Destination agrotouristique, Ferme d'élevage de bétail, Ferme mixte, Ferme, Ferme familiale

Switzerland

8 • Updated 19 days ago

Hello :-) We are a family of four: Alice, Mathieu, and our two daughters (10 and 6 years old). We are took over our family farm in Maggia, in the Maggia Valley, about 15 km from Locarno. We have around 50 goats and produce organic cheese. In the past, we were WWOOFers around the world, and we really enjoyed being part of this community. Helping in agriculture means supporting people who work 7 days a week and often don’t have much time to spend with their families — we were always happy to lend a hand. Now we are the ones who need some help! The tasks include milking the goats, feeding them, cleaning the farm, making hay, and producing cheese. We also need help with our garden, weeding, watering, cutting, etc... We are looking for help about 5 hours a day, 5 days a week, in exchange for food and accommodation in a small room in the barn. We would prefer longer stays. Couples or friends traveling together are welcome! In your free time, you can explore our beautiful valley, swim in the river, go hiking in the mountains, or visit Locarno and Ascona :-) Public transport to town runs every 30 minutes :-) Méthodes biologiques: We do not use pesticides or chemicals. We heals animals with homeopathie and essentials oils. We check out the moon calender for treatments or harvesting Certifications: Bio Suisse Bio inspecta Accès Internet disponible

Learning opportunities

Fruit or nut farming

Poultry farming

Sheep or goat farming

Dairy farming

Cheesemaking

Vegetable or fruit preservation

Methods or systems

Biodynamic agriculture

Host type

Production farm

Certified organic

Former WWOOFer

9.9 Hectares | 24.5 Acres

Accommodation

2 WWOOFers

Bedroom

Camper / RV

Campsite

Cabin / Mobile-home

Children not accepted

Pets not accepted

Meals

Omnivore

Vegetarian

Vegan

Length of stay

Over a month

Alice

Member since 2021

Languages spoken: English, French, Italian, Spanish

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Response rate: 100% Response time: typically within 3 days

Protomaps | © OpenStreetMap

Switzerland

Locarno

My past WWOOFers

Alisson

January 2026 • Madrid, Spain

Vincent

December 2025 • Ticino, Switzerland

Ewen

November 2025 • 22 - Côtes-d'armor, France

Peter

October 2025 • Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Willi

September 2025 • Washington, United States

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Feedback

Vincent

Switzerland • December 2025

J'ai eu beaucoup de plaisir à aider Alice et Mathieu avec la ferme, ainsi qu'à discuter avec eux et leurs filles à temps perdu et lors des repas. J'ai appris beaucoup de choses sur l'agriculture et les fermes bio. Je suis ravi que cette opportunité m'ait donné une nouvelle perspective. Les tâches sont très claires, c'est une ferme qui est habituée de rouler. J'ai surtout aidé Mathieu avec les chèvres, la cave à fromages et des tâches connexes. La Vallemaggia est un endroit magnifique et c'est très facile de partir faire des petites (ou longues) randonnées dans les montagnes avoisinantes.

Peter

Germany • October 2025

I had a great time staying for three weeks with Alice, Mathieu, their kids and Ewen (another WOOFER) at La Ghiandaia. I felt heartily welcomed and had a cozy caravan on my own with a splendid view into the valley for living. My hosts always provided me with clear instructions and gave me interesting jobs I could carry out at my own responsibility. I could ask everything and learned a lot about the animals, the cheese making and the boundary conditions under which organic farmers operate in Switzerland. The surroundings in the Maggia valley where amazing, and I had sufficient time to explore the places by bike, hike and rock climbing. I have enjoyed the hospitality of the whole family very much. Everyone made me feel at home right from the start. Thank you for having me!

Willi

United States • September 2025

I spent 6 weeks at La Ghiandaia, and it was such an incredible experience. I felt at home from the moment I got off the bus and stepped on the farm. There’s so much genuine hospitality. Alice and Mattieu work very hard to create a space that feels so welcoming and make sure all wwoofer’s needs are met. The work is typical dairy farm work: milking the goats/cleaning around 6:15am-9am then another quick clean in the afternoon. There is also lots of down time to get to know the gorgeous area of Ticino and the family/other wwofers. It was so much fun getting to know the animals too, and also getting to learn so much about the process of cheese making. Alice and Mattieu are truly inspiring and put so much care and work into their farm. Thanks again for having me, y'all! Until we meet again, Caio Caio

Rémi

France • March 2025

Nous avons passé 3 semaines chez Alice et Mathieu et ce fut un séjour mémorable ! Le travail est en début de matinée et fin d'après-midi, ce qui laisse la journée de libre pour visiter la Vallemaggia (qui est superbe). Alice et Mathieu sont des supers hôtes, très sympathiques, avec qui nous avons partagé plein de très bon moments ! Ils nous ont recommandé plein de balades et lieux à visiter dans la vallée. Merci pour tout :)

Aniss

France • September 2024

Trois semaines très agréables passées auprès de Mathieu et Alice et leurs deux superbes adorables filles. Riche en apprentissage et partage, on s'y sens comme en famille, on s'attache très vite aux chèvres et chevrettes, ce fut un plaisir de s'en occuper, elles me manquent déjà les petites bestioles !! La région est magnifique, beaucoup de randos et pleines de cascades aux alentours. Belle expérience, à refaire sans hésiter. Merci pour tout, au plaisir de vous revoir.

SHANGPENG

Italy • July 2024

I lived and worked at Alice and Mathieu's goat farm for over a month, and it was one of the most wonderful memories of my summer. Their farm is located in the heart of Valle Maggia, near Locarno, Ascona, Bellinzona, Valle Verzasca, and Valle Onsernone… beautiful cities and valleys. There are so many sights worth exploring and visiting that you will never feel bored during your two days off each week. My work was mainly with Mathieu, involving feeding, cleaning, and milking from about 6:00 to 8:00 in the morning, and feeding, cleaning, and moving the goats to the pasture (seasonally) from 16:00 to 17:30 in the evening. Sometimes, there might be temporary tasks like helping with cheese making or weeding. Overall, the working hours and tasks were very reasonable. Alice and Mathieu are very interesting, respectful, and thoughtful people. Their two daughters, Nawel and Thalia, are precious gems, and with their company, life always feels bright and joyful! This was a truly wonderful WWOOFing experience, and I look forward to returning. I sincerely suggest any WWOOFers reading this not to hesitate to contact them—you will have a brand new experience! Lots of love!