Region: Connacht

Has old-fashioned courtesy been consigned to the rubbish-dump? Any hope at all that workawayers could spare 30 seconds to reply to messages?! I need someone for May/June! I am an artist/writer/photographer living in a smallish bungalow situated 1 km. from a 13th century walled town with very narrow streets! Bhind my house is a 1-acre field with a stable where my Shetland pony, Flicka and my donkey, Kassie live – though they do visit me unexpectedly now and then! I have three cats, Lulu (aged 12) who spends a lot of her time in the stable, Kiwi (4) and Siog (Gaeilge for ‘fairy’), the baby, both of whom spend most of their time in the house with access to a walled courtyard for fresh air. My day is usually taken up with painting or designing in Photoshop, recording or mixing audio projects in my studio, writing my weekly columns for a local newspaper and a national magazine, taking and processing photographs and playing my beloved Takamine EN-40. I have lots of other instruments in my studio.

Region: Eastern Townships, Quebec

We are starting a cultural centre and auberge that will function out of a lovely old chapel and a seven bedroom farm house in the beautiful Eastern Townships of Quebec. The studio has no religious affiliation. Volunteers will work with us on both the house and church as well as the surrounding property, which is located in a peaceful village in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains. The official opening date of Staycation Studios is the first of July, 2012.

Region: British Columbia

Our historic ranch is located in the scenic San Jose River valley. It is 1200 acres of meadows and woods with a (small) river running through it. We use holistic management practices on our ranch. Our cattle are grass-fed using management intensive grazing with portable electric fence. We do not use herbicides, pesticides or chemical fertilizers, and our cattle are not given growth hormones. We are committed to ranching in a sustainable manner and strive to improve the health of our soil through good management practices.

Region: Bocas del toro

I live on Isla Solarte an Island in Bocas del Toro on the Caribean coast of Panama, just South of Costa Rica. I need help developing my place to help fulfill its potential. Conditions at the moment are basic or I should say rustic, but improving.

Region: Andalucia

I have a large cortijo in the Andalusian countryside that I'd like to turn into a yoga/meditation centre among other things. I've had the house since 1974 and it was always used as a family holiday home but now my family are all grown up and the house doesn't get used as much as it deserves. There's 50,000m2 of land to tender and I'd very much like to create a herb garden and veggie patch so we can provide good, home grown food for guests. The house is 9km from the nearest town and is set adjacent to a natural park. The scenery is stunning and there are lots of great walks so would suit a real country lover. There is internet access via satellite but no TV (yet) just lots of books.