Herbalist, Natural Builder, Homesteader and Permaculture / Regenerative Land Management, Farming
California
I love to host people who are interested in learning about homesteading and permaculture, and especially if you have or want to have skills in building with natural materials! We have exciting projects and workshops and are currently recruiting for SPRING 2025!! We will be hosting a Social Permaculture workshop in April '25, and natural building workshops in April and May '25, focused on learning about sculpted cob, rock and cob walls, pillars and stairs, as well as natural plasters. The Farm is dedicated to learning about Permaculture and all the ways we can best work WITH nature and the natural flow of things. We are also steeped in regenerative forestry, grow seasonal veggies, and perennial culinary and medicinal herbs, and are busy installing wildlife hedgerows as well as a riparian buffer zone as well as a food-forest section on about 1/4 acre. We often do "Gorilla Forestry" and glean plants in overgrown forests for our installations.
In our Wwoof volunteer program, we will teach how to preserve foods to last many seasons, learn all about growing soil health, growing crops for market, as well as growing community in the permaculture ways. We will also be making and canning creative recipes with seasonal harvests. We will sow seeds for new crops in spring, summer, and fall, as well as cover crops for wintering over. You will learn how to tend edible gardens from seeding thru harvest time.
The farm is growing! Fire-resilient landscapes and outbuildings are in the process of being created. Opportunities include learning about Earthen Building, specifically sculpted cob structures, natural paints and plasters, working with stones and sourcing local ingredients for making the cob. In fact, we are also building a barn right now which is a hybrid of framed construction and natural building, so you may have the opportunity to learn traditional construction skills as well.
We specifically encourage permaculture people who can assist with earthworks and creating regenerative watering systems to stop in for a visit ~ this land would love to play with you! Challenging seasonal rains create an opportunity to revisit our water ways ~ a rushing seasonal creek and pond sometimes shift and change as the earth itself moves with time and underground critters. Each year we reassess, make swales and trench as needed, or remove excess plant material so the water can "slow and sink" ~ keeping as much water stored in the ground as possible, and making sure the roads and paths are restored and functioning well.
About our area: We enjoy the CLEANEST AIR IN CALIFORNIA! Night skies are incredible here, best in the nation in some years. The farm is affiliated with local hot springs and their birthing of an EcoFarm, so we will spend some time on a start-up farm, which is altogether different in terrain and challenges! There are plenty of outdoor activities on the most ancient lake around ~ California's largest and oldest lake: Clear Lake. Rowing, fishing, canoe, hike, star-gaze and learn about the fascinating geology of our area, and hunt for Lake County Diamonds! They are literally everywhere! As is ""Bottle Rock"" otherwise known as Obsidian. Nearby hikes include the Pacific Palisades, a local waterfall hike with awesome natural swimming holes, as well as Boggs Mountain State Park and Mount Helena State Park, and Snow Mountain along the Cache Creek basin. Good day trips include Coastal Redwoods and the "Avenue of the Giants", San Francisco and the Bay Area, many cool beaches on the Pacific Ocean, the Mendocino Coast, as well as the Sierra foothills and tons of rivers to visit, some white water rafting and great fishing.
Perks include lots of good eats, learn about wild harvesting local herbs & wild foods, herb cultivation, medicine-making and food preservation! Fun stuff!! In addition to shared facilities in the main farmhouse, there is an outdoor kitchen, group campfire site, and camping decks with gorgeous views. Outdoor bath as pictured is available for your use as well.
* Rotating chores, including cooking meals & dishes.* Farm workdays are 4 days per week usually about 20-24 hours per week by agreed schedule, excluding regular chores like dishes or harvesting food for the days meal.
*No trash service. If you bring in packaged food and drinks, we respectfully request that you take your trash with you when you leave.* We strive to be a ""Better than Organic"" farm, and our effort is focused on sourcing everything we need right here on property, to regenerate for future needs. There is a set of rules that you will learn about pertaining to that.
* This is not a drinking establishment. We are into tea and such.
* We strive to have fun and make our farm days enjoyable and informative. Please have an open mind, a willing heart, and a dash of courage. But expect to work during work hours, as there is lots to accomplish! NOTE: We have 2 cats and no other animals at this time. Wildlife here is abundant and the property boasts a wildlife corridor, with visiting deer, rabbits, birds of prey, lots of woodpeckers and other critters, including fox, mountain lions, bob cats, raccoons, snakes and lizards, skunks and more.
Organic methods: We are working towards a Regenerative Farm Certification and are already qualified with more than eight (8) closed-loop systems. We create our own heat by tending to our forest (about 2 acres of Oak Savannah) and harvest our own firewood when trees loose branches or die. We also wild harvest and cultivate, or glean from nature about 85% of our compost tea ingredients, 100% of our mulch and 90% of our natural building materials!
Internet access available most of the time. Cell phones typically work here. Our roads are challenging at times, however 4 wheel drive is not necessary. A car is preferable as it is at least 10 miles to the closest store.
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Dairy farming
Forestry
Wild foraging
Seed saving or production
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Traditional crafts
Green Building
Food justice / sovereignty
Methods or systems
Biodynamic agriculture
Holistic management
No-till farming
Permaculture
Regenerative agriculture
Mentoring opportunities
Woman-operated
BIPOC-operated
Host type
Self-sufficiency property
Certified organic
Former WWOOFer
2
Hectares
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5
Acres
Accommodation
Brenda
Member since 2016
Languages spoken:
English, Spanish
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 100%
Response time: typically within 5 days
California
Small town bus station via Napa or Santa Rosa, California. Can be reached by SAC, OAK, SFO, San Jose or Santa Rosa airports.
Reviews
Gitanjali
United States
•
February 2026
Brenda's beautiful farm sings; her cats are cuddly, and the sunsets and sunrises truly incredible. Due to a strange dynamic between me and the other WWOOFers (which I take my share of responsibility for), my stay wasn't long and Brenda handled this with care, discernment and freedom. She is a powerful woman.
I hope the food forest thrives!!! And I highly recommend a stay here. xoxo
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Andrea
United States
•
September 2025
My time here was short but very rewarding. Initially, I wanted to learn about herbalism and how to grow food, but I left with so much more. During my week with Brenda, I was exposed to a variety of hands-on experiences, such as the preparation of a cob recipe, invasive clearing, garden maintenance, and the importance of living in a symbiotic relationship with the land. This experience served as a valuable introduction to my desired future, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to learn from Brenda. I would definitely recommend visiting if you want to get into natural building, herbalism, or sustainable food systems. It is located in a beautiful valley with a serene view of the mountains and a luminous night sky, which helped set the perfect start and end to my days here.
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Olivia
United States
•
July 2025
I just spent one and a half action packed months on this lovely farm. Natural building was what originally drew me there, but by the end I had learned so much more. From natural building to Plant bug elimination, irrigation, herbal medicines and everyday life lessons. I was very fortunate to have been able to participate in several Natural Lime Plaster/ Paint workshops and attend a Social Permaculture workshop. The host went out of her way to take me to all of the best nearby and somewhat distant must see places. So, locally we would visit the weekly farmers market, swimming holes, hiking spots and the hot springs. Further away, we ventured out to places like the beautiful Mendocino Coast and visited with the majestic Old Growth Redwoods. Accommodations were comfortable and I had the privilege of sharing my bed at times with my cuddly cat friends Coo Coo and George. Brenda’s a great cook and she taught me how to make a couple of new dishes as well. I had an unforgettable time. I feel truly lucky to have gotten the opportunity to get to know and spend quality time with Brenda and some of her dear friends. I hope that we keep in touch and would love to circle back around for another visit.
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DANIELLE
United States
•
February 2023
Really amazing land, and so many opportunities to learn about natural building, planting, and the ins and outs of living on a farm. Thanks brenda!
Sadie
United States
•
May 2021
If given the opportunity to wwoof at Golden Rocks, do not pass it up!! Brenda’s slice of land is magical, and was especially so during my stay in April through May when all of the flowers were blooming. Brenda is a warm and fabulous host, as well is being an awesome farmer and “grandma” with extensive knowledge to share. Despite the fact that she was recovering from knee surgery, she was still able to work every day and make her way around the steep hills covered in volcanic rock.
I got to stay in “The Westie”, a west folia van parked on the property, and got to the sun rise over the hills every morning before going and caring for the chickens! There’s always plenty of tasks and projects to be done, from weeding and irrigation to harvesting and farmers market (which is a blast!). When work is over there’s also plenty of exploring in nature to do in and around Middletown.
All together an unforgettable first Wwoofing experience for me :)
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Julia
United States
•
February 2021
As other reviews have attested, Brenda is a warm and kind host with permaculture experience. During my stay, I cared for the chickens, harvested potatoes, seed lettuce & strawberries, sowed cover crop, troubleshoot hoses, protect citrus trees from frost, make compost tea, build an enclosure for the compost pile, and did some interior painting in one of the cob buildings under construction. I appreciated Brenda's willingness to answer questions about the work and her hospitality in general. She strove to be accommodating despite being in the process of recovering from knee surgery.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to stay as long as I had initially planned, partly due to some miscommunication around housing options and the presence of other WWOOFers. My advice: if you go to Golden Rocks in winter, pack gear for cold nights, or plan to stay in the farmhouse (Brenda's house) and don't plan to rely on the wifi at the farm. If you stay in Brenda's house, you should be comfortable knowing she will likely have friends by in a non-social-distanced way. Also, if it's important to you to have other WWOOFers there, ask Brenda to tell you if other WWOOFers' plans change.
I really appreciated Brenda's kindness and hospitality during my stay. I was sad to leave the peace and quiet of the farm and the satisfaction of the outdoors work behind. I think future WWOOFers here in the spring and summer (and after Brenda's knee is fully healed) will have even better experiences here.
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