About The Land, Community, Climate.
Town and Country
At living hills we are working with two properties. Orrigionlly we had just our land in the county, and in 2009 we bought our 1912 bungalow in town. On this page you can also find answers to the often asked question "How hot/cold will it get while I am WWOOFing" and other information about the land, the climate, and our community.
Land in the Country
The land is located about a three hour drive north of San Francisco, California, 15 miles outside of the town of Willits. We bagan developing the land in 2004 starting with a solar powered water system and deer fence. Construction of the cob and straw house began in 2007 and would never have come so far without the help of WWOOFers.
The wild areas of the homestead are mainly open grassland dotted with oaks, an ecosystem that is characteristic of Northern California. Other plant species on the land include ghost pine, manzanita, douglas-fir, bay laurel, poison oak, and many types of wildflower. The elevation ranges from 1120 to 1300 feet. The property is bordered by a large creek that is shaded by willows, alders, grapevines, and blackberries. The creek invites swimming in the summer and offers abundant water for irrigation.
The wild areas of the homestead are mainly open grassland dotted with oaks, an ecosystem that is characteristic of Northern California. Other plant species on the land include ghost pine, manzanita, douglas-fir, bay laurel, poison oak, and many types of wildflower. The elevation ranges from 1120 to 1300 feet. The property is bordered by a large creek that is shaded by willows, alders, grapevines, and blackberries. The creek invites swimming in the summer and offers abundant water for irrigation.
This is a drive way?
One challenge with this property is access. A 4x4 is needed to access the property because the driveway is steep and includes a creek crossing. The land is somewhat isolated being 15 away from the nearest town.
The House in Town
new keyhole beds
Our Craftsman Bungalow, built in 1912, is new to us. We plan to transform this historical, but dilapidated, home into a model of ecologically-responsible town living. We already have put in a chicken coop, a green house, and edible landscaping with raised beds and keyhole design, . There is a lot of work to do to complete our vision. We hope to add a WWOOFers cottage, solar panels, a wood-fired bread oven, a low-impact-roundhouse modeled after Tony Wrench, rainwater harvesting and more.
Climate
The mediterranean weather patterns here give us a summer drought and rainy winter. Average summer temperatures are hot 85-95 F in the day with heat waves over 100. Night temperatures are in the 45–55 range. Humidity is low in the summer with very high fire danger. When heat waves persist we can escape into the cool ocean fog about 1 hour drive away.
Willits - Our Community
Willits is a small community of about 5,000 people and has live music, good food, and interesting people. Willits also offers a movie theater, library, health food store, laundromat, and five traffic lights. Laytonville, to the north, is smaller at 1,500 people and offers fewer services. Both towns offer wireless internet. Overall, the people of Mendocino county are politically progressive, well educated, and friendly.