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Open Sky Ranch wine making!

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Open Sky pooches

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Open Sky Ranch views

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San Francisco, CA 09/20-09/24

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So I’ve been working pretty hard on the ranch, right? And I just figured working hard means you’ll get more done, you’ll feel good about your progress, and those you’re helping will appreciate the help! Well, today I got some really amazing compliments that have left me smiling for a while after the fact!

The electrician and battery guy came today to replace and rewire the batteries for the house (we’ve been having a power outage a day since I’ve been here essentially) and I helped move some of the batteries around! The old ones were about 125lbs apiece, but the new ones that we had to move in were 318lbs apiece so I stepped in to help move them via trolly. The first compliment came from Tate, who said “Rachel is probably the best overall wwoofer we’ve had”. And I just !!!!!! Ah!! What a cool compliment! Then, once we’d finished up moving the batteries and getting them all in place, the electrician, Bill, looked at me and said “You’re the strongest woman I’ve ever met!” And again, !!!!!!!! Wow!

It’s really cool to receive compliments about things like work ethic, or strength from people that have been in this industry for 30+ years. It’s also cool to receive compliments outside of normal flattery! I feel excited, confident, and a little proud of the fact that people are recognizing things about me that I find normal!

What a cool thing y’all!

Stay curious and happy travels!

#travel #happytravels #wwoof #farmergirl #organicfarming #wwoofcalifornia #adventure #strong #strongwoman

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Tomato Jam Recipe

AHHHHH THIS STUFF IS SOOOOO GOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!! So at Lonely Mountain Farm, Amy always made tomato jam and I was sooo curious so I decided to make some here! I used sun gold tomatoes (because they’re like candy crack) and the recipe was super simple! I’ll leave the recipe that I believe is/would be perfect after making it today!

Time: 2 hours? I don’t really know!

Ingredients:

- 2-3 lbs sun gold tomatoes, halved

- 1/4 cup lemon juice, or however much you deem fit to your amount of tomatoes

- a (large) pinch of red pepper flakes (THIS IS ONLY IF YOU WANT SOME HEAT IN YOUR JAM)

- 2ish tablespoons of basil

- IF YOU WANT 1 cup of sugar (helps add sweetness and thickness)

Directions:

1. Wash tomatoes (if you got them from the market, if you got them from the garden like I did a little dirt never hurt nobody) and slice them in half

2. Put the pot on low heat to let the juices out (the recipe I used over a cup of sugar which, I think, made the jam a HINT too sweet) and bring it to a low boil for 1 hour

3. Add red pepper flakes, lemon juice, and basil and continue boiling down until the mixture feels and is visibly thick

And that’s basically it! I don’t want to put a time on this because I feel like this is such a simple recipe that it depends on the person making it! One addition that I think would be DELICIOUS and I’ll definitely be adding to my next batch is ~JALEPENOS~ because the sweetness of the sungolds is so bright it would be perfectly balanced with some spice!

I also canned the majority of the jam, which was way easier than I’d anticipated! I got all the directions here, just make sure you’ve got all the stuff you need for the canning process! If you do it properly the canned good will last around a year in the can which is DOPE! 

This recipe could likely be used with all types of tomatoes, just make sure to look into how much moisture to keep in the recipe or it’ll take way longer to boil down!

Stay curious and happy- cooking?

Enjoy!

#cooking #OrganicCooking #sungolds #sungoldtomatoes #tomatojam #delicious

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Open Sky Ranch

I have officially been at my second WWOOFing location for two weeks! It’s a 100 acre ranch up north in Blue Lake, CA and it’s p r e t t y different from the last place I worked. For starters, it’s 100 acres. Lonely Mountain Farm was 5. It’s also a ranch/vineyard, so rather than work on planting, weeding, harvesting and what not, I’m tending to livestock, doing projects, monitoring the fermentation processes of the wine and cider, and making wine. My schedule is also incredibly different; at Lonely Mountain, we worked Monday - Friday from 9-3; here at the ranch, we don’t really have a set schedule that we follow. We have projects and things that need to be done, and we still work 25 hours a week, but things look a lot different every day.

It’s been interesting to settle into a place where I have a little more independence. It can be a little overwhelming at times but I think I’m learning a lot about how to manage my time! The last two weeks I’ve been on the ranch with another wwoofer, Cam, but now I’m all alone! It’s been a freaking ride man!

Okay, so you’re probably wondering what my average day looks like, right? Although every day is different, every day starts with tending to the animals. We keep 1 ram (his name is rainbow, amazing right?), 9 sheep, 6 goats and two baby goats (aka kids), 6 lambs (which are about to be none because they slaughter them for the winter for meat and skins), 7 ducks, 10 cows, and some amount of chickens that I’m honestly unsure of. The morning consists of letting them out of their pens and into their pastures to graze. After that I’ll usually have breakfast then get word on what needs to be done for the day. It could vary from pressing grapes, racking wine into barrels, planting starts for winter crops, fixing and maintaining the electric fence for the cows, and loads of other stuff. Some days we’re done working at noon, some days it can be 3 or even 5, it all depends on the work we’re doing. Sun down is when we feed the animals and put them back in their pens. This can sometimes prove to be difficult, mainly because the goats and the sheep really freaking love sticking their heads in the feed buckets- usually leading to a string of nasty curses from me, but don’t tell mom and dad! The nights usually end with fixing dinner and opening a bottle of wine from the basement, then an early bed time!

While I have a lot of independence, I also have a lot of responsibility. Tate, who runs the majority of ranch workings, had rotator cuff surgery about a month ago and is incapacitated and needs as much help as I, and other wwoofers, can offer. I’m really glad to be able to be in a place and mindset where I can help as much as I can!

I’ll be posting pictures, stories, recipes, and more during the next 6 weeks that I’m here!

Stay curious and happy travels!

#OpenSkyRanch #RanchLife #wwoof #livestock #happytravels

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The San Francisco Saga

Hello! I know it’s been forever since I’ve posted, I’ve been having a crazy couple of weeks! So, San Francisco! I decided to go to the city for a long weekend between farms (I’m currently in Blue Lake, about 30 minutes east of Arcata). I’ve been debating whether to write about my entire weekend from start to finish but I think I did and experiences do much that I definitely will just provide the highlights- but fear not!! I had an incredible weekend so there will be lots to read about regardless.

So I stayed at this I N C R E D I B L E hostel/airbnb in the Mission and it made my whole freaking trip. So the Airbnb was styled like a hostel where you shared a room with three other people, but it was the perfect combination of homey and funky! I met the most incredible people and had such a blast staying in their little apartment. I’ve already planned a reunion with two of the girls I met there and can’t WAIT to see them again.

So, how would I describe my crazy weekend? Go with the flow, but the flow is some firm tugging from the universe to just do and experience. I walked miles and miles through the city, ate amazing food, and found cool little spots that made my heart warm. I wanted to see the city and all of its highlights, but I wound up just kind of following friends and my feet.

Sunday I decided to explore the city by myself, which was a really cool thing. I rented a bike for free and *tried* to ride up 16th to Corona Heights but good lord almighty those streets are steep as hell. On my way to golden gate park, I stopped on Haight st. and I’m so glad I did! I know it’s kind of the stereotypical hippie street that people think of when they picture San Fran but it was so cool! After getting a late lunch, I rode my bike into golden gate park.

I truly had the intention of seeing the whole park- it was a beautiful day, there was so much to do in the park (botanical gardens, science museum, you name it!) but first thing I see when I ride into the park is a group of middle aged men sitting on benches, hangin’ out, and playing bongo drums. That’s right, BONGOS!! God it was so cool, so I decided to make a quick pit stop and watch them! Slowly, a crowd started to form, then more and more people started showing up with instruments. There were bongos, guitars, fiddles, trumpets, saxophones, DIDGERIDOOS, you freaking name it man. So I sat, ate my lunch, then got up to chat with some of the folks that seemed like regulars and learned that the “drum circle” has been going on since at least 1975 and some of the guys had been coming even before that. I couldn’t believe it, there were strangers making music together every weekend, drinkin’ beer, hangin’ out, and generally just having an incredible time. So I stayed. I drank wine, I met new people, I pet LOADS of dogs, and I danced.

Oh man, I danced like no one in the world was watching. The music, the drums, the love, the craziness, it all flowed through every inch of me. I couldn’t believe how much fun I was having with all of these strangers. Making merry, making music, and just letting myself exist. It was probably one of the best experiences i’ve ever had, and I’ll probably tell people about that drum circle until I die. I will be going back to San Francisco and I will be a regular at that drum circle if it KILLS me. Wow I still can’t believe how cool it was.

Another cool experience I had was meeting a stranger that would become my travel partner for a day. Saturday evening, I went to a hat party (yes a hat party) with our Airbnb hosts Duncan and Zain. At this party, I met a girl named Cat after admiring her scarf from afar. We chatted about her travels and her adventures and I asked her where she was headed to next and, low and behold, she said Arcata. I freaked and was like “no freaking way, me to” so we talked and decided to travel together! So Sunday evening after the drum circle, we met up and scrambled to the greyhound station to catch our bus to Arcata, but when we got there there was no bus to get on- it’d been canceled. I guess the universe works in funny ways because we DEFINITELY would’ve missed our bus that night, so we transferred our tickets and tried to decide what to do for the night. I texted Zain from the airbnb and he let us crash on the couch for the night because he’s an ANGEL. The next day we spent running errands, doing yoga in Delores park, and scrambling yet again to try to make our bus on time. We got there with 5 minutes to spare and the lady was so done with our BS that she just marked tags and threw our stuff on the bus. But we made it!!! Our bus ride was uneventful and we made it to Arcata on time.

And so ends the San Francisco saga, and what a weekend it was. This city holds a special place in my heart now, and I’m so grateful for all of the friends and memories it gave me!

Stay curious and happy travels!

#travel #happytravels #sanfrancisco #missiondistrict #adventure #crazyadventure #drumcircle #goldengatepark

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Santa Cruz tips

So if you’re ever in the Santa Cruz area there are tons of things to do and see, so here’s a list of some of them:

- Downtown: The downtown area of Santa Cruz is really cool; there are shops of all colors and specialties, from traditional Japanese tea houses to candle making lounges. There are cool hippie shops (Go ask Alice was my personal fav) where you can buy jewelry, scarves, herbal medicines, chakra alignment candles- A N Y T H I N G. There’s really something for everyone in downtown Santa Cruz and it’s very walkable, you can walk from the far end of it to the boardwalk on the beach in 20 minutes or less. It’s an absolute if you’ll be in the city.

- Nisene Marks: If you’re an outdoorsy person and want to see some big ol’ beautiful red fir trees and hike some amazing trails, go to Nisene Marks. It’s a gorgeous place with tons of hiking trails of varying difficulties, great for families or serious adventurers. You can drive up to the trail heads, but know that parking is very limited. There’s a bike rental shop at the base of the hill before the entrance of the park as well. 

- Henry Cowell Redwood State Forrest: This is another perfect spot for outdoorsy folks; only a 10 minute drive from downtown Santa Cruz it’s supposed to be an amazing opportunity to see some of the last redwoods in the area. Filled with hikes it’s a great way to see nature while still close to the shore!

- The beaches: Ohhhh man there are so many different beaches in the Santa Cruz area. I didn’t get the chance to go to a ton of them but if you ask the locals there are different spots for surfing, lounging, swimming, and general quiet. It’s a big surf town, where the surf/skate brand Santa Cruz was born (obvi), so if you want to get your surf on or even just get a lesson there are so many places to take advantage of that!

Well that’s all I got (since I spent most of my time on the farm working) but get out there and explore if you’re visiting the area- or even if you’re a local!

Stay curious and happy travels!

#santacruz #outdoors #hiking #travel #happytravels #beaches #surfing #shopping

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Some of the chefin’ we did on the farm

Lonely Mountain, Pasta sauce and chatshuka

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My last day:(

Lonely Mountain Farm

So today is my last day on the farm and I just wanted to take a minute to reflect on the amazing month I’ve had here!

All the early, foggy morning breakfasts, the sunny, dirt covered lunches, and reading filled afternoons have left me extremely grateful to be able to be in this position of freedom. The people on the farm have impacted me and taught me so much, both about farming and myself. I’ve had the chance to travel to a new city to explore and learn the value of hard work all at the same time. I’ve eaten four weeks worth of fresh, organic meals and have been spoiled out of my mind because of it.

I really don’t have the words to describe how I feel now that I’m ending this chapter of my adventure, but I know that even though I’m sad to leave, I’m so glad I’ve made this place and these peoples a part of what will probably be the greatest experiences of my life. Thank you to everyone who has made this farm experience what it’s been and thank you for being my friends!!

Stay curious and happy travels!!

#travel #wwoof #farmergirl #farming #organicfarming #wwoofcalifornia #happytravels #adventure #grateful

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Lonely Mountain Farm

August 18, 2018 - September 19, 2018

Lonely Mountain Farm in Watsonville, California is officially the first farm I’ve WWOOFed at and man has it been an experience. It’s kind of taken me a long time to make this post but I’m going to go into as much detail as I can about the farm and what we do here.

So the farm is run by Molly and Kenny Baker and has been in production for about 5 years. The farm is a five acre plot of land in a valley of Watsonville, about 15 miles south of Santa Cruz. They’ve grown a lot as a farm and as a business in the time they’ve been here and being a part of that production has been incredible.

The farm is all organic, with so many different types of produce that I don’t think I could even list them. They grow 11 different types of tomatoes, dozens of varieties of gorgeous flowers, strawberries, cucumbers, grapes, squash, peppers, egg plant, husk cherries, herbs, and so much more- and these are just the things that grow in the summer/fall.

The farm itself is a beautiful place; every color and shape you can imagine, all in one place, blooming in hundreds of different ways. The weather is also incredible, brisk and chilly in the mornings thanks to the marine layer from the sea, then warm and cloudless thanks to the never ending sunshine until dusk. It’s been a mild summer here and it never rains, but it’s still been an amazing way to experience this region of California.

Now, let’s get down to business. What does my day to day look like here? How have I been spending the last month? Let’s take a look:

Monday: Mondays are pretty laid back here at Lonely Mountain; we usually start the day either weeding, planting, or harvesting produce to fulfill orders (restaurants in the area order a lot of their produce from here so we need to make sure that we get it to them). Some days we do something new and fun, like landscaping/beautifying the farm space. At the beginning of my time here, Monday nights were a great night for everyone to get together and hang out before heading off to bed, which falls around 9pm for most everyone here.

Tuesday: Tuesday’s are fairly similar to Monday’s, but usually everyone falls into pace for the rest of the week. Kenny will try to switch things up and give us something new to do before the rest of the week hits.

Wednesday: This is the start of harvest during the week for us. During the summer and late into the fall, the farm sells their produce up at the San Francisco farmers markets in Thursday’s and Saturday’s, leaving Wednesday- Friday as heavy harvest days. Wednesday’s aren’t as intense, but from 9-12 we’ll usually start on something like gurken (tiny, watermelon-looking cucumbers) or peppers, then move on to tomatoes from after lunch until the end of the day. There are 11 different types of tomatoes here, and at least 3 rows of each type, so we spend a lot of time picking tomatoes.

Thursday: Thursday’s look a LOT like Wednesday’s. It’s all essentially the same, but one day closer to the weekend.

Friday: Friday’s are tomato picking day baby!!! We’ll usually wind up picking 50 boxes of tomatoes at a minimum on fridays- yeah, I told you, lots. Friday’s are fun because a lot of time everyone will hang out together around the fire, listen to some records, and have some brews to wind down after a hard work day.

Now that we know what the work week looks like, let’s get to know the folks on the farm! I won’t be posting pictures without consent, but the people I’ve met here have made an impact on me and I want to share their stories!!

The Baker Family: Practically the whole family lives here on the farm y’all, it’s been so cool to meet and hang out with everyone. Kenny and Molly, who run the farm, are both incredibly laid back and cool. They’re both passionate about what they do and have two beautiful kids- River and Ruby. They’re both spunky and independent toddlers that love meeting their new neighbors (aka wwoofers). Dawn, Kenny’s sister, her husband Tim, and their baby Elliot live on the property as well. Dawn keeps goats and works as a wedding planner/photographer, and Tim works at Whole Foods. They’re both easy to talk to and hang out with.

The Baker Family dogs: Now you might be laughing that I included the dogs in this post but hear me out people!! There are four amazing dogs that live on the farm, each with their own huge personality (I will be posting photos of them because they’re adorable and amazing). Kenny and Molly have Cubsy and Oso, Border Collie and Australian Shepard respectively, both of which are smart, loving, and hilarious dogs that will follow you around and let you give them love until only their hearts are content. They protect the farm and will chase a ball at any time of day. Dawn and Tim have Shugee and Luna, who are night and day from Cubs and Os. Shug is an old lab lady whose brain is 80% ball and Luna is a big, goofy, baby who sleeps all day and chases coyotes all night. They’re both sweet as can be, just don’t tell the others that Luna is the crowd favorite.

Justin and Amy: These two are friends of the owners that have lived and worked on the farm since it kicked off four years ago. They’re both calm, cool, and collected on top of being kind, fun, and smart as hell. Justin is a world traveler with loads of stories and Amy is a spunky gardener who loves adventure. They’re both really knowledabgle when it comes to plants, music, and travel. They’ve been an amazing inspiration for me and it’s been so much fun hanging with them.

The WWOOFers: I’ve met a bunch of people here at the farm and they’re each as unique as they are cool.

Louis (pronounced Loui) is a 28 year old from Montreal, Canada. He’s on hiatus from a graduate program focusing on sustainable agriculture and plans to wwoof in Hawaii next. He loves Sci Fi and philosophy and hopes to have a small farm one day. He’s probably one of the smartest people I’ve ever met so it’s been cool to listen to him talk about what he’s passionate about all these weeks. He’s planning on biking down to LA in October to continue his adventure.

Hahn is a 19 year old UC Santa Cruz student that wwoofed here for two months before heading on a work backpacking trip before school starts. He plays guitar, surfs, and is chill as can be. I didn’t have a ton of time to get to know Hahn but he was really cool and fun to be around.

Louisa is a 20 year old from upstate New York who’s taking a break from college to farm. She’s also studying sustainable agriculture and is incredibly knowledgeable in her field. She’s staying here a month then heading to Panama to continue wwoofing! She was the first female wwoofer I got to meet which was a huge relief because Molly, Dawn, and Amy were the only women I’d really interacted with for about three weeks. She’s a huge dead head, is super chilled out and sweet. She’s been a blast because ever since she’s been on the farm we’ve been making huge meals non stop (that’s for another post that you’ll definitely want to see).

Deborah is a 30 year old from Southern Germany who quit her job, moved out of her apartment, and decided I was time to travel the world. She’s starting here in California, then going to Chile, India, and many other places I’m sure! She’s spunky, sweet, and is making me speak German with her so it’s really a win-win!

I’ve clearly had an incredible experience here on the farm and there will be more specific posts to come but I’m so lucky and grateful that my first farm has taught me so much about myself and farming. What a ride it’s been y’all!

Stay curious and happy travels!

#travel #wwoof #farmergirl #farming #organicfarming #wwoofcalifornia #happytravels #Lonely Mountain Farm #California

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That farm life

Lonely Mountain Farm, Watsonville, CA

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That time I was gonna write about my farm experience...

So I’m sitting in Pour Taproom (a self serve taproom in the heart of downtown Santa Cruz) jamming to my favorite summer playlist on Spotify and my PLAN was to sit down and write a long post with pictures and whatnot about my cool experience on the farm so far........ but I’m having a lot of fun just hanging out by myself drinkin’ beer. There will likely be a post either tonight or tomorrow with all the specifics of my farm life (because I love it and it’s awesome).

So this is my formal apology for not keeping my people updated, but know that i’m living my best life and having a freaking blast. I’ve been on a bit of a kick to try to plan out the rest of my trip and had a freaking BRAIN BLAST today about all the cool things I can do with my time. 

I will say that even with all the hard work that I’m doing and all of the *living in the moment*, I haven’t gone a day without thinking of how freaking grateful I am for all of the incredible opportunities that have been laid at my feet. I know they’ll all read this, but I’m extra thankful for all of the people that have made my trip possible especially my freaking PARENTS!!!!!!!! They’ve taught me how to love the world and to grasp every opportunity at my fingertips, so for that I wanna say I love you guys and thank you!!!!!!!!!

Alright, I’m out but more will come soon!

Happy Travels!

#grateful #wwoof #wwoofcalifornia #farmer #farmergirl #organicfarming #santacruz #beer #pourtaproom

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These are the hands that grow things🍇🌽🥒🍅 But I think I’m gonna have dirt under my nails for the rest of my life . . . . . . #wwoof #wwoofcalifornia #farming #farmergirl #organicfarming #dirtyhands https://www.instagram.com/p/BnMQJxjFMjZ/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=4uiwezvj9hz3

#wwoof #wwoofcalifornia #farming #farmergirl #organicfarming #dirtyhands

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I’ve been a little MIA but this is my new and current home/where I work and I’ve loved every second of it . . . . . . #wwoof #wwoofcalifornia #farming #organicfarming #farmergirl (at Lonely Mountain Farm) https://www.instagram.com/p/BnMPminFaCo/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=agp2q9b8nvp1

#wwoof #wwoofcalifornia #farming #organicfarming #farmergirl

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Let’s get down to business: WWOOF

So I’ve made it to the second half of my adventure: working on the farm! But how exactly did I get here, and why the hell am I working on a farm in the first place? Here’s the low-down on how to volunteer on a farm and exactly what WWOOFing is:

Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms US (WWOOF for short) “is part of a worldwide effort to link visitors with organic farmers, promote an educational exchange, and build a global community conscious of ecological farming practices”. So basically, this organization allows one to seek out farms to work on, learn, and practice sustainable organic farming. It’s a $40 annual member fee to gain access to all of the farms registered as hosts across the US. Learn more about how it works here. 

The process of searching for farms is very easy. You can search for farms by state, keywords, types, length of visit, and more! Each farm has its own profile with a description and information about applying, staying, and working. Getting in contact with hosts is as easy as clicking the “message me” button on their profile. Some farms require applications, others are as simple as messaging the host and getting the farm’s information and your start date. 

Though this website offers incredible opportunities for young and old folks alike, I will offer this tip of caution: if you’re only interested in using your farm as a home base for traveling, don’t even bother. While this is a great way to explore the world and to see new places, it’s important to remember that the people hosting you need your help. Farming isn’t an easy job, and while it’s rewarding in many ways, taking advantage of someone willing to host you, feed you, etc, when they need your help isn’t cool. Make sure you’re invested in working hard before you sign up!! If you’re ready to work hard and learn then this is absolutely the perfect opportunity for you. No two farms are alike and each offers their own unique opportunities. 

Now that you know what WWOOF is, let me tell you a little secret: it’s worldwide!!! You can sign up and have a membership to WWOOF organizations all over the globe! Try out WWOOF New Zealand or WWOOF Italy! There are opportunities everywhere to learn about organic farms, and though you shouldn’t take advantage of farmers, it’s a great way to start an adventure!

So sign up, get out there, and start WWOOFing!

Happy travels and happy farming!

#wwoof #farming #travel #happytravels #happyfarming #organic