Family farm
Finland
We have an ecological farm in eastern Finland. The farm is specialized in maintaining biodiversity in certain areas with the help of cows and sheep. At the same time we protect the threatened Finnish original cows called kyyttö. We sell the milk direct to the customers, make cheese and sell purebred calves for farmers. Our farm is very traditional and a bit old fashioned. Our vegetable garden is big, because we try to grow the potatoes, carrots, artichotes etc. for our own table. If the volunteers are interested in our farm, they may help me to feed the animals, maybe to shear the sheep with me and repair the fences with my husband. In the summer time there is much weeding.
Projects for the wwoofers: Feeding and taking care of the animals, weeding the vegetable garden by hand, shearing the sheep.
PLEASE NOTE: We wish to have only wwoofers, who are already used to do physical work and preferably have also experience of animals. Taking care of animals requires the ability of pushing a wheelbarrow full of hey, lifting several 8kg water buckets and walking 5000 steps a day. We can take only one wwoofer at the time, and the working periods are limited to summertime. We are not able to host wwoofers in the winter.
About the house: Internet acces available. The voluntary workers get a room of their own. We serve ordinary, home-made food.
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Poultry farming
Sheep or goat farming
Dairy farming
Forestry
Cheesemaking
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Bakery
Food justice / sovereignty
Host type
Self-sufficiency property
20.2
Hectares
|
50
Acres
Riitta-Miina
Member since 2017
Languages spoken:
English, Finnish, German, Swedish
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 50%
Response time: typically within 1 day
Finland
Joensuu is the nearest town.
Reviews
Agnès
France
•
May 2025
Nous avons passé une semaine incroyable. Accueil excellent, un projet de ferme très innovant et respectueux de l'environnement. De magnifiques échanges avec les propriétaires, de très bons moments partagés. Nous nous sommes très bien sentis malgré la difficulté de travail. Nous étions toujours respectés et écoutés.
Mina cuisine très bien et son mari nous a fourni le poisson pour certains repas. Il nous a aussi organisé 2 barbecues en plein air sur un des lieux de travail. Un vrai professionnel.
Je recommande vivement.
We had an incredible week. Excellent welcome, a very innovative and environmentally friendly farm project. Wonderful interactions with the owners, and wonderful moments shared. We felt very comfortable despite the difficult work. We were always respected and listened to.
Mina cooks very well, and her husband provided us with fish for some meals. He also organized two outdoor barbecues for us at one of the work sites. A true professional.
I highly recommend it.
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Alex
Finland
•
October 2024
I really enjoyed my first time WWOOFing, Lehmäleiri was very peaceful and relaxed place to stay, plus the food was great too! Would be very happy to go back sometime in Spring/summer next year!
Nanako
United Kingdom
•
October 2024
It was amazing experience in Lehmäleiri with Ritta Minna and her husband Aaro. They’re very warm and welcoming. I also met their family and they’re lovely too! I experienced taking care of animals, berry picking, leading animals, vegetables picking etc… Every experiences are amazing.
Their animals are very friendly and well taught. I didn’t know cows are very smart and sheep are friendly to people before I visit there. I was looking forward to seeing animals every morning! I always enjoyed Ritta Minna’s cooking, baking and conversation with them. They told and taught me so many things and asking about me a lot! They welcomed me as a family member.
Thank you very much letting me stay there and always being nice to me. I came to love Finland, Finish people forest and animals more! I highly recommend Lehmäleiri and I’ll miss them so much.
Kiitos paljon!
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France
France
•
November 2022
Lehmäleiri is an amazing place and I had a great time.
I am very gratefull for Riitta-Miina for welcoming me and teaching me so many things. She really works with ethics, for the land and the animals as much as for the wwoofer/guest (a.k.a me at the time). My work was demanding physically and I felt the help was appreciated and respected by Riitta-Miina. It is important for me and I felt lucky to be able to travel in those conditions.
I got to learn about the land preservation, animal caring, the region history, finnish culture, enjoyed good conversations and also many beautifull sceneries, from fields, islands and surrounding lakes.
Riitta-Miina is also a great cook and it was amazing to drink the milk from the farm's cows, to eat organic veggies from the garden and try different sorts of pullas - as much as soups and fishes from the nearby lake.
The animals on site are very well taken care of, the cows are peacefull and people friendly.
It was great meeting Riitta-Miina and her family. We got along pretty well and I appreciated my stay a lot. It set the bar high for my next visits!
Thank you for everything!
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Jadwiga
Germany
•
August 2019
I spent 2 weeks at Lehmäleiri and I wish it had been longer! The farm is located in a beautiful region with infinite nature around! Riitta-Miina's farm is all about respecting the animals, the nature and its balance. They protect the biodiversity and finnish breeds of chicken, cows and sheep. Every day my tasks changed a bit due to the busy life at the farm and I learned a lot through working and talking with Riitta-Miina. The whole family was so kind and welcoming to me; I spent time with everyone on diverse activities like fishing or picking berries. The sheep, goats and cows at the farm are extremely social and loving. Each of them are treated with respect and great care. I had an amazing time with the family and the animals. The work was diverse and interesting and the food was absolutely delicious!
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Tereza
Czechia
•
November 2018
It was the absolutely greatest time on the Maukkula farm with the Piipponen family. Their positive and calm attitude to life is admirable. The farm is in the middle of North Karelian forests, so you can enjoy the fresh air, spotless finnish nature, smell the scent of the rain and trees and, and, and... Wow! Riitta-Miina breeds traditional cattle breed - Eastern Finncattle, so you will take care of them, which incudes milking feeding, brushing and so on. There are sheeps, goats (Vivienne and Flora), chickens and cats too, all af them original finnish breeds. Every animal is nice and calm, cause they are treated so - careful and with love. Riitta-Miina nad her husband Aaro were the kindest people I met in Finland. We found a lot of interesting topics, we could talk about. I came to Finland after hard times in my life and they taught me some very important things about the way of life. It was exactly that, I needed. I'm thankful for such people, that adopt you for a while and share their lifes and experiences. Last thing I must mention is the food - homemade, organic, delicious. I discovered some typical finnish meals, f.e. viili or talkkunaa and could enjoy the best break with coffee and korvapuusti on the potato field. I would totally recommend this farm. If you need little bit peace and quiet, but new experiences and friends at the same time, go there. Definitely! Thank you
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