Early stage permaculture orchard and sustainable animal farm
Ohio
Hi you beautiful being! Weβre Madison and Zachariah, living a semi off grid life in Southeastern Ohio, in the north central hills of Appalachia. We are in the beginning stages of a permaculture retreat homestead, building from the ground up on a fallow piece of land. We are passionate about protecting the land, helping it thrive, growing as much food as possible, and building a space where people of all backgrounds can come to connect to nature, heal, and grow. Our property is a peaceful spot, still quite wild and natural. π
WWOOFers will have the opportunity to be involved in so many different things and create something beautiful and lasting (from scratch)! We've got so many ideas of where we'll take this land and would love some helping hands! π€²π½
We prefer folks to stay at least two weeks, however, 1-2 months is ideal so that we can establish a nice flow and have a more full experience. There will be a 1 week trial period for any long-term volunteers (just to make sure it's a good fit overall).
Why we are interested in WWOOFers:
- Build our community of like minded friends π―ββοΈ
- Help with a variety of projects like:
**Land management β°οΈ
**Trail building π
**Fence building π οΈ
**Building tiny homes and other structures π
**Gardening/food production/preservation π
**Weaving Treenets πΈοΈ
**Many other side projects we're ready to start! βοΈ
What we offer:
- Teaching lifelong skills such as:
**Gardening & Fruit Tree Production π©π½βπΎπ§πΎβπΎπ§πΎβπΎ
**Food preservation like canning, fermenting, etc. π₯
**Animal husbandry π
**Carpentry using sawmill, chainsaw, etc. π¨
**Wild foraging (mushrooms, nettles, ramps, etc) πβπ«
**Sourdough baking (about to build a wood fired oven!) π
- Seasonal fruit and vegetables in all of our meals π₯¦
- Chicken / duck / guinea eggs π³
- 47 acres of hikable land to explore π₯Ύ
- Treenet for relaxing (see photo, it's like a big hammock in the sky!) π³
- Creek for cooling off π¦
- Animal entertainment πππΆπΊπ¦π
- Friendship and moving with us - we practice and teach many movement modalities like acrobatics, Ido Portal/organic movement, yoga, slacklining, biking, climbing, etc. π§π»ββοΈ
Accommodations:
- Camper complete with a bed and kitchen π
- Tent accommodations also available βΊοΈ
- Camper vans & small RVs are welcome π
- Luxurious hot shower in the woods (outdoors) πΏ
- Composting outhouse π§»
- Meals supplemented by the food we grow. We tend to eat a hearty breakfast, lighter lunches, and big dinners π₯
- Solar powered homestead with backup fuel generator and propane heat options βοΈ
- Wifi available on an as-needed basis π
More info:
- We are very active and our schedule follows the sun and moon βοΈπ
- We love drinking coffee, playing games, and soaking in the beautiful outdoors βοΈ
- 10 minutes from Wayne National Forest where there is excellent birdwatching, gravel biking, swimming, hunting and fishing οΏ½οΏ½οΏ½
- 2.5 hours from the Red River Gorge and New River Gorge which are both well known for their hiking and rock climbing π§π½ββοΈ
Warnings:
- May encounter mosquitos, ticks, spiders, etc. π·οΈ
- We work in the heat, the cold, and often the rain βοΈ
- You will get dirty, dusty, and muddy πΈοΈ
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Poultry farming
Sheep or goat farming
Forestry
Beekeeping
Wild foraging
Bakery
Green Building
Methods or systems
Permaculture
Regenerative agriculture
Mentoring opportunities
LGBTQ+-operated
Woman-operated
Host type
Self-sufficiency property
19
Hectares
|
47
Acres
Madison
Member since 2024
Languages spoken:
English
Response rate: 100%
Response time: typically within 3 days
November 2025
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Open
Planned visit
Closed
Ohio
Charleston WV, Columbus OH, Cincinatti OH
Reviews
Sophia
United States
β’
October 2025
Both Madison and Zachariah are very unique, admirable people. I enjoyed spending time with them and their animals on their lovely property. If you enjoy camping and off-grid living this is a good consideration for your next WWOOFing experience!
Matthew
United States
β’
May 2025
My experience with Zack and Madison personally is of kind, adventurous, positive people on a meaningful journey, and I wish them well. Logistically we were not a good fit. My impression of the property was chaotic, disorganized, strewn with debris. The first evening Zack suggested we get high, impression was cannabis use is regular. The first task was clearing a previously flooded area: tree and stump removal, invasive rose abatement, burn piles, weed whacking. Host not prepared, one dull chainsaw, one not functioning, light on fuel, no plan for lighting burn piles. Zack wore shorts and sandals. Unclear expectations and inability to convey scope or work flow, attempts to clarify or establish met with defensiveness, host absent for long periods, Day two similar: Long underwear and sandals, changing expectations, no fuel, battery-powered sawzall with uncharged batteries expected to handle ~30 stumps. Zack gone the majority of the day. After 8.5 hours, before leaving the site I penned ducks that had been out all day due to awareness of predators. That evening, my integrity was challenged for a second time. The ducks reported to be filthy, taken to be evidence of mishandling, the state of the ducks not unusual for having foraged a muddy floodplain all day. I was informed I had been under surveillance, I departed the next morning after discovering I had been locked out of the common area with the filtered water supply.
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Reply from Madison
We welcomed Matt into our space on short notice with enthusiasm & kindness as we always do. In exchange he showed us immense disrespect & a full refusal to follow instruction. While heβs a 47 year old boasting experience, he devastated the space he worked in.
Please check other reviews for a better picture of how it goes when our wwoofers have the capacity to do simple labor and the ability to collaborate, show respect, and learn.
I will not dignify the hurtful, baseless slander and lies about our beautiful space by responding or defending them.
HOWEVER, It IS true that:
We expect woofers to actually work, for upwards of an hour at a time doing things like weed whacking. If you decide after 2-3 minutes you do not like weed whacking, it will not be appropriate to stop and build a fire without asking.
If directly told to not use a chainsaw until after breakfast, but then start one the second I leave to make us breakfast, it will be an issue.
If you briefly catch yourself on fire with gasoline in the first 10 minutes of the day, we will actively hide the full gasoline cans from you from then on.
If you lock two ducks out of their coop by putting them up to early, having learned nothing about our animal systems, you will be confronted about it.
If you have the capacity to enjoy someoneβs hospitality and kindness in their space, but fully lack the ability to do the simple work they ask, we will not be a good fit.
Thank you for helping to clarify these points Matt!
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Charles
United States
β’
May 2025
I stayed with Madison and Zachariah for a month, and I can honestly tell you that it was one of, if not the most eye-opening experiences of my life! I had several firsts during my time, and I also gained valuable knowledge and work experience that will prove invaluable down the road. From feeding the ducks, to clearing and laying fence, animal auctions, weed-whacking and all things in between, my time on this property was nothing short of incredible. For this foundation, I am grateful!
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Caroline
United States
β’
November 2024
I would absolutely recommend visiting Madison and Zachariah. They were so welcoming to me and passionate about the work they do. I got a chance to learn a variety of new skills relating to woodworking, food storing, and animal care. The daily schedules were flexible allowing for a good balance of work and enjoying the beautiful scenery. Many thanks to them both!
Catherine
United States
β’
September 2024
My first WWOOFing experience started off with a bang! Madison and Zachariah are truly some of the most amazing people I have ever met. Their commitment to sustainable agriculture and off the grid living was inspiring, and I learned so much about farming practices. Madison and Zachariah were welcoming, knowledgeable, and eager to share their passion for farming. The work was so engaging, from tending to the vegetable garden to caring for the animals. My stay was perfectly balanced with work and time to myself. The beautiful surroundings provided a peaceful escape, with plenty of opportunities for exploring nature. I can't recommend this stay enough. I had a magical experience.
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