Help on a community ranch in Northern California

Description

We love the Workaway program! We welcomed our 41st visitor this month. Located on 20 acres surrounded by Klamath National Forest, located in Siskiyou County, California. The ranch is located in a rural environment with the closest neighboring houses about a mile away. Garden and orchard lands are approximately 1 1/2 acres.
We’re ramping up for summer gardening 2015, preparing plots, slamming posts, hanging fences, transplanting and more. We’re also continuing brushing and clearing in surrounding woods. We are a thriving intentional community of friends who have fun together and love to take care of each other and eat great food.
25 miles west of Interstate 5, it is easiest to arrive by car directly to the ranch. (though bicycle is possible) Limited public transit is available from Yreka, California to the small rural town, but not directly to the property. We will happily assist in arranging transportation from a nearby town.
Crops include:
Spring Garden: greens, radishes, asparagus, beets, carrots and more
Summer Garden: tomatoes, peppers, corn, squash, cucumbers, beans and more
Garlic 6 types and shallots 2 types
Grape vines: 3 varieties
Fruit Orchard: Apple, Pear, Montmorency and Sweet Cherry, Peach and more
Hops Bines: a dozen varieties
Wild crops: watercress, blackberry, mint
Farm animals include:
Fowl: chickens, peafowl, ducks, guinea fowl
Mammals: hogs, milk and meat goats
bees
Residing opportunities are available from March-October and year round facilities are also available. 14 day minimum stay is requested and longer stays are welcomed. Long term residency is also available. Long term residents live in a group because they feel it is the most fun that they can have. They have a garden, animals and various other hobbies and activities to relate over for the pleasure of it.
Workawayers are invited to participate in gardening and/or animal care, and various projects. Daily activities include some or all of the following activities. Gardening duties vary day to day including weeding, vine training, pruning and picking, animal care happens daily. We prepare meals and take care of the kitchen together as a group. The spring season includes tilling, plot prep and planting. Summer season includes plot prepping, crop planting and transplanting, plant maintenance, harvesting crops and food processing. During the fall season, priorities include harvesting and processing foods harvested from the gardens, garlic and shallot planting. This includes picking crops, prepping and storing. (freezing, canning, drying, etc.) Animal care happens year round.
Additional projects on site include: deck building, cabin building, grape vine arbor rebuild, lumber milling, wood splitting, brushing, alternative energy installation, building a new wood-fired oven, and many more.
Residents live as a community in two houses containing 14 people and have accommodations on site for Workawayers. These facilities include a modified school bus with wood stove, tree house platform, shared bedroom and tents.
People of all ages are welcome. There are no cats on the property, there are 4 ranch dogs who are in permanent residence and we cannot accommodate another dog onsite. The property is surrounded by National Forest and wildlife is prolific, from birds to beavers, fox, deer and more.
English is the primary language spoken though some of the residents also speak additional languages including some French, Spanish and Hebrew.
Onsite recreation and activities include swimming hole, Bocce ball court, grass tennis court, climbing wall, trampoline, outdoor basketball hoop, Beekeeping, home brewing, wood-fired oven cooking. Nearby activities include hiking, proximity to the Pacific Crest Trail, seasonal mushroom hunting, rafting, bird watching, kayaking and fishing on the Klamath River, Oregon Shakespeare Festival and much more.
Residents also manage and operate a non-profit charity and conduct a weekly food giveaway providing food to 50 families every week locally in Siskiyou County. Volunteer opportunities are available.
Breakfast and lunch are casual, dinner is prepared daily for an omnivorous diet and all are welcome to assist in food preparation and eat together, we like to dress up for dinner!
Use your own skills and pick up something new.
Community goals include, but are not limited to; having fun together, good communication, being nice and taking care of each other and growing, raising and eating good food.

Type of help

Gardening
Building
General Maintenance
Help in the house
Charity work
Other
Help with Computers / internet

Help

building, wood splitting, brushing, weed whacking, gardening, property and equipment maintenance, cleaning, animal care…etc

Languages spoken

English, French, Spanish, Hebrew, Portuguese

Accommodation

Shared bedroom, modified schoolbus, summer tenting

What else …

We don’t have many rules but do have a few:
No drugs on the property.
Don’t take long walks alone as we are bordering on National Forest land and wildlife.
Don’t pet the ranch dogs.
Disclose health and medical information prior to arrival.
We raise and catch our own meat and fish and take pleasure in consuming it together. If you have special diet needs, including strict vegetarianism, this ranch may NOT be the place for you.
We prefer a 2 week minimum length of stay.

A little more information

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  Internet access

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  Limited internet access

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  We have pets

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  We are smokers

Volunteering hours expected

Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week