Little Run Retreat is a certified organic farm on the NSW Mid North Coast producing free-range eggs, citrus and avocados. We use regenerative methods including permaculture design, Nutrition Farming and syntropic orchard systems. Ideal for volunteers interested in learning practical ecological farming while enjoying bush, creek and peaceful farm life.
Attention 88-day visa extension seekers: Unfortunately, the work you would be carrying out on our farm does not qualify for visa extensions. We can help you improve your farm skills and act as your Australian referee for future jobs, but not for the visa extension itself.
We became WWOOF hosts because we believe farming knowledge should be shared, especially with people who dream of one day creating a farm of their own. We wanted to open our gates to those curious about how permaculture principles and other regenerative concepts can be applied in a small commercial setting — not just in theory, but in real, working systems.
Hosting also allows us to share the daily rhythms of life at Little Run Retreat, our certified organic farm on the NSW Mid North Coast, about four hours north of Sydney. Nestled in a valley, we produce free-range eggs, citrus and avocados using nutrition-based farming practices focused on maximising flavour, soil health and nutrient density.
While an extra pair of hands certainly helps, that’s not the heart of why we host. We genuinely enjoy meeting people from different backgrounds and perspectives. WWOOFers bring fresh eyes, great questions and new energy — often helping us see our own farm in a new light.
As hosts, we invite volunteers to choose their own adventure. After farm work, including a shared lunch, your afternoons can include short guided sessions exploring permaculture concepts and practical design thinking. Or, if rest and reflection call, there are bushwalks, swims in the creek, or quiet time in private accommodation.
For us, becoming a WWOOF host is about community, exchange and supporting the next generation of growers — while continuing to learn ourselves.
Organic/Biological methods we use
We farm using certified organic methods and draw on several regenerative approaches to guide our management. Permaculture shapes our overall design thinking and farm layout, nutrition farming underpins our soil and tree health, and we are progressively applying syntropic agriculture principles within our orchard rows to increase biodiversity, biomass and system resilience.
While we don’t run formal scheduled courses, we offer WWOOF volunteers the opportunity to take part in short, informal daily learning sessions with Chris. These relaxed sit-down discussions explore regenerative agriculture topics that are of interest to you and connect them to what is happening on the farm.
Topics may include areas such as permaculture design, soil health and the soil food web, nutrition farming, syntropic agriculture, orchard management, and integrating multiple enterprises on a small commercial farm.
During the day’s work we then look to highlight practical examples of the ideas discussed, so you can see how the theory is applied in a real working system. In this way, volunteers gain both a conceptual understanding and hands-on experience of how regenerative approaches function in a small commercial setting.
These sessions take place on the farm, are available only to volunteers staying with us, and there is no additional cost.
