Interested in Volunteering on an Organic Farm?

Herbalism
Permaculture
Self-sufficient living

Interested in any of the above?  Consider volunteering at Raven Crest Botanicals! An organic farm located in Upstate New York, Raven Crest Botanicals is looking for two volunteers who can commit to the full season from April/May 2014 through September/October 2014. A couple or two friends would be great!

Here is more information from the owner of Raven Crest Botanicals, Susanna:

• “We are a beautiful micro scale medicinal herb farm, worked with organic, permaculture and some biodynamic methods, tucked into the hills in upstate NY, a 45 minute drive from Albany.
• In addition to working our herb gardens, we own 250 acres of pasture and forested hills on which we wild craft herbs and medicinal mushrooms with love and respect for mother nature and all her creations.
• We grow over 80 varieties of medicinal and culinary herbs for our tinctures, creams, balms, salves, oils, herbal teas and honeys. We have a pond fed solar irrigation system and grow our herb seedling in an earth sheltered greenhouse without the use of fossil fuels. We solar dry our harvests and the greenhouse is used as a drying space during the summer months.
• There are 100 vines that will give enough grapes to make wine for the first time next year.
• We have two bee hives on the farm for pollination, honey and propolis harvest.
• Our large vegetable garden feeds us through the summer months. We cook healthy and delicious vegetarian meals, occasionally organic local meat.
• All medicinal plants are grown from seed, harvested, dried and processed on our farm. Herbal products are made in our own processing room. We visit local farmers markets on the weekends and offer occasional herbal classes on our premises and at near by locations.
• We are in the process of adding additional permaculture growing space and somebody handy with wood working/building experience would be a big plus. Some permaculture experience would be great as well.
• We are currently building a wood fired bread/pizza brick oven and you are encouraged to learn how to bake.
• We are fermenting a lot of foods and you can explore the art of fermentation and add more foods to the list.
• We have an extensive library on herbalism and plenty of educational DVDs to watch. I am always available to answer questions and teach. You will learn the healing power of medicinal plants and how to connect to the plant world with respect and in balance with the earth.”

Volunteer responsibilities include: greenhouse work, planting, tending, watering, weeding, harvesting, wild crafting, drying, and garbling of herbs, blending teas, making herbal products, weekly visits to farmers markets, and preparing and mailing web page orders and CSA packages.

Additional planned projects for 2014:

• Raven Crest Botanicals planning to host herbal class retreats with yoga, sound healing sessions and raw food.
• They inoculate medicinal and culinary mushroom logs in the spring.

Accommodations:

• A swimming pond and a yoga platform to practice and meditate lays behind the house.
• A pickup truck you can drive is available, but your own car is preferred.
• Speak English and German.
• No pets please. They have a cat that is shy around other animals. Smoking only outside the house, non-smoker preferred.

Some More Fun Information:

• The Howes Caverns are nearby, which are fun to explore. The next movie theater is a 45 minute drive away. A Tibetan Center of Wisdom and Compassion with weekly open meditation classes is close by. Otherwise, there are a lot of woods and fields to enjoy.
• Susanna is a Mother Earth News Blogger. To learn more about Susanna’s background and Raven Crest Farm click here.

To Learn More About My Experience as a 20-Something Environmentalist on Susanna’s Farm, Check Out the Posts Below:

• Good Things Are On The Way
• Full Circle
• Jersey Girl Gone WWOOFing
• Permaculture Techniques for a More Sustainable Organic Farm

If you are interested in volunteer at Raven Crest Botanicals,
please e-mail Susanna at susannarae@earthlink.net.