Sheep Farm and Orchard
British Columbia
Located in the heart of British Columbia's Okanagan valley, the farm is a small scale producer of wool, lamb and pork. We are the largest registered breeder of Shropshire sheep in Western Canada. Shropshires are a wonderful, but relatively rare, heritage breed that produces abundant wool as well as excellent meat. We are surrounded by orchards and part of the property is comprised of apple orchard where our sheep graze from spring to fall. We strive to reduce food waste whenever possible and source a significant portion of the feed for our hogs from local cull apples, peaches and plums, and vineyard prunings. In the summer we have a large vegetable garden, sweet corn and a berry patch. The farm is in a close knit community with many opportunities to share meals and friendship with our neighbours. You must love dogs, as we share our home with two border collies and look after an enormous but gentle livestock guardian dog who protects our flock from coyotes, bears and cougars. We also have two horses on site. As a producer of excellent pasture raised lamb and pork, we take our food seriously here. We try to eat what is in season and source as locally as possible; much of the meat served is from our own animals. Eggs, chicken, fresh fruits and vegetables come from our neighbours or our own garden. Because meals are generally centred around some meat, if your dietary preference is vegan or vegetarian, the farm would not be a good fit. Although there is plenty of opportunity to learn, the farm is best suited to self starters willing to take on tasks with limited supervision. We do have a few chores that need to be done daily, but I encourage everyone to select tasks that suit their interests and aptitude, whether it is building animal shelters, tending gardens or caring for the livestock. The busiest, but most rewarding time is lambing season in February and March. There are typically young pigs on the property from early summer until September. In your free time, you will find yourself in an area with abundant recreational opportunities. It's just a short walk to some of the best lakes in British Columbia. Bicycle trails are nearby. In the winter you are within an hour of excellent skiing, both cross country and down hill.
Because caring for livestock occasionally involves unexpected emergencies which we need to respond to whenever they may occur, the farm is not suited to persons who regularly consume alcohol to intoxication or regularly use marijuana. The work is sometimes quite physically demanding and one must be able to lift and carry at least a 30kg bale of hay.
Please note, we do sell a significant quantity of meat, livestock and apples and as such we are a commercial farm. Workers coming from overseas should have the appropriate work visa.
Organic methods: Our sheep and pork are raised naturally. We focus on the natural behaviour of all our animals to ensure that their life is as stress free as possible. Sheep are allowed to wean their lambs naturally. Pigs are allowed plenty of room to roam, soil to root in, and a variety of foods to keep life interesting. We use manures and pasture rotation by different animals to naturally rebuild the soil.
Certifications: We are a small operation and certification would not be practical for us.
Current projects: Going into spring there will be about 80 newborn lambs and their mothers to care for. The orchard will require some pruning and irrigation repairs. And we may begin some construction projects including a washing station for the dogs and a sizeable storage building for grain or a chicken coop.
Internet access available
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Pig farming
Sheep or goat farming
Meat processing
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Mentoring opportunities
Woman-operated
Host type
Production farm
2
Hectares
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5
Acres
Ann Katrine
Member since 2017
Languages spoken:
English
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 70%
Response time: typically within 2 days
British Columbia
Ebus, Ryder Express or flights available to Kelowna Airport where I can pick you up. Pick up in Vernon or Kelowna is also possible. Saturday or Sunday arrival preferred.
Reviews
Sarah
Germany
•
April 2026
My stay at Ponderosa Farm was honestly one of the best times ever! I loved getting to spend so much time with both the people and all the animals on the farm.
Ann Katrine is super welcoming, open, and just really knows her stuff. We asked her sooo many questions about sheep and lambing, and she always took the time to explain everything in a way that actually made sense and made you feel ready for anything. What stood out the most to me was how much she truly cares about every single animal. No matter what’s going on, she’ll do everything she can to help them. And she is the best at creating an amazing lambing team ;) I am convinced I just made lifelong friends with the other woofers, but also the people on the farm.
I was there during lambing season, so the days were long, there were night shifts, and sometimes things got pretty stressful—but it was also super rewarding. By the end of my five weeks, I was sitting there with the ewes and their lambs and could literally tell a little story about each little jigger.
I hope I will be able to come back!
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Reply from Ann Katrine
You are always welcome at the Ponderosa, Sarah! Thank you for all your help.
Jakob
Germany
•
March 2026
Our time at Ponderosa Farm was truely incredible.
We were there for 4-5 weeks during lambing season, which is surely one of the most stressfull times of the year at any sheep farm. So if you want to join Ann Katrine for a future lambing season, (which we totaly recommend you do!) be prepared to work hard, which sometimes involves waking up in the night to check on the sheep. But trust us, it is truely worth it, when you have 50 lambs jumping around you!
Ann Katrine is one of the kindest people we have met during our work and travel in Canada. Next to her there were also 2 more Wwoofers there with us with whom we had an amazing time and are still close to, so Ann Katrine did a really nice job of putting together a lambing team, that is just as much fun as hard working.
Apart from that you will definetly love the food here!
In the end we will remember this experience as the big highlight of our 9 months of travelling through Canada and we can only recommend this to everyone!!!
We hope we can come back one day. :)
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Michèle
Germany
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March 2026
Wow! I don’t even know where to start. I just had one of the best months of my life at Ponderosa Farm. Ann Katrine did an amazing job putting together a group of four people for lambing season. It honestly couldn’t have been a better match. 🧡
I don’t want to pretend it wasn’t hard work. During lambing season, you check the sheep every hour during the day and every two hours at night for about four weeks. This is far from a typical “5 hours and done” place - it can feel like a 24/7 responsibility if you’re committed to the animals. We probably could have done less, but once you’re involved, you genuinely care. Losing a lamb is tough, and trust me, you want to do everything you can to prevent it! :)
So if you’re looking for sth relaxed with lots of free time, this isn’t the place (at least not during lambing season!). But if you want a truly rewarding, hands-on experience and are are willing to put in the effort, it’s absolutely worth it!
Ann Katrine is a very kind person but also pretty direct - especially at 2am in the barn. 😋 She doesn’t sugarcoat things, but it comes from experience and getting things done.
I NEVER expected to be this happy or meet such great people. And the food, WOW, honestly incredible. Felt like Christmas dinner every night!
I couldn’t have asked for a better experience & I will miss this so much - The biggest thank you to Ann Katrine for having us, I'll definitely come back! 🫶🏼
So absolutely YES, join the lambing team, you won't regret it!!
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Alina
Germany
•
December 2024
Thank you Ann-Katrine for being such a wonderful host. We had a great time at Ponderosa Farm. The food was excellent and working with the animals was fun. We learned a lot about farming and are so glad we were able to start building the sheep shelter. We will miss you guys and especially the best dogs ;)
Lena
Germany
•
November 2024
My almost four-week stay on the farm was my first WWOOF experience with animals, and it couldn't have been better. The dogs, the sheep, the environment and especially the people there are wonderful. I felt very comfortable from day one, Ann-Katrin is incredibly warm and helpful. I also learned a lot about working with sheep. Ann-Katrin has endless knowledge in this area and is always willing to teach you something about working with sheep. I was also allowed to try out a lot in the kitchen and bake countless apple pies and breads, which I love! I will often think back to this time (and the great food there, it was incredible). I'm sure no one makes better mashed or roasted potatoes than Ann-Katrin. Thank you so much for the wonderful time!
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Carlotta
Germany
•
October 2024
I had a great month at the Ponderosa this summer! It was my first ever woofing experience and I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Ann Katrine and her Niece were so accommodating and immediately made me feel at home. The food and the house were great and I felt welcome at all times.
The work was fun and I was able to find my own rhythm very quickly. The animals, especially the sheep, are very lovely to be around and I had a great time taking care of them. Overall I learned a lot during my stay!
I also had a lot of freetime to go for hikes, bike rides, swim in the nearby lakes or kayak.
I will definitely be back!
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