We have a small off-grid homestead in the hills of Cazadero, a small town in Western Sonoma County. Back in the 1970s my grandparents established the ranch we live on called Gualala Ranch: an old sheep ranch divided into 64, 40 acre parcels. It continues to be a thriving community with really great neighbors and it is what makes us unique. We live on one of the 40 acre parcels; a forested northwest facing hillside, with our two children (ages 6 and 10), 3 dogs, 3 cats, 7 goats, and chickens, ducks, and turkeys. We have a seasonal creek and two springs that run year round. We are opening the forest for grazing, fire preparedness, agriculture, gardening, and building projects. We practice permaculture and holistic land management with rotational grazing. We make compost and compost tea and are microbiology enthusiasts. We are working towards being self-sufficient and we practice biodynamics and closed loop systems. We milk our goats and make fresh cheese every week during the season. We like to ferment, preserve, and make as many things from scratch as we can.
We really value WWOOFing as a learning opportunity to share experiences and connect with land and nature. We have a list of projects but we start by asking each WWOOFer what they would like to do during their time with us. We like to inspire and encourage creativity and exploration. We always have things that need to be done but WWOOFing allows us to dive into projects that spark interest in the WWOOFers that may not have been at the top of our list.
We are dedicated to building a home where everyone — regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identification or ability — are included, welcomed, and encouraged.
Accommodations: we have a large enclosed space below our wood shop with a camp kitchen, a bedroom, and a living room to stay in, or you can bring a tent. We have a composting toilet and a rustic remote shower with hot water.
What to bring: we recommend good shoes, clothing layers (it can be really hot and really cold).
Be aware that we have mosquitos, ticks, yellow jackets, rattle snakes, scorpions, and other forest predatory animals.
We are entirely on solar power so power is limited. We do have internet access.
Things to do nearby include going to the ocean, Fort Ross and Salt Point State Parks, and the Russian River. There are tons of ways to get out and explore nature nearby. There is also a private reservoir and creek access on our ranch.
Organic methods: compost tea, compost, manure, bio-char, crop rotation, cover cropping, biodynamic preparations, rotational grazing of goats, closed loop system, plant ferments, lactobacillus serum
We raise crops and livestock for ourselves to sustain our homestead and sell organic compost tea. We do not sell our products anywhere outside of our local community. We are micro-scale.
Current projects: tree and sucker clearing/cutting, brush hauling/piling, pile burning, firewood harvest, chipping, livestock and poultry tending, rotational grazing (moving electric fences and livestock), compost and manure work, small building projects including natural material gathering, skinning logs, and alaskan milling with wood from the land, garden bed building with natural and repurposed materials and masonry, rock wall building, fencing fruit trees and other perennials, gray water projects and filter ponds, creek work including clearing creek from brush and check dams to raise the water line in the creek bed, gardening, transplanting, and planting annuals, trees, and perennials, spring renovation and plumbing (extending water lines).
Our property is about 30 minutes from the Pacific Ocean and an hour and 15 minutes to the town of Santa Rosa. We are 45 minutes to the Russian River and 2.5 hours to San Francisco.
We are looking for WWOOFers to visit for 1-4 weeks but we are open to discussing the possibility of a shorter or longer stays.
In addition to our guest space below our wood shop we recently cleared out part of our forest to fit a camper/RV. We are now able to host someone with their own living space. If this is the case then our first project together would be establishing water by setting up two tanks, a solar pump, and running water lines. You would have to provide your own power. This space could be for a short term WWOOF visit for someone with their own camper/RV. We are also open to find someone trustworthy, hardworking, and respectful who may turn into a long-term work trader or renter to help us on the land and farmsit for us so that we can get away from time to time.
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Sheep or goat farming
Dairy farming
Forestry
Wild foraging
Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas
Seed saving or production
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Beer, cider, wine, or juice making
Green Building
Methods or systems
Biological pest control
Biodynamic agriculture
Holistic management
Permaculture
Regenerative agriculture
Host type
Self-sufficiency property
16.2
Hectares
|
40
Acres
