Holistic Wellness, Whole-Diet, and Medicinal Herb Farm. Sustainable building projects.
New York
If you are interested in learning more about WWOOFing with us in 2026, please drop us a line with any questions. Will be accepting applications during the following months of 2026: April, May, June, July, August, September, October.
We look forward to connecting with you!
Basics of our Project: Our project is an experiment in reconnecting to our basic needs through decentralized food production, shelter building, and medicine crafting, both for empowerment and wellness in the uncertain times we live.
We explore this with off-grid infrastructure, natural and salvaged building materials, wild crafting, and regenerative permaculture food production systems.
Current Projects/Seasonal Expectation of Tasks: WWOOFers will have the ability to contribute to a wide variety of projects, subject to seasonality and farm needs.
During the SPRING & SUMMER, most efforts will be concentrated towards tending the land- bed flips, planting, maintaining crops, early harvests, wildcrafting, forestry maintenance. There may also be opportunities to work in the plant nursery or with added value farm/wood products. When the farm work is settled or when carpentry personnel/projects require, there can be hours devoted to building projects during the spring and summer.
During the FALL, efforts will be pointed towards honoring the land, final harvests, adding cover crop (bed flips/sowing), processing harvests, crafting value added products, and continuing infrastructure projects from the spring/maintaining infrastructure that wore throughout the season.
Our goals for the season/expected projects:
- Earth works- grading two terraces, possibility of digging another pond (farm)
- Construction of chicken "tractor" and fenced areas. (farm)
- Sawmill work to create lumber for projects, firewood production, compost system. (farm)
- Building a communal sauna structure at our communal house property, Hitchcock House.
- Continuing the build out of shipping containers as storage structures and workshop. (Hitchcock House)
- Continuing the build out of Quonset hut as the "Powerhouse" communal gym. (Hitchcock House)
- Begin construction of rammed earth tire structure (farm)
- Sho Sugi Bon siding and interior finishes of Pavilion wash/pack building (farm)
- Continued build out of dry tunnel (herb racks, storage shelves, garbling tables) (farm)
- Reskin or rebuild with poly field moveable high tunnel (farm)
- Small batch farm products for markets and online store, creating wooden carriers for products, sale and donation of fresh harvests.
- Acre orchard planting of hardy perennial fruit trees and alley cropping (Hitchcock House)
- Dialing in grey water system for post-harvest wash water and rain collection for irrigation.
- Reconstruction of off-grid, outdoor farm kitchen (including the coffee bar!)
- Finishing bathroom stalls (composting toilets and "indoor" shower stall
WWOOFing Schedule: (subject to slight alteration based on weather/season and needs)
A typical day will start at 7:00AM and end time will be 1:00PM in which we will have a communal meal; wonderful if you are comfortable to jump in with meals in which case you'd wrap up work an hour earlier to help with prep/cooking. We do a mid-morning break as well, offering coffee/tea and light snacks. There is an expected contribution of 25 hours/week, four 6-hour days and then 1 hour either on the weekend or on Wednesday, a basic check on the gardens. Our program is structured so people know when they are starting and ending, which will offer opportunity to plan personal time so that you may do hobbies and explore the area/other communities. We currently work as a team on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. WWOOFers will have their "days off" on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Accommodations: There are a variety of accommodations available, including a four-season cabin, a three-season cabin, an RV, a tent platform, and wooded tent sites. Accommodations are reserved on a first come, first served basis. Bathrooms are composting toilets. Shower stall outdoors with pump or solar shower bags (can get a hot shower by heating water in the kitchen first or using solar shower bags). There is no running hot water on the farm presently, but WWOOFers have the ability to utilize Hitchcock House's guest bathroom (shower & soaking tub) and laundry facilities on Wednesdays and Saturdays. We are constantly improving infrastructure at the farm.
Food: We pride ourselves on eating in a connected way from food grown on our farm or from neighboring ones that we resonate with. We provide all those staying at the farm with whatever is readily available from the gardens, pantry staples like eggs, butter, grains, flours from local providers, and other local animal products. We never compromise on having all communal meals based from local ingredients. We do get organic nuts and dried fruits currently from further away as we wait for our food forest to mature which are always available at the communal kitchen.
We are challenging ourselves to eat as cleanly and locally as we can (striving to produce 75% ourselves), so we ask anyone applying to be respectful of that, acknowledging that others participating may be on a wellness cleanse and it can be difficult to abstain if others bring processed foods to the common kitchen and gathering spaces. We urge you to join us in being sustained/nourished from the gardens and other local farms and we ask that visitors keep processed snacks and beverages in their personal lodging. Let us show you healthful alternatives that can still be tasty and indulgent.
We are willing to work with those who have allergies or restrictive diets (vegetarian/vegan/gluten-free/dairy-free/etc.), but we cannot certify that any food or items in our kitchen are without traces.
Free Time and Community: The people working at the farm have varied interests from playing instruments, to board games, crafts like basket weaving, forest foraging, weightlifting, to cooking together for communal dinners. We are curious to hear about your interests and passions; we welcome the opportunity to learn from you. We often attend/host communal events at our communal house and other local communities which WWOOFers have the opportunity to attend. Such events may be potluck dinners/brunches, social events, skill-trade events, and performances. We do our best to keep folks up to date on things happening in the area, like free yoga Wednesday at the New Lebanon community center! We can also recommend places to visit (other communities, trails, museums, restaurants, activities, etc.).
Substance Policy: At this time, we are allowing responsible use of alcohol and legal drugs during NON-working hours. However, we reserve the right to change this policy at any time based on conduct. Ultimately, a safe space for our community and workforce is our priority.
Personal Requirements:
- You must be 21+ years of age to WWOOF on our farm.
- First time WWOOFers accepted case-by-case.
- Due to poor walkability/biking conditions of our area and steep land, we require WWOOFers to have a method of personal transportation. (Walking, biking, ride-share app, driver's license to borrow vehicle when possible are all suitable) It is good to note that our area is fairly remote with larger stores and towns at least a 20 minute drive from us.
- Independence and good judgement. Willingness to work alone and with others. Positive attitude and curiosity.
-Willingness to be adaptable with your length of stay if something isn't working out for either party for one reason or another.
Pet Policy: Allowance of pets is a case-by-case basis. Please contact us with specifics regarding your animal companions. Our farm does have 3 mouser cats- Ron (10), Yuki (1), and Akio (1). Please let us know if YOU or your pet may have issues with being around cats. In most cases, we don't allow pets due to one of our cats being territorial around new animals and safety of our chicken flock.
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Forestry
Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas
Seed saving or production
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Green Building
Renewable energy production
Food justice / sovereignty
Mechanics / tools / technology
Methods or systems
Biological pest control
Biodynamic agriculture
Holistic management
No-till farming
Permaculture
Regenerative agriculture
Mentoring opportunities
Woman-operated
Host type
Self-sufficiency property
Former WWOOFer
1.6
Hectares
|
4
Acres
Accommodation
Robert
Member since 2023
Languages spoken:
English, Spanish
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 100%
Response time: typically within 4 days
New York
Albany International Airport; Amtrak station in Hudson or Albany; Metro North in Amenia; Albany Bus Terminal
Reviews
Matthew
United States
•
January 2026
Rob and Olivia were amazing hosts! This was my first experience WWOOFing and it was everything I was looking for and more.
I stayed for 3 weeks last July alongside 3 other WOOFers and honestly could have stayed for much longer. I was trying to understand what self-sufficiency looks like on a small scale, to learn about what it took to homestead, and also what it felt like to live the lifestyle. I was also curious about the infrastructure projects and construction techniques. I appreciated it so much that Rob kept all of that in mind during my stay. I expressed interest in the mill and was working on it within the first week. I expressed interest in infrastructure projects and Rob made sure to call me over to show me how he was building out the pavilion. And in my last week I got to use the lumber I cut in week one to put boards on an outhouse. Some days, tasks just needed doing like weeding or working on rammed earth tires, but he was definitely invested in my growth and learning, and I learned tons through our conversations. I wasn’t particularly handy before the stay but the confidence and skills I got during the stay were an invaluable foundation.
This is such a unique place and I felt like I was really part of a community - one that I plan to stay connected to. If you’re on the fence about staying here, do it!
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Blaze
United States
•
December 2024
I am so grateful for the time spent at this farm. What was supposed to be two weeks turned quickly into three months, with plans to return in the summer.
This is an off grid set up, so you will be camping, even if you’re staying in the little cabin. Its beautiful. Most of the land is forest with one cleared acre for cultivation. There is a wildlife refuge pond at the bottom of the hill. There is a small creek running out of the pond with tons of moss and trickling noises. The forest is healthy, and you can feel it when you walk among the trees.
Rob has been there the longest, and has his whole self invested in the project. He is concerned with self sufficiency, and that means providing food, shelter in the form of building materials (the sawmill), and healthcare (medicinal plants). His matter of fact logic and ethics paired with deep listening made him quickly one of my most valued friends.
Olivia is full of drive— she never stops working and studying. It was a pleasure to labor at her side and share in her knowledge of every aspect of what happens on the farm.
The farm is plugged in to a larger community of people in the small towns nearby who are interested in food production, alternative healing practices, art making, communal living, and mutual aid. I cannot speak highly enough of type of people who seem to gravitate towards this project.
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Zach
United States
•
August 2024
I had an amazing stay for 2 weeks! Rob and Olivia were wonderful, thoughtful hosts and made sure that I was comfortable and well-fed. The land itself was incredibly beautiful and well-maintained - it was super inspiring to hear how Rob has worked with and shaped it to be as it is today. It was my first time WWOOFing and Rob made sure I got some experience with a variety of farm tasks, from seeding to harvesting and even some time on the sawmill! Rob has a wealth of knowledge that he's eager to share on gardening, permaculture, construction, earthworks, sustainability, and nutrition (among other things) and it was such a delight just to spend time chatting with Rob and Olivia throughout my stay. I also really enjoyed the emphasis on community and we had a few memorable field trips to other farms in the area. This is an amazing place to learn, recharge/cleanse, and get inspired, and I cannot recommend it enough!
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Shambhavi
United States
•
May 2024
It was a great community experience , our first time at farming. Planning to keep at it this year, hope to see you soon. Hope to work more deeply with the soil, plants and the wild 🎶…. Felt at home.
Brandon
United States
•
August 2023
10/10 stay here! I stayed at this farm for two weeks in the summer of 2023. It was my first time WWOOFing -and first time working on a farm of any kind. It could not have been better. Rob and the entire team made me feel incredibly welcome, shared their breadth of knowledge on all things permaculture - from planting, transplanting, and harvesting vegetables to mixing cement and milling wood, and made me feel like a part of their chosen family. My stay was nothing short of inspiring. I loved every task and soaked in so much knowledge.
The farm team provides a great daily structure, nourishing meals, and a humble and welcoming community. The farm is also located in an ideal corner of the Berkshires close to lakes, great small towns, music and dance venues like Tanglewood and Jacobs Pillow. There are many amazing places to visit during the weeks and quiet afternoons.
I could not have asked for a better experience and cannot wait to return!
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Richard
United States
•
June 2023
I spent the summer of '22 with Rob and the Hellgate farm team. Hands down one my the most delightful times of my life.
If you want to start your own farm, this is the spot to be. They had been developing this spot for just about 4 or 5 years when I arrived. Each season the soil improves, they build a more on farm infrastructure, and adjust their practices based on the previous years results. This is the real inside of how to make a farm work, and it's rare to get experience in the *development* of a farm. There's a lot to dig into! I got into some timber work, construction work, cooked a whole lot (my passion!), and of course got my hands dirty in the soil.
The community is what made my experience special. I really enjoyed getting to know and hang out with both the crew who's there full time, as well as the other wwoof-ers passing through. We had a lot of fun playing lawn games, camping out, and going into town on adventures.
The area is pretty neat. There's a lot of Shaker heritage if you're into artisan woodworking. The town is small, and there's tons of hiking trails, a lake for swimming and paddling 2 miles from the farm, a brewery 1 mile away, and scenic views for days. A 10-15 min drive will get you to Pittsfield, an arts and cultural hub with lots of theaters, restaurants, and shops. There is a great local community of small scale sustainable agriculture. I visited other farms, and got to meet a bunch of locals at Hellgate's monthly community picnic/bbq.
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