Hi, Aimz,
That’s a lot of great information! And I like the idea of a work exchange renter. Here are some other thoughts:
Get a specific idea about what you want in the next few months, or this coming growing season. And then get an idea what help you could use and describe that.
I had a small farm, and registered as a host farm on WWOOF. I hosted woofers for a couple years. It’s a very mixed bag, and I posted on our volunteers who make you go hm
https://permies.com/t/63795/Volunteers-Hmm
It’s a great thread, with a lot of humor and wisdom and experience with volunteers in their many stripes and styles. Told by diverse people with diverse perspectives.
I seemed to get the full spectrum of humanity in my volunteers, from worst of humanity to best.
I had such diverse needs, I was quite general in who I would accept, which is why I suggest being more specific about what you want to accomplish first, and what kind of help you will need.
Have you found the regional resources place on permies yet? That might also be a place to find helpers and work exchange people.
Here’s a wild idea: find someone who wants a market garden, who knows gardening! Trade with them, you provide the ground and they do the garden. You get household produce, they sell the rest. You are freed up to dedicate your time and attention elsewhere. This is a successful business model working for many partnerships.
Best of luck! I hope you will post again soon, and let us be a sounding board as you go further in your process, whatever you decide to try next.