Home » Uncategorized » WWOOF at Grand View Farm

WWOOF at Grand View Farm

posted in: Uncategorized 0

Wwoofers help with llamas

Skirting Fleeces
Hello Grand View Farm friends! This is Jenny, one of the two WWOOFers currently at the Goodling’s farm. As a background to what a “WWOOFer” is, WWOOF stands for World Wide Opportunity on Organic Farms. This organization links volunteers with organic farmers and helps people share more sustainable ways of living. WWOOF operates in various countries throughout the world, including the USA. In exchange for lodging, food, and organic farming education, WWOOFer(s) give 4-8 hours/day, 5-6 days a week (depending on host arrangements) of labor to a farm host. WWOOFing is a remarkable program for everyone involved. Farmers get help with farm projects and, in turn, they help WWOOFers experience life on a farm and pick up skills. WWOOFing can also be a great way to meet people and experience a new place. To learn more, visit wwoof.org

Weaving
At Grand View Farm, we are learning the mysteries of wool fiber production and processing. Kim has patiently taught us to discern fiber quality, skirt fleeces, and prepare fleece for various end products. We learned how to die wool yarn and silk, using natural dyes from local plants. Kim also taught us the basics of caring for sheep and llamas. These animals are very well cared for and loved. No wonder her sheep produce such great fibers.
Nuno Felting
I’ve loved learning about wool fibers and the joy in creating art with this new medium. I have learned how to weave and made my dad a (very late) Father’s Day gift. With weaving and the fiber arts in general, there is so much new terminology and processes to learn! Another exciting fiber technique I learned was Nuno Felting by making a scarf out of merino wool and silk. Nuno Felting is great fun, which I plan to do many more projects with.
I have also helped preserve, bake, and cook food from the Goodling’s beautiful garden. Pesto, rhubarb crisp, herb vinegars and oils, caramelized onion tart, and Moussaka (Greek eggplant dish) are some of my kitchen projects. I love cooking and the quality and freshness of farm ingredients definitely make a dish superb.
New Yarn Sign
Painting has also been on my list of farm projects. I painted a new slate sign titled “yarn” which some of you may have seen on the Grand ViewFarm facebook page. I am currently painting a bench for the herb garden inspired by the garden’s lavender flowers.
Washing Stones
Antony has worked on various build projects with Chuck. He is helping build an outdoor pizza oven using a masonry technique called slip form construction. This will be a fun addition to the farm once it’s completed. Hopefully, we can be among the first guests to try it.J 

Working on the Pizza Oven
Portable Chicken Coop
Antony-Carpenter
Another building project Antony and Chuck are working on is a movable chicken coop. A mobile coop is a regular chicken coop on wheels. It has a mesh bottom to allow chicken droppings to fall to the grass. By day, the chickens roam free on the pasture they are moved to. At night, they roost in their coop, protected from predators. The movable coop will allow the chickens to reach and fertilize a wider range of farm pasture.

Both of us have helped out with the Bed & Breakfast at Grand View Farms. It’s great to see and meet people come around the globe, enjoying this little paradise on the top of green rolling Vermont hills. My parents from Canada plan to stay at the B&B next week and are very excited about their stay.
Dye Pots
We’ve also assisted with Kim’s awesome fiber arts classes. We get the insiders scoop of how these classes run and get to learn all about naturally dying yarn from local foraged plants and even bugs. We’ve met people from all over the country too who have come to learn about dyeing and felting wool from Kim. Some of the class attendees have been fashion designers form NYC, looking to gain a broader understanding of the fibers they design clothes with.
The Pigs Love a Back Scratch
Some other adventures and highlights worth sharing about our farm experience are; we’ve survived a house shaking thunder and lightning storm that caused a power outage.  Also, we chased after squealing farm pigs that escaped their fencing and bolted down the road. We’ve loved watching “Terrific Tess”, the incredibly smart Border Collie dog, herd the sheep, and in her spare time, play hide-and-go-seek. We’ve accompanied the Goodling family on trips to the local swimming hole and went to an outdoor concert preformed by the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, ending with fireworks. It’s been an honor being a part of the Goodling families’ lives through work and leisure time spent together. They are extraordinary people and farmers. So much we have learned from them, which we hope to apply to our future farm.
Clearing Burdock from the Field

Thank you Jenny and Antony for your enthusiasm, endless energy, homesteading spirit, and strong work ethic! It has been our pleasure to host you these past few weeks! We wish you God’s speed as you continue your journey.

The Goodling Family
Jenny and Antony

Facebooktwitterpinterest