We are an organic family farm in central Portugal, not far from the Serra da Estrela mountain range. We are a family of four with French, Portuguese and Polish roots: Jaga (translator by profession, equestrian by passion and assistant farmer in between), Stephen (chief farmer and goat/sheep minder and a master chef in charge of the cooking) and two daughters: Emilie (19 yo, currently mostly away, busy studying biological engineering in Lisbon) and Leonor (14 yo, assistant goat/sheep minder and a skilled equestrian). We have goats, sheep, horses and a donkey, and of course dogs and cats. The farm is located in a picturesque and calm rural area, perfect for nature lovers wanting some quiet time to recharge batteries.
We have been living on the farm for 13+ years. Our daily activities include goat and sheep minding, removing manure from the goat/sheep house, gardening, feeding the animals. There are also other jobs like maintaining fences, gathering wood and other land maintenance work. Work would typically involve around 5 hours per day, 5 days a week and work times are flexible in terms of whether you prefer mornings or afternoons (or even a split "shift" - this is usually a good idea during the hot months, when it is easier to work earlier in the mornings and then towards the end of the afternoon).
Our farming project is mostly about land regeneration and maintenance as permanent pastures and working towards bigger food self-sufficiency. We started out with goats to manage growth and fertilize the soil, and have seen massive improvements in soil quality. Later, we added horses and sheep, as they eat different plants and add different nutrients to the soil due to the composition of their manure. Before the recent wildfires we also had bees to add to the ecosystem and increase pollination and we are planning to restart the bee colonies in the future. Due to the amount of work, the vegetable garden has received less care, but will be a project to be prioritized with additional farm help.
We have a spare bedroom with a single bed to accommodate you and offer all the standard house amenities (shower, washing machine, kitchen, Internet/Wi-Fi connection for your to share with us). In the summer months we have a large canvas bell tent with proper mattresses which can comfortably fit two people with ample space. We can also accommodate a campervan if you have one and would like to be a little more independent.
We are happy to accomodate children, but only in the summer months in the tent - the bedroom in the house is more than comfortable for one person, but there is not enough space for a second bed/mattress.
Stephen loves cooking and usually cooks meals from scratch. We normally have bread, cereal or fruit for breakfast and cooked meals for lunch and dinner. Breakfast is usually a more independent meal as we all get up at different times, but we enjoy having lunch and dinner together as part of our family time and will be happy to have you join us.
The area is perfect for exploring on foot, bike or horseback, and there is a lake nearby for swimming and SUPing in the summer (don't worry if you forgot to pack your own paddle board ;-), we have two and will be happy for you to use).
Jaga is an equestrian, so if your are also a rider, she will be happy for you to join her on trail rides. She does not officially offer riding classes, but if you have never ridden and would like to give it a try, we can see if we can make that happen! :-)
As for practicalities, there are a couple of grocery shops, cafes and a pharmacy up in the village (walking distance, around 1.5 km), and a bank, train station and a bigger grocery shop in the next village, Vila Franca das Naves, 6 km away. The nearest bigger city is Guarda, 24 km away, where we usually go to at least once a week to do our bigger weekly grocery shopping. Local public transport is not great in this part of Portugal, but if we are going anywhere, if farm chores allow, we always try to use the opportunity to take volunteers with us to show them a little bit of the local area. And if you come in your own car and would like to venture out further away, there is an easy access to the A23 and A25 motorways.
Last, but not least - if there is anything else you would like to know about us, the farm, or the surrounding area, please do not hesitate to get in touch! :-)
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Horse or donkey farming
Sheep or goat farming
Raising of other farm animals
Beekeeping
Seed saving or production
Methods or systems
Biological pest control
Regenerative agriculture
Rotational grazing
Host type
Self-sufficiency property
Certified organic
34
Hectares
|
84
Acres
