Josh T-Hansen

I wwoofed for about 2 years. The farm I stayed at the longest gave wwoofers commission for working markets and festivals. It was inconsistent but still nice, and I did get occasional paid gigs from neighbors and my farm mentors (i didn't have a car). The farm work and cooking etc took up a lot of time however so I wouldn't have wanted to work more than 10-15 hours a week on top of that, because wwoofing can have a lot of perks in the off time. It is also great to sort of forget about money while wwoofing if you have the luxury.

Even though you can sheet mulch at time of planting, Alex is right that getting the grass roots decomposing now will give your plantings a head start. The Aspen should be fine but for most of the food producers keeping all grass out of a 3' or more radius is going to make a significant difference for establishment. They even sell biodegradable mats for this which save time for some people especially if plentiful mulch isn't available.

Good find buddy!
a couple more dates including umass for free 9-3 ?!?!

Hi Christa. I too am in Massachusetts and I would join a meetup like that if I lived a little closer. I know a few other forums where you could find some interested folks (at very least plenty who are interested in healthy food and lifestyles but might not know "permaculture")