Build a cob cottage in Virginia
Country: United States
Last Activity: 23/04/2010
Description
We are a young couple seeking help building a small cob/stone/strawbale structure on our mountainous land. Our 180 wooded acres are beautiful and remote. We hope to make a home here among the bear, deer, wild turkey, and owls.
Area
Virginia
Type of work
BuildingWork
We are looking for short term volunteers who can stay from 1 to 6 weeks any time during May, June, July, or August. Although we hope to have a garden and orchard in the future, at this time the work will consist only of natural building and associated tasks.
Volunteers staying for more than one week will work 4 days a week. Tasks may include:
Reading about cob and other natural building techniques
Mixing and applying batches of cob
Stacking straw bales
Raising and insulating the roof
Building with stone
Mixing and applying natural plaster
Mixing and applying concrete
Cutting and burning brush
Spreading gravel
Digging and constructing a cistern
Carpentry
Cooking, meal planning, and cleaning
Volunteers should be in overall good health, be able to repeatedly lift 30 pounds, walk up a steep incline 1/3 of a mile long without feeling out of breath, and be able to work in hot and humid weather for hours on end. Volunteers must also be willing to "rough it." You do not need to have any building experience.
Volunteers staying for more than one week will work 4 days a week. Tasks may include:
Reading about cob and other natural building techniques
Mixing and applying batches of cob
Stacking straw bales
Raising and insulating the roof
Building with stone
Mixing and applying natural plaster
Mixing and applying concrete
Cutting and burning brush
Spreading gravel
Digging and constructing a cistern
Carpentry
Cooking, meal planning, and cleaning
Volunteers should be in overall good health, be able to repeatedly lift 30 pounds, walk up a steep incline 1/3 of a mile long without feeling out of breath, and be able to work in hot and humid weather for hours on end. Volunteers must also be willing to "rough it." You do not need to have any building experience.
Languages spoken
English, some (very little) French, Russian, Italian
Accommodation
We are able to host one or two people at a time in primitive accommodations. We can provide all camping equipment (including tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, etc), portable hot water shower, food for work days and non work days, and limited transportation for those volunteers who do not have their own. While you are expected to work hard, and there is a lot of work to be done, there is also a lot of fun to be had during your time off. If you want to swim, the New River is within walking distance. You can also take our canoe out on the river. We can drop you off for a short backpacking trip on the nearby Appalachian Trail. If you want to get away from the woods, you can enjoy the library, restaurants, public pool, and farmer's market in nearby Blacksburg.
What else ...
Both of us have worked and volunteered on farms and homesteads, so we know what it is like for you! We want you to have an enjoyable experience. To that end, we will strive to communicate our expectations to you effectively, organize work efficiently, and give clear instructions. If you are interested in natural building, this is a great way to experience it first hand. Ultimately, we hope that you find yourself positively engaged in meaningful work while you are here, and that when you leave you can look back on what you did and feel like you really accomplished something.
Some more things that might make it or break it for you:
- Yes, you can bring your dog, if he/she plays nice with others. We have our own dog, who is friendly. Sorry, no cats.
- Yes, we can accommodate a vegetarian diet. Actually, we are both vegan, so dinners will be vegan. We can get you non-vegan items for lunch or breakfast if you really want them, though.
- No, you can not bring your children under the age of 16, sorry.
- Yes, you can volunteer here even if you are relying on public transportation to get here. We'll help you figure it out!
- And of course, we are as much of an equal opportunity volunteer-er as we can be. We welcome people of all races, genders, sexual identities, religions, etc. Unfortunately because of our current set up we cannot accommodate people in wheelchairs.
If you are interested, send us an email telling us a little bit about yourself, including when you want to stay, what you hope to get out of volunteering, and any special needs that you might have. We expect you to have read this entire profile, but if you have additional questions, feel free to ask.
Some more things that might make it or break it for you:
- Yes, you can bring your dog, if he/she plays nice with others. We have our own dog, who is friendly. Sorry, no cats.
- Yes, we can accommodate a vegetarian diet. Actually, we are both vegan, so dinners will be vegan. We can get you non-vegan items for lunch or breakfast if you really want them, though.
- No, you can not bring your children under the age of 16, sorry.
- Yes, you can volunteer here even if you are relying on public transportation to get here. We'll help you figure it out!
- And of course, we are as much of an equal opportunity volunteer-er as we can be. We welcome people of all races, genders, sexual identities, religions, etc. Unfortunately because of our current set up we cannot accommodate people in wheelchairs.
If you are interested, send us an email telling us a little bit about yourself, including when you want to stay, what you hope to get out of volunteering, and any special needs that you might have. We expect you to have read this entire profile, but if you have additional questions, feel free to ask.
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