A small homesteading farm with diverse production: sheep, meat chickens, tree fruit, and vegetables

New York
A small homesteading farm with diverse production: sheep, meat chickens, tree fruit, and vegetables
A small homesteading farm with diverse production: sheep, meat chickens, tree fruit, and vegetables A small homesteading farm with diverse production: sheep, meat chickens, tree fruit, and vegetables
6 reviews • Updated 1 month ago
Hello, WWOOFers--at our in Ithaca, NY, you will find two older-but-wiser women who have built a small homesteading farm. Our goal with the farm is to produce much of the food we eat as well as to provide a diverse ecosystem so that wildlife will flourish just as much as we do on these forty acres. We have a small flock of sheep that we raise for fiber and meat, a nice vegetable garden, fruit trees, and we raise meat chickens once a year. We have a very large and sweet dog, Huckleberry. We offer two and three day weekend stays at our farm. We do not have the ability to offer longer-term farm stays. Farming work is season-driven, but tasks will include watering, weeding, harvesting and canning, helping with animal care, removing invasive plants and planting nut-producing or native trees. Both of us are retired horticulturists, so we have a lot of knowledge about the care of trees, shrubs and gardens to share. We envision that we will work alongside you in the mornings, say from 9 am to noon, and then you will be free the rest of the day. We have two spare rooms in our house that you can use. If you prefer, we have a large tent we can set up by the pond for more privacy and intimacy with nature. We are omnivores, but can cook vegetarian as well. Vegan will take some coaching, input and participation on your part. Much of our food will be from our farm, especially in the summer and fall. Ithaca is a beautiful place--the Finger Lakes, waterfalls, lots of hiking, wineries and cideries are very close by. We are about a 15 minute drive from the center of Ithaca. We enjoy working with fiber that we get from our sheep--washing fleece, carding, spinning, dyeing and knitting. We would be happy to teach you some of those skills. We also love working in our woods and going for hikes.
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Poultry farming
Sheep or goat farming
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Traditional crafts
Methods or systems
Holistic management
Permaculture
Regenerative agriculture
Mentoring opportunities
LGBTQ+-operated
Woman-operated
Host type
Self-sufficiency property
16.2 Hectares | 40 Acres
Accommodation
2 WWOOFers
Bedroom
Campsite
Children not accepted
Pets not accepted
Meals
Omnivore
Vegetarian
Vegan
Length of stay
Weekend
Barbara
Barbara
Member since 2025
Languages spoken: English Response rate: 100% Response time: typically within 2 days
November 2025
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Open
Planned visit
Closed
MapLibre | Protomaps | © OpenStreetMap
New York
Ithaca, NY
Reviews
Thomas
Thomas
United States • October 2025
This was a great first WWOOF experience. The farm was beautiful and Barb is super kind and welcoming. She goes above and beyond to make you feel at home and encourages you to go off and explore the area on your own which I greatly appreciated. I will be thinking about that weekend for a long time to come!
Barbara
Reply from Barbara
We loved having you, Thomas! Thanks for your great help in getting our vegetable garden ready for winter.
Rebecca
Rebecca
United States • September 2025
I'm so lucky this was my first WWOOF experience. Barbara and Sarah welcomed me into their lovely home and were so warm and hospitable. They make you feel comfortable right away. We picked fruits and veggies, took care of the animals, cleaned out the barn, and stopped for tea along the way! Close enough to parts of town where you can shop, visit the Cornell Gardens, or go to the wonderful farmers market. Would highly recommend!
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Barbara
Reply from Barbara
Thanks, Rebecca! We loved having you on our farm and truly appreciate all you did to help us out.
Ella
Ella
United States • July 2025
This was my first WWOOF experience, and I am so glad I had the opportunity to stay at this farm! Barbara and Sarah are so kind, funny, and welcoming. I got to help with some gardening, planting hazelnut trees, mulching, and picking lots of red currents :) I even learned how to spin wool, which was super neat! Getting to unwind at the end of the day with a good meal and dinnertime chats was something I will always cherish. I am so grateful for my experience and would highly recommend WWOOFing here!
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Barbara
Reply from Barbara
We loved having you, Ella! You are such a wonderful person and a GREAT helper! We made 13 jars of jelly from the red currants we picked!
Shannon
Shannon
United States • June 2025
Barbara and Sarah are incredibly kind and the most welcoming hosts. It was a wonderful experience getting to work with them on many different tasks and I truly treasured getting to share meal time chats with them. So grateful for the time I got to spent here (and the time i spent with their sheep). Wishing nothing but the best for them, their animals, and plants. <3
Barbara
Reply from Barbara
Thank you, Shannon! We loved having you and the sheep miss you!
Elizabeth
Elizabeth
United States • May 2025
I couldn’t have asked for a better first WWOOF experience! Barbara and Sarah are two of the kindest, most generous people I’ve ever met. From day one, they welcomed us into their cozy home with open arms. It truly felt like staying with old friends. We had such a lovely time working in the garden, tending to the sheep and animals, and learning so much about fiber, farming, and homesteading. Anyone lucky enough to WWOOF at this farm is in for something truly special. We can't wait to hopefully come back and learn even more!
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Barbara
Reply from Barbara
Thank you for your kind words, Lizzie. We loved having you and Jonathan at our farm and we hope you can come again soon!
Blaine
Blaine
United States • April 2025
Barbara and Sarah were such lovely hosts and I enjoyed my time at Sweet Meadow Farm so much! I spent a weekend learning how to care for the sheep, processing wool, and learning about the shearing process through observing the sheerer at work. I learned so much during my time, felt warmly welcomed into their home, and even got to attend an educational event at Cornell University with Barb and Sarah related to sheep and wool processing which was such a fun experience because I got to experience the thriving community of farmers in Ithaca. I would highly recommend anyone to visit and work with Barb and Sarah. They are lovely, kind, and wonderful people!
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Barbara
Reply from Barbara
Thanks, Blaine! We loved having you and wish you all the best in Colorado! Our door is always open if you come back to Ithaca for a visit! :)
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