What are week rates for groups?
Per Person Rates for 2020
1-3 day stay – 2 workshops: $235/person
4-5 day stay – 4 workshops:
March-April: $285/person
May 1-28: $275/person
June-July: $295/person
August: $275/person
September: $250/person
(A day begins at 1 pm and ends at ends at 12 pm the next day.)
Rates include lodging and materials.
Where do we stay?
Groups stay at either the “Grange” (Inside, kitchen, and with Bunk beds for twelve folk–though groups up to 35 can stay using backpack mattresses) or Methodist church in White Swan, roughly 20 minutes from the Farm.
We are a church group and are hoping to arrive early or stay later. Is there a place for us to stay?
If you are looking for a place to stay before or after your week on the farm, you can contact Englewood Christian Church (509-966-6550) in Yakima. There are also several churches in Seattle who have hosted groups.
How many people can we bring?
We have had groups up to 50 folk. If you group is running over 20, just give us a call. The most important area we need to work out prior to your arrival is sleeping space. Other than that, we have plenty of landscape to enjoy, wander, and experience!
What do we bring?
Personal: sleeping bag/bedding, towels, personal items, hiking/work boots, a sweatshirt, modest (no short shorts or spaghetti straps, please) clothes you don’t mind getting dirty/painted/ripped, work gloves, a hat, sunscreen, camera, daypack, journal, earplugs, and a WATER BOTTLE. Closed-toe shoes are a must for work! Workers will be asked to visit Yakima and obtain work shoes prior to working should they not have a pair of closed-toe shoes with them.
What shouldn’t we bring?
Pilgrimage time is one of reflection. So while we have a list, it isn’t so much about what to bring or what not, but rather how to best allow time to have an experience different from that of home.
IPods, pop/soda/coke, snacks/candy, walkie-talkies (if you bring them for the drive out, please leave them in your vehicles…), inappropriate clothing (think: conservative school district rules- no skimpy tops, short-shorts, no obscene or offensive graphics), tobacco products, and cell phones (except for the leader please leave them in the car). We know some of these items are nearly impossible to leave behind, please, though, do your best to create a time of reflection to get the most out of your experience.
How are our meals managed?
You will buy and prepare your meals. We encourage, as much as possible, to buy food from local farmers and ranchers first and the “local” chain-store second. We will provide you with a list of local vegetable stands providing “in season” produce.
What will we be doing?
Learning: You will be engaging in important daily workshops exploring topics such as human justice issues of race, culture, ethnicity, dominant culture, privilege, economics, sustainable agriculture, and ecological responsibility. These are conversations which at time push edges, but even in times of difficult and sometimes uncomfortable conversations or goal is to maintain a community in harmony.
SERVING: you will have the opportunity to physically engage the landscape.
Work at the Farm: You can find your group doing anything from laying irrigation pipe to birthing goats to haying.
How do we prepare for the trip?
Give us a call. We can talk about how best to prepare your group for a week on the reservation.
What else should we know?
There are no laundry facilities on the grounds. A Laundromat is twenty miles away in the town of Toppenish.
We will begin the week on Sunday night at 6PM. Please schedule flights/driving time accordingly. Don’t forget rest stops, meals, etc. We ask that you arrive between 4 and 5pm in order to unload, settle in, and REST. We recommend the group eats supper prior to arrival and pick something up for the first days breakfast. Most food buying often occurs during your first morning on the reservation…which means lunch is often a little later than normal—so eat a lot of cereal for breakfast!
Pets. We recommend you leave your pets at home. However, if you wish to bring a pet with you, please keep four things in mind: 1) If fluffy has a taste for skin (especially curious-kid skin), leave him/her at home. 2) If you arrive in an RV, generators are not allowed to run on-site. If Fluffy is a Malamute, your RV is not well ventilated, and it’s 100 degrees outside, Fluffy may not be very comfortable. 3) There are coyotes, bears, and cougars in the area. We cannot guarantee that if Fluffy comes with you, Fluffy will be leaving with you. 4) Fluffy must remain leashed at all times.
Phone service: For the most part.
Internet service: WiFi at the Farm is not the best and only available to group leaders. If you stay at the Grange or Methodist church there is no WiFi available.
How do I prepare my group for the trip?
Talk with Farm staff to learn about the latest issues affecting the community. Often these issues are no different than you own. Sometimes, though, issues arise that are particular to the reservation and we can help you though them.
Keep in mind issues of race, culture, ethnicity, dominate culture, and power, as you think about preparing for your trip. By talking through these questions, you will also get a chance to better understand where your group and what reactions you might experience during your week .
In a nutshell, what do I need to do to make a trip happen?
- Review the Farms Website.
- Fill out the Registration contract and email it to the Farm.
- Obtain a letter of insurance and mail it.
- Mail Deposit Fee.
- Have your group get together and talk about the workshops offered for the summer, think about where your group would best like to be challenged, then have your leader contact staff and talk about your week on the reservation.
What Do I Bring?
Clothing
Closed Toe Shoes
Shorts
Long Pants
Hat
Gloves
T-Shirts
Coat or Jacket
Swimsuit
Bed Articles
Pillow
Sleeping Bag
Backpacking Mattress
Bedbugs
Food
We will do our best to locate farm stands and stores to meet all your dietary needs. However, there are times when it is best for you to bring those special items that may not be found at the local farm stand. Be sure to give us an early heads up concerning alternative food needs and we will do our best to find local outlets to meet those needs.
Toiletries
Comb / Brush
Toothpaste and a brush if your finger won’t due.
Deodorant, for your roommates!
Soap
Towel
Container to carry toiletries to and from the shower
Personal first aid kit
Other Stuff
Water Bottle
Day Pack
Binoculars
JustLiving Farm 