Hello! We are the Lounsbury family: husband and wife Wesley and Laura and our four children plus two cats and two dogs. Our kids range in age from 13-21 and we are expecting our first grandbaby in September! We have lived on our working farm for the past 14 years in rural northern Arizona near Zion National Park. We have been raising milk goats and chickens for egg production/consumption for 12 years. Apart from our numerous milk goats (and their babies) and chickens, we have numerous animals used as pets in our farm tours including two Nigerian dwarf goats (Scoobie & Bella), one horse (Sundance) and three bunnies (Asher, Flopsy and Mopsy). In addition to the animals we have multiple gardens and a goji orchard as well as a year round greenhouse. We have also been Airbnb hosts for 8 years.
Typical activities include weeding, feeding and water the animals, goat milking, planting and harvesting in season, food preservation or preparation, raking and weed cleanup, mowing and weed whipping, fencing repair, building projects like animal shelters, and even an earthbag greenhouse we are working on. If no outside work is necessary during a given day then chores may include dishes and light house cleaning, laundry, breadmaking, etc. We are also in need of website building and social media marketing if you have those skills. The schedule and activities would depend on the time of year that we are hosting. In the hottest months (July-August) getting up early for chores is essential because of the heat of the day in the desert. Expect to be up by 6:30 and working no later than 8:00. Around 11:00 it's typically too hot to work so wwoofers would have the hottest parts of the day to themselves and be inside. Around 5 or 6:00 PM work can resume and last until 8 or 9. So much of the time spent outside depends on the weather and temperature. Animal chores are the most consistent thing taking approximately 2 hours per day, one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening. Our kids help with these chores in the summer months.
We are happy to communicate and work out a schedule that works but we are looking for flexible help. Sometimes our family life gets very busy and we may change things around on a day to day basis. We need someone that is patient and flexible. There may be a full day of work one day and then multiple days off, although the preferred schedule is 5 hours a day of work (M-F) with weekends off, it really just depends on the project we're working on. We are hoping to find someone with some prior knowledge of farm life or handy-man/building skills but of course happy to teach everything we know about gardening, raising animals, and homesteading. We are looking for self-motivated, creative workers that want to bounce off ideas and suggestions and learn and grow. We like to offer options for projects and work so that everyone that comes is happy to be here and help and can be involved in the process.
For accommodations we have a small vintage remodeled Shasta trailer with an outdoor kitchen and outdoor shower. It was an Airbnb so it is very well equipped for cooking etc. The bathroom is small in the camper and not recommended for people over 6 foot 2. We also have another camper available with a queen bed and folding sofa and indoor shower but WWOOF would only allow us to upload a few pictures. We do have a couple of WWOOFERS that are already booked for April through June in a different accommodation, that's why our calendar shows confirmed stays, however we are looking for more help.
We provide breakfast (usually eggs and sourdough toast or pancakes and coffee) before working. If you would prefer to prepare your own breakfast on your own schedule we like that. Our kitchen is open for you to use what you want. We have had some wwoofers prefer to prepare their own food and we are good with that. Most of our breakfasts include fresh goats milk / kefir and our home grown eggs. Dinners are usually tacos or taco salad type food, meat and vegetables, hamburgers, things like that. We eat as clean as possible here. Lunch is not pepped usually but we will provide food for the wwoofer to prepare their own lunch. Again our kitchen is open and we can pack your fridge in your accommodation too. Please let us know your dietary needs or preferences. Breakfast and dinner will be provided during the work days (Monday through Friday) but it is the responsibility of the wwoofer to prepare their breakfast, lunch and dinners during off days. If this is an issue we can work with the wwoofer but this is our preference. We are willing to negotiate for sure and we are looking for feedback as we are new to hosting wwoofers. We do have a vehicle available if needed.
Laura is a singer/musician and Wesley is a carpenter and loves building furniture. We are a Christian family and treat others with respect, show hospitality and kindness. If you have any questions about activities that are allowed on our property, please ask in advance. We do allow pets and children but there are some things to consider so please let us know first and foremost if you are bringing either. There is so much to do nearby. We are one hour from Zion National Park, two hours from the Grand Canyon, 20 minutes from Water Canyon Trail, 20 minutes from the Coral Pink Sand Dunes. Access to a car here is also a possibility and of course we are happy to give rides to town when we are able.
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Poultry farming
Pig farming
Sheep or goat farming
Raising of other farm animals
Dairy farming
Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Bakery
Green Building
Methods or systems
Biological pest control
No-till farming
Regenerative agriculture
Mentoring opportunities
Woman-operated
Host type
Production farm
8.1
Hectares
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20
Acres
