Nestled in the coastal range of Mendocino County, California (about 45 minutes NW of Ukiah) we have established a small farmstead and wildlife sanctuary. Based on principles of sustainability & permaculture our expanding ridge top garden and orchards consist of a variety of fruits, veggies, herbs and flowers. Aside from garden and orchard tasks additional projects may include gathering seaweed and other native wild foods, cooking, canning, fermenting foods, baking, making herbal preparations, seed saving, habitat restoration and beautification, brush and trail clearing, bucking and splitting firewood, small scale building, learning how to set up and maintain an off-grid infrastructure and solar system and so much more!
PLEASE READ OUR ENTIRE PROFILE BEFORE CONTACTING US.
For the last 20 years we have been creating our place to call home on what was once raw land. We started out in a tent then moved to a trailer and now live in a small home which was built with wood from our land. We have put in our own infrastructure, gardens, orchards, trails, etc., and there is always so much more to do. We greatly appreciate people with a strong work ethic who truly want to help out, learn a lot and have an experience of a lifetime!
We are in a beautiful location where the weather is cooler than the town of Ukiah, but it is relatively remote and therefore not for everyone. We are looking for open minded folks who are flexible, love to be outdoors, want to unplug and would enjoy the serenity of a mountain forest. We require a 1 month minimum stay. If you have ever thought you might like to homestead or purchase raw land then our farm would be a good place to visit. We are not a commercial farm, but we may choose to sell our produce locally in the future. We admire the work of Masanobu Fukuoka, Bob Cannard, Richo Cech, Kat Harrison, Rosemary Gladstar and John Jeavons amongst others.
We are a vegetarian household living very simply off the grid. We provide organic staples such as grains, beans legumes, flour, veggies, fruit, herbs, spices, cooking oil, coffee, tea, eggs, etc. Our meals are made from scratch and we want everyone to feel that they have access to plenty of healthy food.
Our idea of entertainment is walking & hiking the old logging roads and trails that meander throughout our diverse 88 acres. We also enjoy reading, sunbathing, stargazing, drumming and conversing around the campfire. Internet is available but limited, and we prefer people who wish to take a break from it. Camping is available and having your own transportation is helpful but not necessary. We can pick you up in Ukiah or Mendocino. A weekly trip into town is often available.
Things to do in the area include enjoying the local hot springs, virgin redwood groves, rivers, beaches, botanical garden, local museums, state parks, wineries and historic coastal towns.
Organic methods: We are expanding our garden by adding beds on contour with the land and we have done some Hugel culture. We create our compost on site, and we are working towards a closed loop system of sustainability. Sawdust from the milling process, wood chips, organic straw, oyster shell and locally harvested seaweed and herbs are used to amend our soil. We also create biochar for use in our garden beds, use nutrient rich water from our greenhouse fish tank to feed our greenhouse plants and occasionally make compost and herbal teas for our plants. We do not use machinery to till our beds, we simply turn them by hand and amend them when needed. We also practice crop rotation and cover cropping. In the future we hope to incorporate bee keeping.
Certifications: We are not certified but we practice as if we were. Our food is as clean as you can get!
Current projects: We are always looking for helping hands for a myriad of gardening and homesteading tasks. Aside from that we are looking for someone with building skills to help with various building projects such as framing, roofing, siding, etc. Ideally, this person would be able to commit to a longer stay and be able to work both independently and work well with others.
Want to stay longer than a month and get the most from your WWOOFing experience? Do you want to learn to live with the seasons? LONGER TERM STAYS are being offered thru November 19th this year. Farming or gardening experience is a plus but not necessary. Long term stays focus on the garden...propagation, cultivation, harvesting, processing, seed saving, soil building/health, orchard care along with wild foraging, firewood, infrastructure maintenance, trail work and a myriad of other tasks that come with seasonal living and a homesteader's lifestyle. Please contact us for more information.
There is always so much to do on our land. Those that come out our way always get to experience a diversity of tasks and learning opportunities. We hope you can join us!
Languages Spoken: English, German & a little Spanish
SORRY, BUT WE CANNOT ACCOMMODATE DOGS OR OTHER PETS!
We lose our souls if we lose the experience of the forest, the butterflies, the song of the birds, if we can't see the stars at night. -Thomas Berry
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Forestry
Wild foraging
Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas
Seed saving or production
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Traditional crafts
Green Building
Renewable energy production
Methods or systems
Biological pest control
Holistic management
No-till farming
Permaculture
Host type
Self-sufficiency property
Former WWOOFer
35.6
Hectares
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88
Acres
Accommodation
