We look for wwoofers with previous farm or garden experience, are self-starters and who don't mind working on any farm, garden or retreat maintenance chores, including janitorial. We prefer only two wwoofers here at one time. You must be cheery and able to work well with others. Wwoofers must be familiar with the operation of shovels, hoes and rakes. No smoking, alcohol, drugs, pets or children please.

We ask that wwoofers commit to a minimum of one month so that they can begin to get a grasp on gardening organically. If country living proves unsuitable for you, we won't keep you in bondage for the entire month. If we all get along and you think you would enjoy this type of life we will keep you forever!

We start all wwoofers out with simple chores like raking leaves and weeding paths, generally cleaning up and learning the garden layout. In this way you will begin with the basics of making compost and distinguishing weeds from the plants we encourage. For the most part you will be working under supervision until you have learned enough to work satisfactorily alone, but there will always be someone on hand to answer questions you may have. We try to have weekly coordination meetings in the garden to check in and exchange information with each other to ensure we are all on the same page with our projects; we recognize that communication is paramount for the smooth running of the farm but sometimes find ourselves falling a little behind depending on priorities. Please don't hesitate to check in with us if you have any questions, suggestions or concerns.

Wwoofers can have guests visit, but if longer than a day, we'd like to know well beforehand. We expect our wwoofers to have integrity: if they say they are going to do something, we trust that they will do it unless, of course, something comes up that prevents them in which case communication is key – just let us know.

Our busiest time on the farm is from April through October but depending on weather, we can use some help in March for clean up following winter storms. We begin starts in the greenhouse at the end of March for planting out at the beginning of June. Typically our last frost here is any time during May.

Our main garden is almost two acres and because we are on a mountain our vegetable beds are terraced. There are seven beds devoted to vegetables of all kinds and one where we grow medicinal herbs. All are approximately 6' wide and 150' long. We also have a lawn and flower side of the garden where the beds flow around the lawn on several levels. Small fish ponds and a marsh "garden" carry water around part of the garden. All beds are drip irrigated.

We have an orchard with 22 fruit and nut trees, and chickens that we raise for egg production. We are also presently raising trout and catfish to supplement our diet. The land provides sufficient basic food to support the four people who live here full time as well as summer workers. So here you would learn a little animal husbandry as well as the practice of organic gardening both for the stomach and the soul, coupled with all of the intricacies of living off the grid (and sometimes digging out the blocked springs) as we have photovoltaics together with a water wheel which provide our electricity. We are blessed with several springs on the mountain.

The working hours are six hours per day, beginning promptly at 8.30am in summer due to the fact that the weather becomes warm around 1 pm when we break for lunch and personal interests then return around 4 pm for another hour or so, depending on current chores and projects. When the weather becomes cold and/or rainy in the fall and spring, we work outside when we can or – if springs and culverts are blocked – as needed.

We provide food staples such as flour, rice, beans, granola and tea, and wwoofers are welcome to share in veggies/fruit from the garden/orchard as available as well as fresh eggs when the chickens are producing well. Sometimes we go fishing in our ponds: our trout and catfish are delicious. As a rule, wwoofers cook for themselves but we try to have occasional communal meals as time and projects permit. Allergies and special needs are your own responsibility.

Wwoofers must be prepared to camp out. There are many lovely camp sites, some with electricity and water. Please bring your own tent. We have outside showers and bathrooms and a garden kitchen. There is also a small trailer with a kitchen at the campsites. We have inside lodging in a two bedroom, one bath cottage. We require a $200 security deposit from those who want to live in the cottage as unfortunately our experience has shown that most wwoofers simply do not know how to take care of nice living quarters. This will be returned when you leave if everything is as good or better than when you moved into the cottage.

Our temperatures vary from somewhere in the 80's during the summer, often nudging into the 100's, and often down to freezing in the winter. So it is an interesting challenge to live alongside plants that can handle that broad range. Fall and spring chores here include pruning, ensuring that the springs are dug out to run cleanly, clearing culverts on the roads and streams and generally taking hikes around the mountain to check that all is well and revitalize one's soul. Animals on the mountain include bear, mountain lion, bobcat, white-tailed deer, turkeys, quail, several kinds of snakes, lizards, frogs, toads and a host of summer bird visitors. It is a truly delightful setting.

• For information e-mail us at: campnsons@gmail.com

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Jane & Walter Camp
C A M P  &  S O N S
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Mendocino County
California