Join us to be part of an abundant place with healthy food, eco-friendly designed buildings and positive mindset!
We are Kasia (33) and Franz (40), living in Portugal since 2017 and during this time we have been mainly busy creating our 4ha homestead. We used to run permaculture related workshops and Permaculture Design Courses (PDC). Currently we are adjusting to function as a family with our daughter, Norah (1.5) as well as finishing our main house project, where we are already living in. Our property has been affected by the last year's wild fires and we lost big part of our pine forest, which has created an additional task to take care of.
Our land and daily tasks have plenty to offer in terms of learning new skills and getting inspired. We have many diverse fruit trees, food forest and veg garden, polytunnel greenhouse, chickens, woodland, natural swimming pool, naturally build accommodations and commune facilities.
We will be a good match if you:
> Have a passion for offgrid lifestyle
> Are not afraid of physical work
> Like to work in group, but can also be independent.
> Like cooking and are not afraid of contributing your time in the kitchen.
> Are tidy and responsible person, that cares for the facilities and tools as they were yours.
> Can manage to start up the fire in the wood burner, since we cook and heat our rooms entirely on wood.
> Imagine to contribute your own ideas an stay long term, especially if you also have kids
What we usually struggle with:
> If it's your first experience living on such farm/"off grid" place.
> If you are looking for a community place, love to chill all day and party in the evening, our place is maybe not the best choice for you.
>If you don't like to be alone and need to have company all the time. We are busy in the day and we like to have privacy in the evening, therefore not always keen on hanging out. We love to get to know you, chat while working or during lunch times. We also love to share and exchange knowledge. But we can't always commit to be with you when you get lonely.
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We are offering two different agreements for our volunteers:
1) standard full commitment: we ask around 25 hours a week in exchange for accommodation and the full budget for the food for all the days of stay
2) partial commitment: we ask around 10 flexible hours a week in exchange for accommodation and the access to all our facilities, but we don't provide the food.
We like to offer the second one for the families, because naturally they need more flexibility and parents can't work the same amount of hours as other adults without kids. But it could also work for people who imagine to stay a little longer with us, work as digital nomads etc.
Please note: If you are a family ask us about the accommodation that will suit your needs. In the summer we can offer a large bell tent with beds that will have enough space for a couple plus kids. But in the winter time currently we don't have an indoor space comfortable enough for the family, so it could only work if you have a caravan etc.
The amount of hours is more like a guideline to know what to expect. At the beginning of every week we meet up all together to decide what tasks can be done and how to do them. Some require group work and some can be done individually in your own rhythm.
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Food:
We will supply you fully with the food during our stay, also during your days off. But volunteer kitchen is a separate unit, we are cooking in our house, as we need privacy and independence with the baby. We will share the lunch all together and during the working hours there will be one person responsible for making lunch. We always try to swap and keep it balanced, so nobody has to cook all the time. Breakfasts and dinners are up to you. We will supply the commune kitchen with all the basic ingredients, if you need anything more you can always talk to us before the next shopping or shop with us within agreed budget.
Accommodation:
Depending on availability you can stay in our wooden cabin, bell tent or a simple tent with the mattress. We will make sure you will be informed about the type of the accommodation we can offer you before your arrival. There is a solar shower and compost toilet near by the cabin. The natural swimming pool is a highlight for our volunteers during the hot summer afternoons.
Type of help:
BASIC TASKS FOR EVERYONE
GARDENING (weeding, planting, mulching, harvesting, watering)
PLANTS PROPAGATION (sowing the seeds, repotting plants)
COMPOSTING (collecting material for the compost, turning compost, applying on the garden beds)
LAND CLEARING (chopping down shrubs we don't need, taking away brumble bushes, strimming if you are comfortable with the machine or scythe)
FOREST (we will not ask you for using heavy machines unless you had experience with them and you feel comfortable with that, but you might help with loading wood on the trailer, pruning the trees, or taking away dry ferns. We have a large area with native species seedlings planted after the last wildfire. Carrying for them is one of the tasks.)
HELP WITH MAKING FIREWOOD (assisting us while we are cutting the wood, storing it, bringing to the kitchen)
COOKING (Preparing lunch is always very appreciated job during the working hours. We try to share lunch together every day, but breakfast and dinners you will manage on your own or with other volunteers.)
SPECIALIZED TASKS
CARPENTRY AND BASIC CONSTRUCTION (If you are handy with tools and carpentry, we can ask you to build simple structures on the farm or repair existing ones)
SOCIAL MEDIA AND DOCUMENTATION (Digitally talented people will have opportunity to help us restore our social media and the website presence. This will never be the full time job, but it can be one of the tasks.)
For your free time:
we have a lovely river close by to swim in the summer time or you can also hop in the water tank to cool off ; ) There is also a good possibility for hiking, mushroom picking, biking, fishing and getting to know the portuguese village life and local festas. We are 10 minutes drive from Tabua as well as Olivera do Hospital and about an hour drive from Viseu or Coimbra or the Serra de Estrela. The farm itself is nicely remote to be private but lays in 10 min walking distance to the village. There you can find a café, some bars and a little shop for the most necessary things. Close by we have two different yoga teachers and taekwondo. We are surrounded by plenty of similar projects/communities and farms like us. This creates a beautiful feeling of building a better future among friends and neighbors, who take great care of the nature and want to live a healthy, responsible and happy life. There are few local flea markets and other nice social event happening from time to time.
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Poultry farming
Forestry
Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Green Building
Mechanics / tools / technology
Methods or systems
Biological pest control
No-till farming
Permaculture
Regenerative agriculture
Rotational grazing
Host type
Self-sufficiency property
Former WWOOFer
4
Hectares
|
9.9
Acres
