Sun Thistle Farm
A land-based farmstead rooted in resilience, reciprocity, and regenerative design.
For over 13 years, we have been slowly and deliberately transforming challenging land into a thriving, nurturing place—one guided by permaculture principles, resourcefulness, and deep care for the interconnected systems of soil, water, plants, animals, and people. Our design prioritizes self-sufficiency, multi-functional systems, and long-term resilience. We envision a small land-based community approach to share stewardship activities, and where the abundant food and medicine systems are fine tuned for harmony with nature and living as a daily practice.
Located at the ‘edge of the wilderness’ in the east end of the Applegate Valley of Southern Oregon, the property includes 14 sunny, south-facing acres on two legal EFU-zoned parcels. About 4 acres are in active human use, with the remainder in diverse woodland. The land has been thoughtfully developed as a small-scale, diversified homestead with dairy goats, poultry, honeybees, extensive gardens, and orchard/permaculture systems in progress.
Key features include:
Perimeter fenced, cross-fenced paddocks, terraces, and animal housing for rotational grazing and seasonal growing
Functional infrastructure: permitted ag building with studio apartment, barn/workshop space, frost-free plumbing, rainwater catchment (40,000 gal), private well with holding tank, unrealized deeded irrigation…
Food and medicine systems: wildcrafting zones, tree hay wind block hedgerows (e.g. mulberries, basketry willow), elderberry, hazelnuts, herb gardens, and hugelkulture perennial plantings
Main home: A spacious home with two potential independent living spaces—ideal for multigenerational living or shared community housing. Currently, the second space is being utilized as the farm kitchen/procesesing space.
Natural resources: woodlot with native biodiversity, established trails, and potential for silvopasture or forest cultivation. Amazing views! River across the road.
The permitted agricultural building contains a charming studio apartment from wood milled out of trees from the land, antique and repurposed fixtures with handmade details. It’s separately metered (non-smart meter) and offers room for potentially finishing into a larger second home. The rest of the ag building and a number of additional outbuildings support tool storage, animal care, firewood, and workshop needs.
We get abundant winter sun, clear night skies, the sound of Little Applegate River across the road, and the quiet hum of nature all around. This is a space for those who find joy in the real work of land stewardship and the slow building of a life attuned to seasonal rhythms.
Whether your interest lies in land-sharing, long-term collaboration, or simply living intentionally in a place like this, we invite conversations with others who share our values of care, integrity, and rootedness.
Our short-term vision for Sun Thistle Farm is to continue building resilience and functionality while inviting one or two aligned individuals to join us in a thoughtful, collaborative way. We’re refining systems for year-round food and medicine production, possibly even income production—goat milk, honey, wild herbs, poultry, gardens, and woodland products—while enhancing infrastructure for shared use.
The studio rental is a big part of this vision: we’re seeking someone who wants to live simply and contribute meaningfully, possibly by helping with animals, tending gardens, supporting shared goals, or bringing their own skills to the land. We hope to deepen the spirit of community here while honoring independence, mutual respect, and ecological stewardship.
This is a season of strengthening our roots—creating more balance, beauty, and sustainability—before expanding into larger visions of landshare or cooperative living.
The Space
Located within our "shop", the studio includes:
A full kitchen with antique and handmade touches, lots of windows, light, and natural finishes.
Spacious bathroom with oversized, professionally tiled shower
Dry toilet system (simple, odor-free, water-conserving)
Beautiful custom woodwork (all milled from trees on the land)
Starlink internet at the house, a wire runs to the shop, connectivity can be expanded at the studio, separate electrical meter (non-smart), and passive solar warmth or electric heater.
Private entry and parking, private back patio and yard backing to a forested gulch-- surrounded by natural beauty and peace
What’s Included / What’s Possible
Monthly rent includes water and garbage. Share of internet and separately metered electric required.
Opportunities to join in the work and food of the farm—goats, bees, gardens, wildcrafting, and more... depending on your skills and interests: shared land-based income endeavors could be possible, though we would start with learning/sharing existing activities.
Possibility of longer-term land collaboration or even co-ownership in the future, if it’s a good fit
A quiet, rural lifestyle with abundant winter sun, incredible night skies, and good community nearby
Who We're Looking For
Someone who:
Respects the land and lives lightly
Can contribute in small, steady ways to shared projects (or tend their own)
Is independent but communicative
Appreciates rural life, animals, natural systems, and a slower pace
This is a rare chance to live on a beautiful, evolving homestead surrounded by intention, care, and possibility. We’re excited to meet the right person to share space and dreams with.
Please reach out with a bit about yourself—what draws you to this kind of living, and how you imagine contributing to or aligning with the vision here.
In the long term, our vision is to create a truly resilient, self-sustaining, and beautiful land-based community—one where both the systems and the humans are thriving.
The possibility for deeper land collaboration, co-ownership, or even a future sale exists, depending on alignment and fit. Ideally, by that time, the land will be fully “dialed in.” Most current systems are around 80–90% complete; we envision finishing those projects and streamlining ongoing tasks so that daily life becomes more elegant, efficient, and joyful.
Hardscaping and landscaping will be complete, reducing seasonal maintenance and creating fire-safe pathways and communal gathering spaces. Material stockpiles will have been transformed into finished, functional infrastructure. Weed-free DG or stone paths will replace weed-whacked zones with firebreaks, and perennial plantings will provide windbreaks, beauty, and abundance.
The food systems will become fully integrated and regenerative.
Windrow hedges will mature into lush shelterbelts, rich with berries, cuttings, and medicine.
The lowest terrace will be converted to alley rows of coppiced tree hay, providing forage for goats and reducing feed dependence. Silvopasture systems will be designed/implemented.
Poultry will live in permanent, comfortable coops under the shade and fruit-drop of hardy kiwi vines and the like.
Our developing food forests will provide a full circle of nourishment—eventually supplying 100% of animal feed needs from the land itself.
The woodlot will be tended with intention—hosting community burn parties, forest cleanup days, and opportunities for rewilding and stewardship. Tucked into the trees or nestled along the meadow edges, we may build a few simple, natural-material cabins for landshare-mates, retreat guests, or farmstay visitors. These could support aligned short-term stays or educational experiences.
A natural pond/pool and walipini will be constructed, as well as sauna and outdoor shower space.
We imagine hosting small-scale, hands-on classes in wildcrafting, goat care, food preservation, and herbal body care—integrating education into our seasonal rhythms and cultivating local resilience.
We’ll develop a handful of steady land-based businesses that integrate smoothly into the daily flow of the farm—small-scale, value-added, meaningful work that supports the people and the land equally.
Above all, we envision a cadre of good humans—independent and self-reliant, but growing steadily more interdependent and fulfilled through a shared life. We’ll eat together when it feels right, support each other during seasonal surges, and continually practice communication, collaboration, and mutual respect. We’ll honor each other’s needs for solitude and sovereignty while cultivating something larger than ourselves: a life lived in rhythm with the land, and with each other.
Our family lives in the main home. We milk our 6 mini dairy goats daily and sell milk to help with feed costs. Often we make cheese, kefir, ricotta, and yogurt.
We keep bees, but that's only seasonal/occasional work.
We raise layer flocks and usually an annual flock of freezer birds.
We garden like crazy! And can, dry, freeze dry, freeze, ferment and of course EAT potatoes, veggies, greens and fruits. We also process food gleaned and foraged from elswehere here.
We wildcraft local herbs to infuse oils and make tinctures and have a soap/lotion/salve making set up in the farm production zone. We are actively working toward creating a business.
I work full time remotely with summers off, my partner is full time on land. We have 2 homeschool teens who also participate, however, their off-land social needs are increasing.
We remove dead/dying trees yearly for firewood and to reduce fire risk.
* 40,000 gal rainwater catchment = irrigation exempt. Drip tape, swales and berms, etc.
* Unexplored 6.8 acres deeded irrigation...
* Laundry to landscape graywater system
Loam/clay
Have tests... it's pretty good and clay makes a much more water-stable base for organic soil improvements
Humanure site determined and fenced, available now to begin use. For every 1% of organic matter added to the soil per acre, it increases the water holding capacity by 20,000 gal
30 x 10 roundwood framed woodshed with metal roofing. 2013
20 x 10 “hoop” poultry house with pony walls. 2014
20 x 12 Cold frame hoop with raised beds and stubbed for drip tape. 2016
100 x 14 Cold frame hoop with second inner hoop– electric and timers. 2016
10x10 off-grid micro-house: very well insulated with vinyl windows, loft and vinyl windows. 2017
1200 sq ft.+ permitted Ag building “barn” with 2×6 framing, super-insulation and ship-lapped “blue pine” interior siding (milled from the trees on the land), recycled metal exterior. Wired and plumbed; could easily be finished out as a 2 bd, 1 bath, kitchen/living/office areas with loft– and great views. Currently, part of the building is sectioned off as a studio with adorable apartment kitchen and dry toilet with professionally tiled oversized shower and dry toilet. Gorgeous rustic and vintage details such as antique doors/fixtures. Separately metered. 2018
40 x 14 “Mixing Shed” Pole barn with tall metal roofing. 2019
32 x 12 Goat shed with (4) bays: feed storage, 2 stalls, milking room with large commercial stainless steel sink- water and electric to site. Metal roofing. 2024
8x8 goat shelter 2025
(2) 8 x10 hoop chicken tractors
Double sided 8x16 pig enclosure for nighttime protection. Set up electronet fencing in rotational quadrants around the pen set in the center of a field.
Large main HOME built 1975 , family lives upstairs, downstairs is partially dedicated to farm production.
Tractor, UTV, saws, tools galore...
Mostly hillside land, so far making do with less water than most...
As landholders at Sun Thistle Farm, we aim to foster a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment for all who come here in good faith.
We believe in treating every person with dignity, regardless of background or life story. We strive to create a culture based on mutual respect, clear communication, and personal responsibility. This is a space built on trust, clear communication, and shared purpose.
Everyone has something to offer and something to learn. While we don’t focus on labels or categories, we welcome individuals who are kind, open-hearted, and ready to live in right relationship—with the land, with themselves, and with others.
Please note that this is also a working homestead and family home. Living or collaborating here depends on mutual fit, clear communication, and shared trust. If something isn't aligned—or feels unsafe or out of step with the spirit of the place—we reserve the right to say so and set boundaries, always with respect.
To contact a land holder, you must first fill out a land seeker profile and have it approved by our staff. Thank you.