For five weeks now I have been living in the coastal hills of Cambria California. The farm that I’m volunteering at, Charon Springs Farm, is 120 acres , just a small chunk of land when compared to the hills that seems to go on forever in this region of the Pacific Coast. There is a lot of food production in the greenhouse (lumber milled from redwoods grown on site), three terraced gardens that grow certified organic veggies for market, persimmons and apples here and there, of course, about 500 avocado trees which serve as the main source of revenue for farm ($60,000 annual gross).
There are currently 10 “WOOFERS” working on this land, most of them finding their way here through the North America WWOOF Handbook. It has certainly been interesting to work with this many people, all unique in their own way, many of them new to farming. I’m always interested to hear peoples’ history and listen to their motivations for experimenting with this form of lifestyle. Some are hear only for a short while, some for a lot longer.
I have been very pleased with my accommodations, I share an old pop-out trailer with my travel partner—ten feet from a fresh mineral spring--every morning and evening I start and end my day to the gentle sound of running water. Young redwood trees tower above, and 100 feet down the stream is a natural bathing pool with a miniature waterfall.
Daily work responsibilities range from orchard restoration, fruit tree pruning, soil building, veggie cultivation, trail blazing and tending to the chickens. Most of the work is done in the morning and early afternoon—this leavse the rest of the day for hiking, meditation, reading and other of course, COOKING. It seems as though there is almost always something in the kitchen here; most every evening we take turn cooking meals—there are some great cooks here!
It is certainly interesting to spend this long of a time not earning money, but at the same time, it is interesting to see how little money I need to live in such an amazing place. Rent is free, water is abundant everywhere, staples are provided to workers, and all the veggies and fruit I can eat from the gardens. Living in community definitely helps share the burden of food—we take turns visiting the food bank and getting day old bread.
Living this lifestyle without going through the trouble to buy my own farm has definitely been an enlightening experience. With all the farms that are listed on the WWOOF network, and with so many of them graciously accepting help in exchange for housing and food, I can’t help but wonder how long I could keep this going—traveling to link into farms and existing projects all across the country.
For some time, I have definitely agreed that we should “grow where we’re planted”, but taking lessons from nature, I understand it is completely natural to temporarily migrate to more hospitable climates and environments. (many animals leave for warmer climates—why do we stick around freeze?). From an climate change perspective, I believe I am not only reducing my carbon dioxide emissions, I’m actually going carbon negative through living off the grid and planting tree seeds around the property. All it took was a couple train rides and couple carpools and I’m free from heating and energy costs for the winter!
The weather will eventually get very hot and dry here so it will be nice to be back in Iowa for cooler weather. Perhaps, like the Egyptian walking onion, the perennial plant which literally “walks” around the garden, planting and growing wherever it goes, I can grow and plant seeds wherever I go. Why have one chosen path when the world is always calling? Why create one reality for living when a lifestyle open to change can bring life needed change and rejuvenation?
If there is one thing that I’ve learned on this trip, it’s that through social networking and helping where your needed, an entire realm of opportunities exists. Why have a personal career when one could spend their life helping others? Why follow the American dream of owning an estate and fortune when nothing is forever and everything we think we own will eventually be taken away from us?
It’s amazing how good life can be when you find time for yourself and find happiness in holistic living. Simplify your life and simply live, change the world through yourself and find happiness within.