Hobby/Small-holding/Homestead/Lifestyle Farm
Carmarthenshire
*I am now full for 2026, although I may need some help in September*
If you choose to volunteer here, you are my guest, and I know you could go elsewhere. You will be treated with respect and your contribution will be cherished. You will be fully involved in choosing activities that 'grow', 'ground' and 'nourish' you.
My name is Naomi. I have travelled a great deal and lived in West Africa, USA, Jamaica and several places in the UK. There is much you can tap into and learn from me, a global citizen and seasoned traveller. I have had the most interesting working life and now, in retirement, I am creating a hobby farm. I bought this property in 2021 and honestly some mornings I wake up and think, 'clever me!' and some days I think 'what have I f$*&ing done?' I am tackling a range of farm challenges largely on my own but being blessed with help from some wonderful people along the way.
With this hobby/small-holding farm I have provided enriching/learning experiences, with Workaway ( 2021-2022) and now with Wwoof. In 5 years (2021-2025) I have hosted a total of 149 people. I will host fewer people in 2026 as I will be focussing on my family, some returning wwoofers and my local community.
My neighbours are really lovely and are always interested in the progress on my farm. From time to time I encourage my wwoofers to assist my neighbours (about 5-10 days a year) with hedge cutting, planting or weeding. I encourage volunteers to use the community shopping bus on Wednesday/Saturday and partake in the general gossip/chatter/banter. The local community centre runs a nursery and I take chicks/ducklings to them for show and tell and sometimes they do a mini 'field trip' to my hobby farm. Please see feedback comments on community involvement/integration and my commitment to a cyclic economy and minimising waste.
The village is small/quiet and only has a single daily bus service to Carmarthen (an extra mid-day shopping service on Wed and Sat but none on Sunday). Carmarthen is 8 miles away, about 13-15 mins drive. Carmarthen, a town, has a good train service to other parts of Wales and UK. Taxis are available but they are more expensive and need to be booked to avoid disappointment. I don't drive but have several (busy working) friends who might help out from time to time with pick-up/drop-off or outings.
I pride myself in matching the right 'projects/experiences' to the right skill sets/ages, with a little challenge and freedom to create and surprise yourself. I hope the experience satisfies your thirst for this sort of life and you go away with additional skills and renewed/refreshed enthusiasm. I get the joy of watching you learn and seeing the hobby farm grow and flourish!
I can only offer wwoofing experiences because I supplement my small pension by renting out the static caravan further up in the farm, 2 garage/workshops, rooms in the house and a rather nice shepherds hut. So there may be paying visitors during your wwoof time here (or my friends/family), but that shouldn't affect your stay. It may even improve your experience even if at times it feels like organised chaos. Don't panic, I know what's happening and who should be doing what! There is only one rule in the house, don't touch my whiteboard (my vertical brain), otherwise the whole system crashes!
Meals are included in your entire stay. I enjoy cooking simple, hearty, nutritious, balanced meals. I am a fairly low meat eater and I try to be mindful of the animals' contribution so, for example, I make stews which include lots of beans/veg/dumplings and often have several vegetarian meals during the week. I use as much as I can from the garden. But I also enjoy hosting an occasional BBQ, big roast dinner or a Paella feast. I can cater for vegetarians or any number of allergies or food preferences, as I usually cook from scratch. However if you are gluten-, egg-, lactose-, wheat-free please bring some of what you require. I do make a variety of breads/desserts but don't stock shop bought chocolate, biscuits or crisps, so please bring what snacks you enjoy for yourself. I don't provide alcohol (please buy your own) and ask that you don't smoke/vape in the house.
I would appreciate about 25-30 hours assistance per week per person. This is based more on a 'get the agreed job done' basis, than looking at an hourly time, as different people work at different rates. The children's 'work' will include working alongside parent(s) and when that gets boring they can entertain themselves (safely), fetch stuff, do age appropriate jobs, craft projects, feed chickens/ducks, pick fruit or vegetables and cook with me. The weather and the period in the growing season greatly influences the task selection and time available to work. Once the main task is complete the rest of the time is your own to enjoy the farm. I am in a rural setting/village (with a limited bus service) so a car is advisable if you want to explore specific places further away. I don't drive so always appreciate a little shopping trip. Or you can join me with card/board games/hobbies or social events. In any case I will make sure you get your 'down time' and that you are not over or under- stretched! We will find the right/fair balance. And for goodness sake remember I am an old lady so there will be afternoons I would rather you were somewhere else so I can have a cheeky nap! Hehe
I keep chickens and ducks and incubate small batches of eggs, and in 2025 started hatching for sale. In 2025 I sold 17 chicks and 57 ducklings to local families/friends and this meant more wwoofers were able to see the process. I will do this again in 2026 but perhaps hatch fewer animals as I may have saturated the local market! In 2024 Woofer Jake made a video of the ducklings first 6 days which you can view on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DXCevF2SSM.
A BBQ/party area is near the river that cuts across the property, near the house. There are also 5 picnic tables dotted about, several places to sit and watch the grass (and wild flowers) grow and a swing by the river. The level area further in, has 2 shipping containers, one is a wine/mead/cider making area and one for garden tool storage. The space in between is now a bar/picnic/wine tasting garden with a splendid feature bottle-wall. I have some 'household use' solar panels and now also have two off-grid systems.
The main house is small(ish). I can only offer you one/two rooms in the cottage with good wifi/internet. The rooms contain a comfortable double bed and are large enough to put two smaller beds in, if a family/friend group want to stay together. There is a toilet on that floor, with the main bathroom downstairs. I have a separate but connected bedroom/living area. I am happy to supply bedding and towels but ask you bring your own personal washing supplies.
The views are very relaxing and peaceful. If you need noisy/busy entertainment this is not the place for you. If you long for fresh air and quiet reflection, with the sound of only a river in the background (and rather noisy ducks/cockerel and the odd chainsaw at 8am! Oh country life) then you won't be disappointed.
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Poultry farming
Beekeeping
Cheesemaking
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Beer, cider, wine, or juice making
Bakery
Renewable energy production
Methods or systems
Holistic management
No-till farming
Regenerative agriculture
Host type
Self-sufficiency property
8.9
Hectares
|
22
Acres
Naomi
Member since 2023
Languages spoken:
English
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 100%
Response time: typically within 1 day
Carmarthenshire
Carmarthen is the nearest train station. Close airports could be Cardiff, Bristol, Liverpool or Manchester.
Reviews
Jorina
Germany
•
May 2026
I only spent a week at Naomis, but it was wonderful. I learned a lot about gardening, ducks and soil. My favourite "job" was to cuddle the little chicken though. We also went on a hike with Paul and his son and that was an amazing opportunity to see more of Wales. Everyone made sure you're feeling safe and also like you're part of the family, which was really lovely.
So, thank you, thank you, thank you!
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Reply from Naomi
Jorina you were a pleasure to host. The 6 little chicks now weigh between 66-121gs, with the smallest one looking so much better, small but mighty, therefore I shall call it Jo! Big thanks for your help and kind words.
Ting Heng
United Kingdom
•
May 2026
The 10 days that I spent in Naomi’s farm were enriching and unforgettable. In my time here, I had the opportunity to weed and plant several garden beds, paint/decorate various areas of the farm, and care for the adorable ducks and chickens. Naomi and Paul were patient and encouraging when guiding me through tasks, and I learnt a lot from them about the skills and mindset needed to properly manage a farm.
Everyone I met was incredibly welcoming and made my first wwoofing experience a really enjoyable one. I appreciate the time we spent playing board games together, learning how to make homemade pasta and cheese, watching the beautiful sunrise from the castle, cycling along the Welsh coast, and most importantly, the amazing conversations we had along the way. The accommodation was comfortable and, as many past wwoofers have mentioned, Naomi’s cooking is delicious.
Thank you to Naomi and Paul for stringing together this wonderful wwoofing experience. I hope to be back one day if given the chance.
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Reply from Naomi
Such kind words and so good that you recognise the ordered chaos that is farm management and entertaining new inexperienced but keen wwoofers. Do try and return. Thanks again.
Geraldine
United Kingdom
•
April 2026
I stayed at Naomi’s hobby farm for 2 weeks and came back to London feeling refreshed.
It was a very enriching experience. I really enjoyed the different tasks I was helping with and learning at the same time. Naomi taught me well, offered guidance when I asked and always ensured I was happy with the tasks I was working on.
I really enjoyed being with the ducks, chickens and seeing the baby ducklings grow over the 2 week. The animals are all really well cared for. Naomi is a fantastic cook and prepared delicious vegetarian meals. She’s very knowledgable and I enjoyed hearing her stories about her different experiences.
Paul took us on a bike tour, a castle and to the beach on the weekend. It was a nice surprise to be able to explore some of the Welsh countryside.
It was a fantastic first WWOOF experience for me surrounded by genuinely kind people and I hope to go back one day.
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Reply from Naomi
Thanks for your kind words. You were an absolute delight to host. Hope to see you again sometime soon.
antonio
Spain
•
January 2026
I spent 14 wonderful days with Naomi and Paul at their lovely farm. The accommodation was very comfortable and clean, she's a great cook, and the work was reasonable and easy. The experience was enhanced by going with Paul to visit several castles in the surrounding area. We had interesting conversations, perfect for learning English, and we played board games after dinner. Highly recommended. And at the end, she even made me two sandwiches for the return trip. Thank you so much!
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Reply from Naomi
You were so easy to host, and helped whoever needed it. Paul was grateful for your help on the static caravan and your good company. Thanks again.
Julie
United Kingdom
•
September 2025
We spent an unforgettable fortnight in September with Naomi, Dave and Ollie. We were the last volunteers of the season, and the jobs were winding down, but Naomi and Dave went out of their way to ensure our visit was worthwhile for us all. Naomi is an inventive and skilled cook and generously provided 3 hot meals a day. We learned how to make pasta, cheese, sourdough and acorn bread. Dave was a patient teacher, happy to share his woodworking skills in his extensive workshop and we came away with a beautiful picture frame made alongside him. Ollie was an important part of the welcome team, and we had some good conversations over a pint or two in the local pub. Games and films featured every evening, as did barbeques and time to sit by the river reading. We mulched borders, shifted wood chip, cared for the ducks, chickens and newly hatched ducklings, harvested and cleared pumpkin patches, fed the pigs, and helped with whatever tasks were going on each day. We had 2 days off, when we explored the local area, and we were introduced to neighbours who told us about their farming over generations in that region. We have been inspired by the attention Naomi pays to a cyclical economy where nothing is wasted and friendships are made through gifts of food grown and produced at home at minimal expense. Thank you for putting your trust in us, and welcoming us into your home. And most of all, thank you for your friendship, Naomi, Dave and Ollie.
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Reply from Naomi
Thank you for your kind words here and your listening ears on your stay. Both appreciated. Today (again) we had the pleasure to witness the 'cycle' as we helped moved sheep for one person and then received free apples for the pigs from a completely different person and found a multitude of earthworms (growing on the free skip dive watermelon leftovers) for the chickens/ducks and made a cake with hazelnuts from this farm and the sun was hot enough to dry towels and dry enough to finish the BBQ area with the free bark. All good. Thanks for helping me see the true gift of all that.
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Jasmine
United States
•
September 2025
I joined with a friend and we shared a room during our stay for about 10 days. We helped with a variety of tasks, like feeding the pigs, ducks, and chickens, collecting blackberries and acorns, propagating strawberries, and working on the property with de-weeding, tarping, and adding bark. We also learned how to make sausages and ham, and we got to enjoy the finished products - the whole process was really fun and interesting.
Evenings were spent playing card games with Naomi, Dave, and Ollie, which added a fun social touch. The farm itself is very charming with animals (pigs, ducks, chickens) and their very sweet dog, Spanner. We even had a fun bbq one of the nights.
Thank you, Naomi and Dave, for welcoming us into your home! Very cool and rewarding experience. We learned so much and shared quite a few laughs as well!
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Reply from Naomi
It was indeed fun to host you both, and I don't think you'll forget using a power tool to turn the meat grinder anytime soon or the sweet smell of week old bark. Food memories. We wish you both all the very best, it was so nice to have met you.
