Volunteers/possible landmates wanted to help us transition our homestead to permaculture

Rahane Forest Farm is looking for a few mature people (preferably a happy couple) with some experience to spend several months, possibly the whole season with us (April onwards) helping to transition our organic homestead to a more Permaculture-based model.  We need help with making a solid plan as well as implementation, and we are also open to the possibility of long term/permanent residence with little or no financial commitment.  We are a small group of people who steward 80 acres of mostly forested land about 60 miles east of Portland.  The landscape is dramatic here in the Columbia Gorge and we have a spectacular view of Mount Hood from our south-facing land.  In years past we have grown produce for the local farmers market and a small csa, but now we need to shift to a less labor-intensive system so that we can focus more on our social justice work, while continuing to grow our own food, keep chickens and fill a local niche market for greens.  You would be working mostly with Dan and I (Aera), but will also have an opportunity to work with other landmates who keep a small varied herd (goats, sheep, a few pigs and ducks) and practice sustainable forestry (we have a portable mill). Other projects this year include rebuilding the woodshed and replastering our cob greenhouse. We live simply off-grid, and rely on solar and hydro-electric power. We have pristine water from a spring.

Accommodation would be in a small wooden yurt with running water and a stove.  There will be access to shared community space with a full kitchen and shower. We love to share meals together from the cob oven and welcome fellow foodies!  You will also have an opportunity to participate in various ancestral skills such as basketry, natural dyeing and wholistic butchery and meat processing.

Sounds like a lovely place!

It might help prospective applicants if you could expand a bit on the goal.

Are you seeking people with design experience to work with you on design and then implementation?

Or, do you have a design/plan pretty well sorted out, and need enthusiastic warm bodies to help with implementation? Do the warm bodies need any specific skills or experience at all, or are you OK with newbies?

Hi Aera,

I'm interested in this. Sounds like a nice project to be a part of.
I'll tell you a bit about myself and family. I grew up outside of Sacramento but I lived in Portland for a year back in 2009. I was living in Japan for a few years and just moved back to CA with my Japanese wife and two year-old girl in November. We're currently staying with my parents and we'd like to get out soon and join a likeminded community.
We have experience working on farms in a few different countries and I have been studying permaculture the past few months. It's a lifestyle that we're aiming towards. We've been searching for something like what you're proposing and maybe it's a great fit for us all.
You can message me and we can talk further.

Thanks, we're looking forward to hearing from you!
-sohrab