100 acre Young Fruit Forest looking for partner(s) and like minded growers

If you have big dreams but no soil to grow them in, please consider this:
If you're hard working and passionate about a future in clean growing, we'd love to talk with you.
We are seeking people for spring 2016 with permaculture and farming knowledge that are ready to partner on a rapidly growing farm. We're Certified Organic and pending Bio-dynamic Certification and being in our 50s, it's time to start looking down the road to establish a small community to keep this growing going. I have my PDC and Advanced Permaculture Practicum and was lucky enough to spend a week with Sepp Holzer in CA for an Advanced Practitioner Workshop.

We are in southern VA, in a tiny county and have now reached a point where permanent farming partners just make sense. We have plenty of available land for anyone interested in settling down vs interning or Wwoofing. We have a 2 bedroom cottage (grey water system) for our guests that we're happy to share in exchange for seasonal help (6 month minimum) and/or for a couple folks to live in while we see if a longer term partnership works for both of us.

Here's a link to what we've accomplished so far and we welcome questions and input.

https://permies.com/t/36307/forest-garden/Permaculture-Orchard

http://www.cricketscove.net/farm-photos/

Hubby is a professional artist blacksmith & his shop is also on our farm.
http://www.cricketscove.net/forge-works/


We are now accepting applications for spots that will open in early March.

http://www.cricketscove.net/new-page/

thanks for checking us out!
Marianne

My biz partner and I are looking to start/join something similar and will be in VA next weekend looking for land to buy in the 10-20 acres range. Would be great to meet. We are self-funded and being in our 50s as well, would only be interested in joining something where there is a long-term or permanent situation vs seasonal /WWOOFing. I am a software engineer by trade but also have skills in carpentry, masonry, cooking, brewing. PoundingCode@gmail.com.

Hey James
I just shot you an email.
M.

Hello Marianne,

Looking through your posts and pictures it looks as though yall have created something truly amazing and beautiful.

Food forests are an extreme interest for me, as is swale and berm water collection coupled with hugelkulture. I am looking for a place to grow with and become a part of rather than an internship. I am a hard worker and motivated by hard work and perseverence.

I would love to speak with you more on what you are looking for and what I could help with. I am 30 years young and living in louisiana at the moment. I have transportation and would love to join you and your husband in Virginia to accomplish all your goals for the farm and then some.

I look forward to hearing from you and thank you for reading.

Mark Bannert
Mark.Taylor.Bannert@gmail.com

Hi Mark - so sorry for the delay in posting. Obviously, internet is an issue out here
If you would please go to our web page www.cricketscove.net there is an "intern" application. Although we are NOT looking for people that want to work their way around the country (which is great, but no longer right for us) we are using this application as a starting point. I would love to talk further with you and thanks for checking us out!
Marianne

I want to thank ya'll for the great emails, pms and applications. 1 question keeps coming up about what we're building here, so I feel it should be addressed on this thread.

We are not starting a closed intentional community, more of a small intentional neighborhood where everyone works and benefits from the same soil. We are not the spot, if someone is looking for a place to live, do a little work and become a part of a closed, large self sufficient community. This is a for profit farm that has grown so much that we clearly cannot keep up with and continue to develop with temporary Wwoofer/interns. We are looking for partners to keep this growing, going in a deliberate and responsible way.

We are seeking folks that are passionate about responsible growing, feeding people with clean food and making a living, rooted in 1 place. We begin with a short (6 months) internship commitment, with a % of net profits after 3 months. That is sufficient time for all parties to see if a permanent partnership is good for all. We have approx 20 acres under cultivation, have chickens, ducks and pigs currently with plans through 2017 to expand the animal varieties. There is so much to do since this farm is only 6 years in the works.

Thank you again for your interest and dedication to the earth!

It took a lot of work but WE ARE NOW CERTIFIED BIODYNAMIC~
Really pleased to add this layer to our farm.

We borrowed a drone - lots to learn but here's a bird's view of our farm.
https://www.facebook.com/seanchristiandougherty/videos/10205565976691985/

Awesome footage!

I created a thread:
https://permies.com/t/55882/WWOOF-organic-farm-volunteers-interns/mama-baby-boy-seeking-mild#466689

I'm interested in hearing more about what you're seeking from partners?

Here is a part of that thread, which isn't viewable for some reason:

I want to find family-oriented communities without open door policies who want co-owners or people to share their land in a rent-to-own type of format. I want to find partners here.

Link your thread in the reply, if you have one, or just give me a heads up that you sent me a PM with more details about your interests and what you have going on with your growing or established community.

I envision and would love to be in an environment that values:

-Sustainable land development, ideally in a lush setting with water rights and plenty of trees for recreation
-Minimal electricity and low-level electromagnetic activity i.e. Wi-Fi and cell phone for work
-Use of basic tools and infrastructure for simplistic, primitive building
-Organic, eco-friendly, non-toxic and natural living/farming
-Homeschooling/unschooling, non-violence, conscious/attachment parenting (NO corporal punishment)
-Off-grid living, self-sufficiency, sovereignty, social activism and ethical microbusinesses
-Animal husbandry i.e. cows, goats, chickens, rabbits are all great!
-Tiny houses i.e. cob, gypsy wagons, cabins, yurts, bell tents, wofatis, houses on wheels, weather/disaster/attack proofing
-Prepping and self-defense strategies
-Canning, dehydrating, herbal medicine and holistic/energetic healing

That's not an exhaustive list so please don't feel you have to meet all of these criteria or that you wouldn't be a match if you are working on something else I didn't specify.

Morning Sandra,
I send you a P.M.
Thank you for checking us out.
Marianne

Are you still looking for hard workers looking to establish roots?? My fiance and I packed everything we had and moved to a farm in Chatham Virginia just to find out the owner wants nothing more then a 200 acre unkempt farm. We moved down under the impression she wanted to do something like what yall have going but she won't allow us to work in that direction. Come to find out all she wants is someone to feed her animals and care for her garden while she is away. I moved from Ohio to work on a for profit farm and nothing of that nature is going on here or ever will go on here. I look forward to hearing back from you. I am a 27 year old male with a strong work ethic and my fiance is 41 years old and also loves fruit and vegetables gardens as well as flowers and animals of all sorts. If you could send me an email letting me know if all positions are filled or what the status is...we are also available for an interview if it's something your interested in. Please and thank you for your time.

Zack Welch & Chastity Knapp
Welchz14@gmail.com

Oh Zach....I hate when I hear things like this! I wish we had room, but are bursting at the seams.  Should anything change, I'll let you know. I'll throw out some feelers and see if there's something out there.
Keep the faith...there are good spots and great people growing in positive places.
M.

Thank you so very much and please do keep us in mind should anything arise. Thanks again Zack & Chastity