Workcamping at Goat House Farm
Goat House Farm has volunteer site exchange positions open for singles or couples who want to be part of real farm life while helping with the everyday jobs that keep things running. If you enjoy useful work, outdoor life, animals, and the satisfaction of contributing to something real, you will probably feel right at home here.
Situated in a rural area of Tallahassee on Lake Talquin, the farm is surrounded by the beautiful Lake Talquin State Forest and Apalachicola National Forest. There is great fishing, hiking trails, and beautiful sunsets, and we are less than an hour from the beaches, Tate’s Hell State Forest, and Wakulla Springs. The farm is about 20 miles from Florida State University, and home to more than 30 dairy goats, camping, and two cabins.
If you like goats, do not mind getting dirty, and can laugh when the day takes a turn no one planned for, you will probably fit in just fine. Life here tends to revolve around goats, goat-related chores, goat-related surprises, and the occasional strong opinion from a goat who was not consulted.
Absolutely must be able to manage time well with attention to detail.
What Workcampers Do
Daily work often includes feeding goats, cleaning water buckets, filling hay, cleaning loafing areas and barns, and helping keep animal spaces in good shape. Workcampers also help socialize baby goats, which is both useful and a pretty good deal if you enjoy tiny goat chaos.
Other regular tasks can include helping flip and clean our two little cabins, cleaning the bath house and common areas, general farm cleanup, seasonal outdoor work, and other projects around the farm depending on what needs attention.
Supervising volunteers is also an important part of the role, especially during busy times on the farm. We value workcampers who can follow task lists, work well as part of a team, and also handle tasks independently. When we have local volunteers, that often gives workcampers the chance to take a step back, supervise a little more, and help keep everything moving instead of doing every single task themselves.
Because we have lots of guests, classes, and visitors at the farm, the ability to work well with the public is important too.
Learning Opportunities
This is a great opportunity for people who want to learn to care for goats. You can be as involved as you like in milking, hoof trimming, medications, immunizations, and general care.
No experience is necessary, but a good attitude and a love of animals, the outdoors, and farm life are absolutely required. If you are just looking for a place to stay and are not genuinely interested in farm life, this is probably not the right fit. Farm life is not nearly as glamorous as TV likes to pretend.
Schedule and Time Expectations
Work is generally about four hours in the mornings, but it often takes less when we have local volunteers helping. Most weeks are fewer than twenty hours total, with two days off, though the exact rhythm depends on what is happening on the farm.
We do not micromanage time. What matters most is being helpful, dependable, adaptable, and willing to contribute consistently.
What to Expect
Depending on the day, we may have projects in progress, repairs underway, guests and visitors coming and going, youth working with their goats, farm classes taking place, and all the normal unpredictability that comes with animals and an active farm.
Farm life is often chaotic, with changing routines during kidding season, feeding changes, and the general reality that goats do not care about anyone’s schedule. The ability to adapt to change and work from task lists, both with a team and independently, matters a lot here.
Some jobs are simple but important. Some are repetitive. Some are muddy. Some are satisfying in the deeply glamorous way that only a clean water bucket can be.
Perks of Workcamping
Workcampers get to spend time in a peaceful farm setting, learn through experience, and be part of the daily rhythm of the farm. Depending on the season, perks include fresh fruit and vegetables, milk and milk products, and the small everyday bonuses that come with being around goats!
There is also the very real perk of getting to know the animals, building practical skills, and ending the day knowing you actually did something useful, with maybe a little hay in your shirt and a goat trying to “help.”
A Few Things to Know
Well-behaved dogs are allowed only at specific sites, so be sure to check with us first to see whether that space is available.
We are located at the end of a three-quarter mile dirt road with only some patches cemented. The road can flood after multiple days of rain. We have never had trouble getting big rigs in, but it can be slow going, and we want people to know what to expect.
Vandwellers and tent campers are welcome. We have a bath house with a compost toilet and hot shower, along with an outdoor kitchen area.
This is Florida. Winters are mild, spring and fall are beautiful, summer is hot, and August is usually wet. We also have bugs, because that is part of the package.
We prefer a minimum stay of three months, with two weeks’ notice before departure, but we will consider shorter stays.
Apply Now!
Please fill out the form below or email us about yourself, your rig size, and a list of references to melissa@goathousefarm.com
Feel free to email if you have questions!
A huge thanks to all of our work campers, past and present!
Mavis and Jess, Mr. V, John and Chelsea (x3!), Doug and Leah, Mo and Faith, Tom and Jo, Matthew, Sarah, Jeanne and Ed, Cindy and Steve (x4!), Jim and Judy, Paul and Veronica, Skip (x2), Caroline and Michael, Mike, Priscilla, Crystal, Jen, Beth, Cav and Haley, Rose and Casey, Jason and Tineall, Michael and Patte, Tricia, Zack and Zoe, Eric and Amanda, Christy, Sean and Nicole, Carolyn, Danielle, Sharron, Kristen and her awesome girls Margot and Kaia, Abigail, Amanda & Scott, Paulette, our Short-term Volunteers and FSU and FAMU student groups, our Admin Extrodiniare Pam, and everyone else who has helped out while passing through or taking the time to volunteer on the farm!