We are a young couple seeking help building a small cob/stone/strawbale structure on our mountainous land. Our 180 wooded acres are beautiful and remote. We hope to make a home here among the bear, deer, wild turkey, and owls.

We are able to host people in primitive accommodations. At this time we currently have openings for September and October. Although we hope to extend our homestead by having a garden and orchard in the future, at this time the work will consist mainly of natural building and associated tasks.

Volunteers staying for more than one week will work 4 long days a week. Volunteers may also choose to work 5 more regular days a week. Tasks may include:

Reading about cob and other natural building techniques
Mixing and applying batches of cob
Raising and insulating the roof
Building with stone
Mixing and applying natural plaster
Cutting and burning brush
Spreading gravel
Digging and constructing a cistern
Digging post holes
Carpentry
Cooking, meal planning, and cleaning

Volunteers should be in overall good health, be able to repeatedly lift 30 pounds, walk up a steep incline 1/3 of a mile long without feeling out of breath, and be able to work in hot and humid weather or get up early/work late to beat the heat. Volunteers must also be willing to "rough it." You do not need to have any building experience.

We can provide camping equipment (including tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, etc), portable hot water shower, food, a minuscule stipend for volunteers staying more than one week of $20 per week, and limited transportation for those volunteers who do not have their own.  The stipend is intended to help you buy items that are not provided by us during your stay, including toiletries and food for trips off the farm and for your days off. We expect that volunteers will view learning how to build with cob as it's own reward, and consider their hard work as trade for this knowledge. The best match for this opportunity is someone who has passion for natural building.

While you are expected to work hard, and there is a lot of work to be done, there is also a lot of fun to be had during your time off. If you want to swim, the New River is within walking distance. You can also take our canoe out on the river. We can drop you off for a short backpacking trip on the nearby Appalachian Trail. If you want to get away from the woods, you can enjoy the library, restaurants, public pool, and farmer's market in nearby Blacksburg.

Both of us have worked and volunteered on farms and homesteads, so we know what it is like for you! We want you to have an enjoyable experience. To that end, we will strive to communicate our expectations to you effectively, organize work efficiently, and give clear instructions. If you are interested in natural building, this is a great way to experience it first hand. Ultimately, we hope that you find yourself positively engaged in meaningful work while you are here, and that when you leave you can look back on what you did and feel like you really accomplished something. We are not experts, and in many cases will be learning along with you.

Some more things that might make it or break it for you:

- Yes, you can bring your dog, if he/she plays nice with others. We have our own dog, who is friendly. Sorry, no cats.
- Yes, we can accommodate a vegetarian diet. Actually, we are both vegan, so dinners will be vegan. We can get you some non-vegan items, but you may have to supplement this yourself, depending on quantity desired.

- Yes, you can volunteer here even if you are relying on public transportation to get here. We'll help you figure it out!
- And of course, we are as much of an equal opportunity volunteer-er as we can be. We welcome people of all races, genders, sexual identities, religions, etc. Unfortunately because of our current set up we cannot accommodate people in wheelchairs.

If you are interested, send us an email telling us a little bit about yourself, including when you want to stay, what you hope to get out of volunteering, and any special needs that you might have. We expect you to have read this entire profile, but if you have additional questions, feel free to ask. Please review this post before arrival.