass. Added bonus, sharing good conversation around the table and delicious meals prepared from ingredients from the farm (coconut, taro, bananas, passion fruit, eggs, ...). Once a week we'd also help prepare a community meal for people in town, which was a great way to feel plugged into the community. I learned so much about farming and Hawaiian culture! I'm incredibly grateful to have spent this time with these kind, generous humans -- and their very lovable pets! I will truly never forget it and couldn't recommend volunteering with them highly enough.

Theodore

United States • January 2025

WWOOFing with Katie and Tiger was easily one of the best decisions I’ve made as a young adult. Filled with true kindness and a passion for the island, they not only cared for me like I was a part of the family, but allowed me to truly experience as much as I could during my time there. Although this was my first WWOOF experience, I have no doubt that I’ll be going back to visit Katie and Tiger again!

Malin

United States • December 2024

Katie & Tiger are some of the most kind-hearted, compassionate, inspiring and caring people you will ever meet. They make you feel so welcome and comfortable, and love learning about new people and cultures. The work you get to do can vary. It can be more physical and rather sweaty, or it can be lighter to where you can be in your flip flops. Either way they are very attentive to your abilities and your limits, and will always make sure you are comfortable with your task. They have a wealth of knowledge and love sharing it with whomever wants to learn. Both Katie & Tiger are amazing cooks and I had so many delicious meals, and many new foods I had never tried before. It was so fun and interesting to learn about new ways to cook and eat! I stayed at the farm for about six weeks. It is one of most beautiful places I have ever been! The land is lush and you can see the ocean :) The living arrangement was a private room in the main house, with my own bathroom. The room is beautiful, spacious, and clean with a very comfortable bed. Even if the room is in the main house, it felt very private, and it also gave the opportunity to connect with the hosts in an organic way. At the end of my stay I can safely say that the hosts have turned into friends and I am very excited to follow their journey of their land and their life. I could not have asked for a better wwoofing experience! Mahalo nui loa Katie & Tiger, I will be forever grateful that I got to come stay at your farm!

Angelica

United States • November 2024

I loved my time with Katie and Tiger! This was an amazing experience and I have not stopped boasting about how great it was to be there. Here are 5 reasons why! 1. Education - They are very intentional with teaching you the skills you want to learn, if you approach the farm with any goals/interests in mind they will cater to you. I learned gardening, stickshift, fence building, and even how to bake sourdough bread! 2. Food - I've probably had some of the best meals I've ever eaten in their home, there is something truly gratifying about farm-to-table, and being a part of every step of the process! Some standouts: drinking fresh coconuts after a long day's work, cooking taro homefries for breakfast, and homemade lilikoi ice cream! 3. Culture - Their knowledge about Hawaii is plentiful and it was amazing being able to learn more about history, traditions, native plants, and Hawaiian culture! They greeted me with a lei, taught me about the history of their land, and Katie was even taking a Hawaiian language class when I was there! 4. Community - This was a big one for me, knowing how political it can be a tourist, it was very reassuring to know that I had opportunities to give back when I was there. Katie and Tiger are active volunteers with the food kitchen in town, are well-integrated with other local farms, and are actively growing more native plants on their land. 5. Fun! - Work hard play hard is the mantra, I am forever grateful for getting to know them.

Timnit

United States • August 2024

I had the pleasure of volunteering here, and it was an incredibly rewarding experience. The setting was picturesque, surrounded by lush fields and beautiful views, which made my time there even more enjoyable. Tiger and Katie, were very welcoming and supportive, making sure that all volunteers felt included and valued. They took their time to explain the various tasks we would be doing, from planting and harvesting to caring for the land as well as the animals. I appreciated their commitment to sustainable farming practices, which I learned a lot about during my stay. One of the highlights was the opportunity to work alongside Katie who is a Well of knowledge and other volunteers from diverse backgrounds, which fostered a sense of community. We often shared meals made from fresh produce harvested right from the farm, which was a delightful way to connect and unwind after a day of hard work. Honestly, their kitchen is the best restaurant in Honoka'a, so much diverse and healthiest meals you could never find in the island is right there! ONOLICIOUS! Katie is an amazing cook and baker! I highly recommend volunteering at here to anyone interested in farming, sustainability, or simply looking for a unique experience. It's a fantastic way to learn, contribute, and connect with nature and like-minded individuals. Enzo will steal away your heart before the cats see you :) They are one of the WWOOF model hosts who goes above and beyond.

Ollie

United States • May 2024

My time spent at Katie & Tiger’s is something that I will carry with me forever. The two of them wholeheartedly, selflessly, & warmly opened up their home to me, made me feel comfortable, & welcomed me in as family the moment I arrived. They are extremely intentional, kind, understanding, compassionate, & loving human beings that truly live from their hearts & a place of non-judgement & equality. They have dedicated the past 3 years of their lives to transforming their land into what it is today & work extremely hard & passionately, & have fun while doing it. Every day spent outside was light hearted, full of laughter & productivity. Katie carries a wealth of knowledge about plants & Hawaiian agriculture that she so openly & graciously shares & always made sure I was comfortable with whatever project we were tackling. We cooked incredible meals together every day, often after harvesting from the garden, Katie even taught me how to make sourdough bread! Tiger is absolutely hilarious, extremely intelligent, gentle & kind & their relationship was very inspiring to be around- full of love, gratitude, joy, partnership & sheer acceptance. Not only did they open their home, they opened their lives & community to me as well, inviting me to Sunday circle song & volunteering at the local soup kitchen on Fridays. Coming from a not-so-fair Wwoof program, Katie & Tiger opened my eyes to the power & beauty of Wwoofing, to what the organization is really all about & are family to me now.