Our living farm: Red Mud Ranch

Discover Red Mud Ranch, a century farm where restoration meets community. Reconnect with the land, yourself, and others through grounded, human-paced experiences. We invite you to join us in this ongoing journey.

What Makes Red Mud Ranch Special

Red Mud Ranch is an 88-acre century farm along Clear Creek in Oregon City with two distinct, complementary areas:

•  The upper area is where we actively restore and garden — building hugelkultur beds, tending the greenhouse, and practicing regenerative techniques.

•  The lower 7 acres is kept completely private and secluded — a peaceful sanctuary of meadow, forest edge, and creek that’s ideal for immersive workshops and nature connection.

This separation allows us to do hands-on regenerative work up top while offering facilitators and participants a truly private, distraction-free space below. The result is an unusually versatile and honest venue: grounded in real land stewardship, yet deeply supportive of presence, nervous system regulation, and community connection.

Not when it’s done. Now, while it’s becoming.

A century farm in restoration

Red Mud Ranch is a living, breathing century farm actively undergoing restoration. We’ve chosen to open its gates while it’s still in process, not when it’s perfectly finished. This 88-acre property along Clear Creek in Oregon City has over 100 years of history feeding families and gathering people. In recent years it has hosted joyful music festivals like Stringbender and Mojo Family Fest, with camping, creek floats, live music, and strong community energy. Now we’re in a new chapter: gently restoring the meadow, building hugelkultur beds, tending the greenhouse, and caring for the forest edge — all at a human pace.

Experiences that connect

Because the lower 7 acres are a living, restoring landscape along Clear Creek, the farm naturally supports a wide range of intimate, meaningful nature-based activities. Here’s what feels especially powerful here:

Signature nature connection experiences

  • Forest bathing & sensory nature immersion: Slow, guided walks along the meadow-forest edge and near Clear Creek. The sound of water, birdsong, and the honest "in-process" landscape make this deeply regulating for the nervous system.
  • Foraging & wildcrafting walks: Seasonal identification and gentle harvesting of edible and medicinal plants right on the recovering land. Participants learn sustainable practices while connecting with the farm’s ongoing restoration.
  • Creek-side mindfulness & reflection: Quiet time by Clear Creek — listening to the water, journaling, or simple breathwork. Many people describe this as one of the most grounding parts of their visit.

Fostering connection, community, and sovereignty

At its heart, Red Mud Ranch is about Common Ground — creating space for people to reconnect with the land, with themselves, and with each other. Here’s how we do it:

Deepening personal connection to the land

  • The farm offers an honest, living landscape along Clear Creek that invites presence rather than performance.
  • Activities like forest bathing, creek-side mindfulness, foraging walks, and land observation help people slow down and build a direct, sensory relationship with nature.
  • Being on land that is visibly “in process” gives permission to be unfinished themselves — many visitors report their nervous system finally relaxing here.

Building real community

  • Small, intimate groups (6–20 people) on the lower 7 acres create the conditions for genuine connection instead of superficial mingling.