Help in our non-profit permaculture project in Brakel, Belgium

Details

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  Description

  We are a small non-profit organisation with a permaculture farm. We host volunteers or people on time-out under the form of an educational farm. In doing so, we offer an alternative seasonal day care service. We try to create a welcoming environment where people can come and get a taste of what the land and country life has to offer. Linked to this, we want to pass on and teach knowledge and skills that are forgotten or in danger of being lost. Our volunteers learn how it can be beneficial to take care of animals, work in the fields, experience the seasons with both their pleasant and hard sides, recognise plants and herbs, grow, process and preserve vegetables.
  Organising immersion classes for children, working days in cooperation with youth movements, giving workshops and lectures are also among our short-term projects. Since 2020, we have cooperated with another non-profit farm, 8km cycling distance away, with similar ideals, which also opens itself up to volunteers. One day, usually on Tuesdays, our volunteers go to work with them, the other day, usually on Fridays, their volunteers come to us. In this way, knowledge is also exchanged between the different projects.
  The project is run by the owners of the place (Sylvie, Ben, Kena (17) and Gonde (13)), sometimes assisted by some long-term volunteers.
  The 2ha estate has an orchard (meadow) and farmland. There are donkeys, sheep, dogs, cats and chickens.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Charity Work

  Art Projects

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Depending on the number of volunteers, different building projects can be worked on. These include: building with chalk hemp, building with bricks, working with clay (cob) and applying other crafts.

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  ~ HELP NEEDED ~
  It's always great to have people who stay a bit longer (one month and longer) and can take up some responsibility such as making bread, take care of some of the animals, help the garden (with supervision), organise the kitchen, the laundry, the bikes, the tools, help with communication or accountancy, ... If you stay longer, you can learn more and really 'land' in the rhythm of the land-life.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  Dutch: Fluent
  English: Intermediate
  French: Intermediate

  This host offers a language exchange
  This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
  You can contact them directly for more information.
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  Accommodation

  ~ ACCOMMODATION ~
  We have reconstructed a former barn. There's a spacey kitchen with a cooking stove, where life mostly goes on. If the 'polyvalent room' is not used for activities, it's available for volunteers. In summer, it's a cool, shady place that we also used for drying herbs.
  
  The accommodation is simple. Take into account that this kind of life takes a bit more time than in a house in the city. Compost toilets need to be emptied and sawdust supplies need to be filled. It takes more time to light a wood stove than it takes to turn on the gas. Vegetables need to be harvested and cleaned before you can start preparing dinner. Laundry needs to be hung, water kettles and hot water bottles need to be filled (winter) or hot water needs to be hauled in from the solar boiler, daily cleaning of the kitchen in order to avoid insects, etc.
  
  If you want to try/share this kind of life for a while, this is your project. If not, it might be frustrating.
  
  Food
  Our food is:
  - seasonal (so no cucumbers in April, eggs in December, or pumpkins in August),
  - local,
  - organic,
  - mostly vegetarian
  
  We mostly have unprocessed products. We buy some basics such as oil, grains and legumes and we grow fruit, veggies, and herbs. It’s up to volunteers to turn these into meals, bread spreads (jam, hummus, pesto, veggie pâté, etc.), and other tasty things like pickles or sauerkraut. We bake sourdough bread.
  
  Typically, there are oats and sourdough bread with home-made jam for breakfast at eight, soup or salad and bread with home-made spreads for lunch at twelve, fruit or smoothy in the afternoon, and a cooked meal for diner around six. In the season, there are, of course, always fruits and berries to be picked from the land.
  
  Washing
  There’s an outdoor shower with hot (solar heated, so depending on availability) and cold water. In winter, water is heated on the stove, and you have to wash from a bucket.
  
  Heating
  All heating is done with wood stoves. Usually, only the kitchen is heated, the sleeping area is not. We have plenty of blankets.
  When it’s warm outside and the sun is shining the solar cooker and electricity can also be used to heat water.
  
  Sleeping
  We have a wagon and a caravan. Beds, sheets, pillows and blankets are available. Volunteers can bring a tent.
  
  Transport
  The place is easily reached with public transport. Every hour, a 3km walk will take you to a bus stop, which will take you to a train station, which can take you directly to Brussels and Gent. Please don't come by car. There are some bikes, but they are only borrowed to longer term volunteers that are able to take care of them or want to learn that.
  
  Other things
  - We only invite non-smokers.
  - There is wifi.
  - Compost toilets only.

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  What else ...

  The Flemish Ardennes is one of the most beautiful regions in Flanders, with a hilly and often surprising landscape.
  At 7 kilometers, there is a small town with public transport, shops, a swimming pool, and a library.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  Hours expected

  max 5 hours a day, 5 days a week

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