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Interested in self-sufficiency? Want to help build a community? Love the sea?

On an organic farm, a few hours north of Oslo, we are running a volunteering collective combining the dream of self-sufficiency with our love of the sea. Our community is for anyone who wants to learn, share ideas, and work hard. Anyone who has a knowledge or interest in permaculture, farming, boat building, sailing, living together to create a home that is sustainable both on land AND out at sea!

We are building our first sailboat (the first of many), with the hope that when she sets sail (our aim is 2012/2013) we will be able to visit other eco-villages around the world, collecting knowledge and traveling in the most eco-friendly way possible. Anyone who helps us out will have the chance to join our crew, a tribe of floating sea-gypsies!

We also work hard to build up the infrastructure of the farm. Our project is relatively new; we began in 2009 so there is still a lot to be done. We live with two dogs, the farm cat and some (very) free-range chickens. We keep bees and make jam; this year we harvested our first crop of potatoes and planted next season’s raspberries. Eventually we hope to grow all our food. We want to create a place that will continue to flourish after the boats are sailing, a place where crops, thoughts, adventures, and of course boats, can grow.

Gjovik/Oslo

We normally ask for a minimum commitment of thirty days, with a weeklong trial period. Please don't send us a message if you can only stop by for a few days; because of the nature of our work sadly we cannot welcome everyone.

We work on the boat predominantly during the winter when it is too cold to be outside. Jobs include welding the deck, installing the engine, sewing the sails, constructing the mast and fitting the interior. If you have any particular skills in these areas, please let us know. On the farm you may be asked to do anything from ploughing and harvesting to jam making, roof building, beekeeping, digging, painting, or grinding the barley for our morning porridge. It is guaranteed that you will be asked to cook; our diet is vegetarian and we try to eat only seasonal food, grown as locally as possible.

English mostly

Bunkbed rooms. separate male/female.

We welcome anyone, of any age, nationality, religion, or sexual orientation, as long as you are happy to work hard and help our wherever needed. There are enough beds for eight volunteers; we all live together on the farm and the schedule is Monday to Friday. Please bring your pets if you can! On the weekends there are forests and mountains to explore, and we have skis, tents and bikes available for those who want to go adventuring.

Come help us out and join our tribe of sea-gypsies!

PS: PLEASE WRITE SEA-GYPSY APPLICATION ON TOP OF YOU APPLICATION, IF YOU WANT ANSWER. (then we also know you are interested enough to actually read our profile)