Creating an ecological-spiritual community on self-sufficiency
Castelo Branco
Share with us our enthusiasm - share with us the spirit of pioneering !
At a remote and marvellously situated Quinta in Central Portugal we are creating a community based on emotional spirituality and organic farming, particularly for self-sufficiency.
We can host volunteers throughout the whole year as the climate enables us to cultivate permanently.
We are happy to share our vision, our experiences and our daily work.
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ORGANIC FARMING and BUILDING
The terrassed land provides space and opportunities to create different kinds of gardens.
There are about 150 fruit- and olivetrees and a lot of vine on the land.
One of our highlights is the harvest of the olives (mid October to late November) to produce the most pure and tasty olive oil in the world ;).
Meanwhile we can provide by 80 % of the food (veggies, fruit, oil, water) for the WWOOFERS as purest biological produce, grown in our gardens.
Week by week we are transforming more wilderness into fertile patches.
WWOOFERS are participating in this process, which is about learning the characteristics of different types of soil, choosing the plants loving a specific soil most, considering happy and supporting neighbourhoods between all plants, working with the rythms of the moon while seeding and planting and using different methods and substances of biological gardening to cultivate a large variety of different plants - while experiencing what it does to the human beeing putting our hands into the dirt.
We have started to collect our own seed.
Our land has a traditional water supply system that consists of 12 natural water points which we are about to regenerate to improve their capacity.
From time to time a specific interesting project in this field is offered to the WWOOFers.
Asto heating and electricity we are already 100 % self-sufficient.
Cutting firewood is part of our daily routine.
Most of the time one or two ecological building projects are running to improve infrastructure and beauty and can be shared by the WWOOFers.
SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY
We are belonging to Christ, based on the innermost experience of our hearts, not on religious dogma.
We are enjoying to share what this means and does to us.
We are aware that the period of transformation that is ahead for humankind will bring very profound changes in all areas of our lifes.
We are not scared about that but filled with hope and inspiration.
But we are preparing ourselves inside and outside to pass these times smoothly.
Christ is providing us guidance, shelter and strenght of heart.
Our emotional spirituality contains a couple of effective ways to regain emotional competence by opening and purifying our feelings towards more touch, closeness and sparkling peace.
This is to describe the spiritual core of our community and we are offering our experiences and inspiration to the WWOOFers staying with us.
We are cultivating profound dialogue about the highest and deepest sources of Life.
Voluntarily and gentle, of course.
Regular sharings are to improve our skills in peaceful and creative communication.
As our community building process is presently in the first stages, people with pioneer spirits are appreciated.
At the final stage the project shall be run by a living community of approx 12 people.
At the moment there are periods of having a group of visitors/volunteers/'communitarians' with us as well as times of breathtaking and consolidation of the community building process, in which we are only one or two, or I could even be alone here at certain times.
These are good times to experience intimate silence with nature and intense personal exchange.
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Some keynotes about me:
My name is Volker (male), entrepreneur during first half of my life - study of christian psychology - educated conflict manager - trainings in peaceful communication and different emotional healing processes - 20 years of various experiences in community life and community building processes - gardening experience throughout my life -
We have experienced that the best match has been with people who definitely like diving deeper into nature and farming processes, open minded and eager to learn and experince something new, and maybe searching for their individual position towards Christ and the Love of God, to integrate their sensitivity with the challenges when putting their hands into the dirt.
We love creative young people from the generation Z and usually they love us.
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The main house is nice, very pure and ecological, but simple in order to limit our ecological footprint.
Our land is very beautiful and diverse.
Accomodation will usually be in a single/double room or in a brandnew TIPI.
Asto the meals provided, in the morning there are different kind of cereals (oat flakes, spelt flakes, millet flakes, polenta) plus fuit, nuts, fiques with vegetarian or real milk available, alternatively sandwiches, as to the indiviual wishes of the guests.
At noon there will be a good vegetarian meal and in the evening either a veggie/lentil/beans/chick peas soup or alternatively sandwiches, or leftovers from the main veggie meal.
Preparation of meals will be in rotation.
We prefer to have 2 or 3 wwoofers with us at the same time.
If you can stay 2-4 weeks will be nice, longer stay will be possible as well.
We can offer various types of working according to the seasonal requirements and the skills the volunteers wish to develop.
Working hours are usually each 2-3 hours in the morning and in the afternoon with a total of 25-30 hours per week, depending on the actual situation, heaviness of the tasks and personal condition/skills of the WWOOFERS.
Sundays are definitely free, saturdays as per indiviual agreements.
Besides, we are offering space for personal/private projects during your stay at the Quinta.
You are invited, with your dreams and your doubts, with your energy and your vulnerability.
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Forestry
Seed saving or production
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Bakery
Green Building
Renewable energy production
Methods or systems
Biodynamic agriculture
Holistic management
Host type
Self-sufficiency property
4.3
Hectares
|
10.6
Acres
Volker
Member since 2016
Languages spoken:
English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 100%
Response time: typically within 3 days
Castelo Branco
I. FLIGHT/BUS
You can fly with ryanair from many german and european airports to PORTO.
Direct bus service is available from Porto to Fundão. (citiexpress linha 1)
We can pick you up from Fundão, which is 18km from the Quinta.
Reviews
Philippe
France
•
April 2026
Ambiance Sympathique..
Cadre Naturel remarquable..
Carolin
Germany
•
April 2025
Staying at Volker´s was a unique experience. He gave us the feeling of being part of his project and therefore we felt like a little family in those two weeks. Volker can‘t be descriped you have to meet him! It wouldn‘t have been the last time we met!
Jennipher
Italy
•
December 2024
Un posto tranquillo in cui è possibile udire soltanto il cinguettio degli uccelli e di tanto in tanto le urla di una signora anziana che passa con il suo gruppetto di capre e pecore :)
Non è presente alcuna comunità, ma c’è soltanto Volker, una persona molto riservata.
Un consiglio: chiedete una chiamata prima di vivere la vostra esperienza per assicurarvi che sia il posto giusto per voi. Personalmente mi piace lavorare da sola, ma il consiglio che do è di non essere mai soli.
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Victor
Germany
•
November 2024
Hey guys,
Volker is a good willing, open hearted and friendly host. The Quinta offers a lot of different and portuguese typical tasks like olive harvesting, wood processing, gardening, weeding and so on. 2-3 people would be ideal to manage all tasks.
I was free to do other projects for myself like baking or making fruit leather.
In general you should not expect a fully developed homestead as of right now. Things like a stationary toilet, showers, WiFi and in home electricity (only via solar panels on sunny days) will have to be installed in the future.
So make sure you communicate well what is important for your needs in exchange for your work. Because Volker might overlook it, while being occupied with his work.
I learned that a little to late. But he is open for anything to discuss if you communicate it correctly.
My overall impression is still positive and I can recommend working on his Quinta for a set amount of time.
Maybe bring a friend, because you might not be accompanied with other Wwoofers at any given time. Maybe ask him about that as well.
Thank you for the stay, Volker.
Greetings, Victor
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Reply from Volker
Hey Victor,
thanks for your review, which in general is describing the actual situation realistically, except WIFI = WIFI is available via my mobile hot spot.
Electricity = By means of two mobile power stations in home electricity is available at any day.
Just after 3 - 5 days without sun, batteries may have low charge.
To avoid this, next week, more panels and devices will be installed, increasing the total electric capacity for more than 100 %.
Toilet = a simple stationary compost toilet is available.
Shower = yes, no shower, but washing with warm water is quite possible.
Thank you for your stay and help, Victor.
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Zoe
Germany
•
September 2024
I really enjoyed my time at Volkers farm.
Although we were alone on the farm, I felt very comfortable and the tasks were varied: from daily activities like watering the plants and turning the figs (to make jam from them :D) to various other things like restoring an old door or fixing the water system. Volker always made sure that one would really learn different things and not do the same things everyday.
Thanks for your hospitality and all the best for your project :)
Zoe
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Anaïs
France
•
August 2024
Un membre très réactif, accueillant, sympathique ! Je recommande vivement et j'espère grandement avoir l'occasion de faire un séjour WOOF au Portugal chez cet hôte, au plaisir Volver.
Respectueusement, Anaïs
