Commercial Alaskan peony farm
Alaska
We are a family owned and operated commercial peony farm located in Willow, AK. We have operated our farm for 11 years and exclusively cultivate peonies as cut flowers for sale. Our property is 6 acres, one acre is peony production with the remaining land being native forest and living space. We also have a vegetable/berry garden that is cultivated for private use. We have a fire pit/gathering area that most WWOOFers really enjoy as well as a weekly farmers market in town.
Nathan is a Forester, so we often host his co-workers and industry professionals for a wide variety of projects ranging from drone mapping to sapling nursery and native species regeneration. Our farm is dedicated to assisting with educational research whenever possible, so we host visitors almost weekly to offer data and specimen collection.
We'd love to show WWOOFers all aspects of a commercial peony operation depending on the week you plan on visiting.
Tasks may include:
Testing and repairing irrigation systems
Staking plants as they growRemoving side buds to encourage one terminal bud for commercial harvest
Building boxes as we prepare for shipping
Harvesting and grading
Cooler management
Preparing shipments
Driving of deliveries/shipments
Field maintenance: weeds, integrated pest management, nutrient application, compost spreading, irrigation, mowing
Maintaining vegetable garden and berry patches (including sharing the bounty) Farm work is generally physical, laborious, repetitive and done in all sorts of weather.
A flower farm sounds like a vacation, but it is still a working farm.
Harvest typically occurs the first 21 days of July and is our busiest time of year. We normally harvest every four hours.
Nathan is constantly building and upgrading systems. Any system a WWOOFer is interested in learning more about, we'd be happy to teach as much as possible. We've built every piece of our farm from the ground up and learned a lot along the way. Martha is also the sales manager for a large peony cooperative so if any WWOOFer is interested in sales, marketing and business management we'd love to share our knowledge with you!
Although we are off the grid, we have found ways to work around the constraints to provide comfortable accommodations. (Fully off grid, which means no electricity except for solar, clean water is hauled in drinking water jugs from a nearby well, no flush toilets, only an outhouse, laundry by hand in buckets and an outdoor shower house with an on demand propane hot water heater, so at least it is a hot shower.)
We have built two locations to house WWOOFers; a tiny house to accommodate one guest, and a guest cabin to accommodate two guests. The guest cabin has a loft with a queen bed and the downstairs has a futon. Both are equipped with clean, warm bedding and a full kitchen including a propane stove and refrigerator, sink and all cooking/eating utensils. We live in a separate third cabin, all in different locations around the peony fields. There is a central outhouse (typical of many Alaskan properties), solar panels for electricity and we bring drinking water into each cabin as needed. Breakfast and lunch will be prepared by WWOOFers individually in your own cabin and dinner will be communal prepared by your hosts, Nathan and Martha. We'd happily stock your cabin with the food items you'd like, just let us know your preferences. Since the grocery stores are an hour away we typically do a grocery run once per week. Please let us know if you have dietary restrictions so we can prepare dinners accordingly. We have an outdoor shower house with a propane water heater for everyone at the farm. There is also a paid shower location within couple miles of our farm that we can visit if necessary. (If you require a hair dryer for example.) We do not have any TV's at the property, and cell service with AT&T is very reliable. The public library is one of our favorite spots to go to, it is only 15 minutes away with a cozy fireplace and fast internet service. There is no Wifi at the farm, so we rely on cell phone hot spot or library WiFi.
Daily activities are often dictated by the weather so a bit of flexibility is requested. If the weather will be hot and sunny we'd like to get the work done in the morning/early afternoon. If it is rainy we may postpone field work or stop field work early if it is too miserable. During harvest we often work split shifts, harvesting for a few hours in the morning, taking an afternoon break/nap and then resuming a harvest later in the day. We'd like to work with each individual on a schedule that works for both of us. Since we will be working outdoors every day proper gear is required. Boots/sturdy shoes and a raincoat will be necessary.
We generally expect 5-6 hours per day from our WWOOFer guests. While your workday may end after 6 hours, I will work the entire day (until 9 or 10pm) and am generally not available to socialize on a regular basis. Please have available something to keep occupied, a book, drawing supplies or a general curiosity in the area.
We have a stand up paddle board you can borrow to take to the numerous nearby lakes. Our farm is in a great location close to Denali, Talkeetna and a couple of State parks. On the days you aren't busy at our farm it is a great location to explore. We don't have a spare vehicle to loan out, but Turo is an easy option for a day/weekend trip. Hiking, canoe rentals and park tours are all easily reachable within just a couple of hours.
Read more
Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Wild foraging
Flower farming
Renewable energy production
Mechanics / tools / technology
Methods or systems
Holistic management
No-till farming
Mentoring opportunities
Woman-operated
Host type
Production farm
2.4
Hectares
|
6
Acres
Martha
Member since 2023
Languages spoken:
English
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 100%
Response time: typically within 1 day
Alaska
The Anchorage Ted Stevens International Airport is the nearest airport, about 1.5 hrs away, or a pick up/Drop off in Talkeetna if you travel by train. There is a bus to take you from Anchorage to a stop close to the farm, where we'll pick you up.
Reviews
Isabel
Austria
•
August 2025
Staying on Martha's farm was a mixed experience. She is generally nice and tries to meet all your needs while cooking and also gives you breaks. Theoretically, everything is there. But there were also some downsides. The empathy regarding sickness is not there at all. I was not feeling very good for some days, and have not been asked once how I was feeling - only offered ibuprofen, which seemed more a way of getting me to work again. The other wwoofer asked all the time, the other farms girls, but Martha didn't seem to care. Even though I worked also when I was sick, it was not appreciated. Work was hard and about 5-6h everyday, which is not really in in relation to what you get - a very simple small house, with a semi good small mattress on the floor and no running water. IF you're lucky and get the bigger house - the small one seems more like a bunker, don't trust these images. In general you are more seen as a "cheap worker", and there is no interest from her to get to know you as a person or share the culture. We ate dinner at around 5-6pm everyday for about 15min, then it was over and everybody got to their houses. "we frequently spend time together socializing" a and "we go the librabty often" Is a lie, we did one bonfire together in the beginning, that was it."
For some days if you're fit and just want wilderness, since there is nothing around, it probably is nice. But that's about it.
Read more
Reply from Martha
I'm sorry you did not enjoy your stay. I try to be very clear in the description that our farm is off grid with no well. Foot pumps and clean drinking water hauled in when needed do create a nice faucet in each cabin. We are also very clear that we would like 5-6 hours a day of help in return for the accommodations and meals provided, and we did go above and beyond by providing our personal vehicle for your use at any time, which you did take partake in frequently. The mattress in the larger cabin is a queen bed, I'm sorry you felt it was small. I do also describe in our profile and during interviews that my work day does not stop when our guests work day ends. I always spend the evening hours working after dinner during the week. I apologize if these expectations and descriptions were unclear to you when you agreed to join our farm. I will take this advice to be a little more clear with future guests.
Read more
Jessica
United States
•
August 2025
I had a great two weeks on Martha’s peony farm - learning a ton and exploring the area. I arrived after harvest, so most of the tasks were packing and delivering boxes and some field work like weeding. We worked 4-5 hours a day and it was very manageable. Martha is an expert in many these and shared her knowledge generously. She was very open to questions about the business, life in Alaska, and beyond. An amazing person to meet and learn from! I stayed in the smaller cabin, there was no electricity but a kitchen with water which worked perfectly for what I needed. There is a central outhouse and outdoor shower as described. The farm is not in walking / running distance of much, but Martha very generously let us borrow her car to explore the area on days off. There are endless hikes and sites within 1-2 hours. Would definitely recommend Martha’s farm for a peaceful and beautiful Alaska experience and rich learning environment.
Read more
Reply from Martha
We absolutely loved having Jessica join us on the farm. She was such an enthusiastic and fun person. I learned so much from her and she kept the sometime monotonous tasks entertaining with stories and shared experiences. She saved the day for our cooperative one day too by taking a last minute car swap to drive a HUGE delivery three hours to the air cargo station. Thank you so much for coming and sharing your summer with us.
Read more
Brie
United States
•
July 2025
I absolutely loved my time here. From sunny days spent in blooming peony fields to stunning views of Denali from the cabin deck, and countless laughs and shared meals around the dinner table and campfire—it was a truly special experience.
I stayed for about four weeks and typically worked 5–6 hours a day, five days a week. Daily tasks included side-budding/disbudding, processing and bundling flowers, packing boxes, and, of course, lots of weeding (which feels never-ending—but that’s just farming)
Martha and her family have created a beautiful and welcoming space. She’s a generous and knowledgeable host who truly goes above and beyond to make sure you’re taken care of. I learned so much—not just about flower farming, but also about patience, care, and the joy of working with your hands. She’s a great teacher and always happy to answer questions or show you the why behind the task.
The living situation is cozy and peaceful. Both cabins are tucked away in charming spots on the farm, offering privacy and beautiful views. Meals are often shared, which really adds to the sense of community. In my free time, I enjoyed reading in the fields, walking around the farm, or just soaking in the quiet beauty of the landscape.
If you’re considering coming here—do it. Bring layers (it can get chilly even in summer), be ready to work hard, and you’ll be rewarded with meaningful connection, gorgeous scenery, and a ton of new skills!
Read more
Reply from Martha
There are a few folks that cross your path that leave a lasting impression, Brie is absolutely one of those people. I so appreciated her help, but also her life stories and mini lessons. We'll always remember you around our campfire and grooming our cat with the clippers! Thanks for being a friend to us.
Willamena
United States
•
June 2025
WWOOFing with Martha on her peony farm was amazing. The farm is beautiful and the peonies are wonderful. Martha is one of the most hard-working and diligent people I have met. She is a caring host and provides lovely accommodations for her WWOOFers. Martha is a patient and enthusiastic teacher and I learned much from her. Working along aside Martha was a very positive experience and I will always remember my time on her farm with a smile.
Read more
Reply from Martha
Willa is just about the kindest soul you'll ever meet. She sees the world differently and taught us how to look at it from her angle. Thank you so much for visiting us, we enjoyed getting to know you so much.
Tabor
United States
•
August 2024
Speechless and inspiring. An adventure beyond words. Had a two month stay with Martha and Nathan at their farm. I never farmed before. I didn’t even know how to pronounce peony. First and only time that I’ll woof, and I scored big. This was totally epic.
Plenty of food. Comfy Alaskan place to sleep, risk free, no bears. Safe farming conditions. Coming from the DC area, the farm’s summer weather was paradise. The mosquitos and the rain were both tamed by wearing proper attire. Very clean indoors and well kept outdoors. I expected to get muddy and dirty but it’s not really like that.
Built good rapport with the farmer family who were delightful people, so adept and capable. Despite the rural setting, there’s a small yet fun community aspect. Gained skills and knowledge about flower farming. Felt valued as a contributor to the harvest. Personal growth through many, many new experiences. A fulfilling dip into the lifestyle of farming. Endless nature at your fingertips, hikes are everywhere. Significant free time to explore.
I had the free range to push myself at my own pace and comfort, and I grew mentally and physically. So rewarding and invaluable. The many optional side projects and the chances to use their tools to make your own things created spaces for creativity and spontaneity. Refreshing yet motivating endeavor. No complaints.
Read more
Reply from Martha
Tabor was absolutely the best. We had so much fun with him, always up for an adventure in the snow, on a mountain, on a lake, or in the grading tent. Tabor made the entire summer enjoyable. He was up for any task and kindly offered suggestions on how to improve. He was a thinker and a "yes" man. We were lucky to have him with us the entire season.
Read more
Amy
United States
•
July 2024
My daughter and I had an amazing experience with Martha and the farm! Martha and family welcomed us warmly, showed us some of the best views and outdoor adventures of the area, and shared so much about their peonies and farm practice. Our work schedule was easy to comply with and tasks were comfortable to complete. We enjoyed the cabin stay thoroughly also. It was a great Alaskan experience through and through. Our two week stay was well balanced and we look forward to WWOOFing again!
Read more
Reply from Martha
A teacher at heart! We were able to make improvements to our farm and processes with gentle nudges from Amy. She is inquisitive and helpful. It was also fun to connect as a fellow mother since she shared this adventure with her daughter. I look forward to meeting up with you again when I am in your neck of the woods.
Read more
