Reviews for: Blue Rock Station

This is an excellent learning experience for any age. When we first arrived Annie was holding a beautiful baby goat that was only a few hours old. You could tell right away she has a love for all of her animals.We were able to tour the buildings, each made with interesting techniques. The kids loved the gardens and flowers and having the opportunity to explore everything hands on. We packed lunch and had a beautiful picnic, Annie even prepared cookies for everyone to enjoy. After eating Jay talked about the solar oven, and even had materials so the kids could create their own to take home. The Earthship itself was amazing, and we all loved the idea of having a rocket stove for homemade pizza. The kids and adults had a wonderful time at Blue Rock Station, Annie and Jay are warm and welcoming and provide a ton of information.

I was a WWOOF intern for a month during the summer before I started college at Ohio State. I went there because my mom's college roomate knew Annie and Jay and trusted them.

It was an incredibly empowering experience and it was integral in helping me launch my career in sustainable agriculture. Not coming from an agricultural background, I was able to learn basic animal husbandry and natural building from some of the most interesting and supportive people I've ever met. It was a lot of hard work but there's absolutely no way to learn about sustainable agriculture if you're not willing to get your hands dirty. The WWOOF agreement is that you have a place to stay and plenty to eat but you're expected to work hard and sometimes that means putting in more hours- just like any other job. It's not a vacation and you need to care about the end results (why else would you be there?). That being said, there were also days when we just went to town or to Blue Rock State Park. There's a natural ebb and flow to the work. Also, you will to help with cooking and dishes since you're eating with everyone (just like every other time in your life). It's certainly not the type of experience where you clock out at 5pm but I still had plenty of time to read and go for beautiful, amazing walks in the woods and down the road. They also watch good movies (like Casa Blanca)

Interning at Blue Rock Station is an opportunity. If you treat it as such and work hard you can gain a lot out of it. I've used the things I learned there in my agriculture classes at Ohio State and another internship I took at an herb farm. I hope continue to use the skills I learned in my future job (I'm thinking about agricultural development as a career). My internship with Annie and Jay wasn't easy but it was an absolute success. I personally know many interns that they have successfully mentored. I keep in touch with them, see them every year at the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Conference, and I farm sat for them two summers ago. They've been an ongoing source of support and guidance in my life.

Finally, I'd like to add too that I always felt safe and supported at the farm. If you come here meaning well and are respectful of Annie, Jay, and their granddaughter as people, hosts, and owners of the farm you will have no troubles.

Visiting Blue Rock Station is more of an experience than a tour. Anne and Jay are awesome people with infinite patience for people like me that have tons of questions. My kids got to play with the farm animals and they even treated us to their home grown teas... Awesome!

Can't wait to get back to see the progress and hear the latest adventures.

I had the pleasure to visit Blue Rock Station many times, so I had the opportunity to listen directly from people who participated in the many tours they give all year long. The reviews I heard from this people was always the same. It was about how they enjoyed the experience, how the owners were accommodating, what a tour they had, good time with the several creatures in the farm, interesting way of living, great hands on workshops.. My son worked twice as an intern there and heard always the same kind of comments. I never saw as a problem to know more about their books that are not always found in the big stores. I think that if you are in Ohio, this should be in your top places to spend a day or two.

As a person with deep sustainability experience and respect for those who walk the talk, I can say that Annie & Jay Warmke are among the best I've met in terms of what they teach, how they operate, and the kind of activities they offer. They are straight up, down home folks, so don't expect to bring a lazy attitude to the farm and have it carry any water (as some people have found out in the past) and bad attitudes have no place there in general but if you want to see, feel, and experience sustainability in action, there is NO better place than Blue Rock Station. If you're thinking about an internship, it doesn't get any better than this, but again, as with anything, you'll get out of it what you put into it. Don't come to BRS looking for a cross between Gandma's house and 4-H Camp but if you bring a bright inquisitive mind, a functional work and land ethic, and the capacity to treat all with respect, you'll be right at home. We count the folks at Blue Rock Station as being among our very best friends as well as our favorite source of sustainability wisdom.