Permaculture fruit tree nursery in Limousin, France

  • Favourited 1434 times
  • Last activity: 29 Jan 2024

Availability

  2024 

 Min stay requested: at least 3 weeks

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    Bonjour ! Namasté !

    Would you like to come and enjoy a most extraordinary landscape ?
    Endless peaceful views; green hills and valleys, lakes and untouched forests, a paradise for wildlife !

    The place is aimed on running a tree nursery saving ancient fruit varieties, (there are more than 950 fruit trees in reprodution here !!), a tremendous realisation !

    We need help in march, april, may then september, october and november. (sometimes febuary and june according to the weather)
    The autumn, winter is a very very busy period for the tree nursery. In spring there is more time and different activities.
    The rest of the year Chloë doesn't have enough time for volonters unfortuntly for now.

    We are organising a special course for saving ancient varieties of fruit trees this october and november, we are searching for a few willing happy helpers ! To complete the autumn team (we will be seven to nine all together)
    Don't hesitate to get in touch for more details :)

    There is also a pottery workshop with amazing blue glazes, stonewear that can give a result of singing bowls, like tibetan bowls :)

    You have here the oportunity to a large variety of different activities according to season, and many fruit to taste ! biodiversity is so generous ! Life is beautiful !

    Beware, in the summer I am often away from the net, so I can't answer your messages quikly

    ABOUT THE PLACE

    Twelve hectares of Permaculture gardens, orchards, forest gardens, over 950 different species of fruit trees and thousands of trees and perfumed plants and flowers, A tree nursery in PERMACULTURE since 1998 !

    There is a new team fruit tree nursery Johanne and Joffray (near Bourganeuf).

    The association's aim is to save local biodiversity of fruit trees, by organising courses about how to take care of trees and nature and biodiversity through all it's shapes and also by sustaining the tree nursery project.

    You may get to meet other amazing volunteers, lovely cats and a kind bit "mountain pyrénée" white dog. lots of wild bees and other amazing insects...

    Here we try and live soft and gentle with the planet, eat organic local food, recycle and be economic with resources, try and cultivate peaceful relations with all, use a compost toilet which you can see in the photos...


    A couple of kms away there is also a family pottery workshop creating beautiful strong stoneware with blue glaze, if you are here long enough you can have a go on the pottery wheel !

    Chloë speaking: I've built a few ecological houses, an amazing stone house that is not yet finished (hard for me to find time out of the tree nursery) I have also built a beautiful earthship (see photos!) which I built out of mainly recycled materials, it's in cordwood.
    You will be staying in a little stone house two kms distance from the gardens, that is the commodities I can offer for now with basic comfort, toilets, kitchen and nice dining room, hot water... This house is dediated to welcome volunteers in the the periods when we most need help it can be too cold for camping, it is going to be renovated as soon as we can :)

    ABOUT THE WORK, ACTIVITY:

    By being here you can benefit from a skill knowledge of 25 years of permaculture, but you have to pick up the experience while going through activities together, keep a notebook in hand ! to keep questions for moments when Chloe is available to answer, or ask other members as you spend time with them :)

    In autumn the main activity is a delicate and physical one: digging out trees, need people with strengh but gentleness also. It is an intence period of year where there is a lot of work to do ! I am very busy with the digging out trees activity.
    We don't welcome new volonters from jully to september, nore november to febuary, but can welcome long terme volonters for full years if you enjoy the place. It is a lovely place ! I will send you videos if you wish.

    ABOUT US, The people you may get to discover !

    CHLOË
    I'm a kind, generous and sensitive person, very busy with the tree nursery because there is so much to do.
    Life is Beautiful !!!
    I am a sort of nature and life passionate, I love being alone within nature, human relations can be quite difficult for me though I love people ! (hypersensitive I prefer to meet them one by one and take time, the only difficulty here is that there is enough work for ten ! So I do organise sessions when I welcome many volunteers at once, hoping they can benefit from the presence of each other !
    I am passionate about Vipassana Meditation, Kundalini Yoga, peaceful lifestyle, raw food, gentleness to the planet and all beings.. and over everything I am in love with mother earth and Life ! I also love being in touch with light beings, like nature spirits.
    (I should mention that due to severe health problems from birth, I require a special diet (gluten free, dairy free, cereal free and eat raw food mostly) so I will not often share meals with you. I like to spend meal as meditative time alone :)

    We will try and take time to meet around other activities : while grafting, weeding, watering, processing fruit crops, transplanting...and at the pottery !

    In general I have plenty of energy from 6 to 11, then in the afternoon too, but not so much in the evenings: I love to dive back into nature for the sunset ! I sleep in the woods under the beautiful sky ! the best bedroom ever !
    I like to work with courageous efficient people, otherwise I also love to work alone, living within and for nature demands courage !
    Sorry I am alergique to smoke, so could be difficult for smokers.

    JULIEN who has started a vegetable market garden last year, doesn't speak much english. (12km away) would also be happy for some help, he goes to town quite often and can give you a ride...

    BRICE and Emilien come four days a week to help in the tree nursery,

    JOCELYNE
    J’habite à deux kilomètres des jardins, j’ai plaisir à rencontrer et partager et je peux aussi accueillir chez moi et vous mon association Joyevivace (la découverte de la nature partout, pour tous et avec plaisir !). Je viens de temps en temps. Soyez les bienvenus ! On baragouinera en franglais !

    POTTERY FAMILLY
    Michele and Jean-Pierre
    15 kms away lives a very lovely family of potters who can welcome you for a few days in exchange for some helping hand, sometimes, they are not always available (right now visiting family in India)
    My parents are lovely, my father will give you his lecture of his philosophie of life and my mum will teach you lots of handy things, if you get to meet them …
    The help there can involve helping in the pottery workshop or organic gardens... They live in a big place, beautiful gardens, Michele loves her flower gardens, loves to sing and share some music (guitar, piano…)
    These lovely parents took us traveling around the world in a bus when we were kids, to see how different cultures can be and to see our lovely planet, my brothers and sisters brought back « souvenirs » so I have 17 nethews and nieces from India, Pakistan, Nepal, China… a multicultural familly !

    Gwendy and other brother and sisters
    9 km away there is my beloved musician sister Gwendy and her 2 children, she plays bensouri flute and sings boliwood and traditional karnatic indian music.
    Mother of Aileen and Ayan, she also loves rainbow festivals ! and mantras
    You will also meet other brother and sisters who live nearby and come to the pottery: Candace (with two half indian children) Sève (with two half chinese children), Lionel and Pallavi (from india with their four children), Charly (and Shazia from Pakistan and their 4 children)…

    When the tree nursery is active (from septembre to june), lots of friends come and go, give a helping hand. from december to march the tree nursery is too busy to welcome new .volonters but there are the other options (pottery, Julien, etc) In spring and autumn you will be helping on the different project, with a prority to the tree nursery needs.


    WORKWISE Activities
    In the summer period we work in the mornings so you can enjoy the sun and the beautiful surroundings in the afternoons. Chloë starts at 7am because she does'nt like to work in the heat. After ten it can be really hot !
    I can welcome hardy, joyful and self-sufficient volunteers who are happy to be in nature.
    Garden work can be quite hard work !
    You can also receive trees and amazing plants in exchange for your help here, if you stay for long enough :)
    I am also looking for the right person to employ on a long term basis as a partner for the tree nursery, who can take over the project.

    ACCOMMODATION
    The house has two bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen and living room, it is two kms from the tree nursery (there are three bicycles).
    There is plenty of organic cereals, dry beans in addition to what I produce in the garden : squash, courgettes, and delicious jams and apple juice and over 100 varieties of apple to taste every autumn ! (250 varieties already give fruit)

    ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE IMPORTANT !
    As we live in a Natural paradice, one of the most unpopulated area of Europe, it is a chalenge to arrive, long jurney by bus, train…
    I can pick you up on Tuesday and thursday in Aubusson from 11 to 18h30 only. if this doesn't work for you we will have to see if Julien can pick you up.

    Have a great day ! And maybe see you soon !

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Charity Work
    Help with Eco Projects
    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    Animal Care
    Farmstay help
    Help around the house
    General Maintenance
  • UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

    UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

    UN goals
    No poverty
    Zero hunger
    Good health and well-being
    Quality education
    Gender equality
    Clean water and sanitation
    Affordable and clean energy
    Decent work and economic growth
    Industries, innovation and infrastructure
    Reduce inequality
    Sustainable cities and communities
    Responsible consumption and production
    Climate action
    Life below water
    Life on land
    Peace, justice and strong institutions
    Partnerships for the goals
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    With Chloë: I live in a lifestile very far from the consumer society, produce most of my food (fruit and vegetables) and don't often go to town.
    With Julien: apprendre le français
    With the pottery familly: pottery, and children


    all around : an amazing powerful untouched nature !

  • Help

    Help

    planting trees, weeding, pruning...

  • Languages spoken

    English: Fluent
    French: Fluent
    Spanish: Beginner
    Hindi: Beginner

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    I rent a house around 2km from the land which has all the essentials (beds, kitchen with gas cooker and oven, hot water with bath and shower and flushing toilet). You can treat this place as you would your own house for the time you stay. I will try and supply you with some fresh vegetables from the garden depeding on what time of year it is.
    I can lend you a bike to get to and from the land and this should only take around 10-15 mins. It is a little uphill when cycling to the village but it is smooth sailing coming to the land so coming here may take maybe 10 mins or so

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    Walking distance: The nature around is beautiful, woods, great old trees,
    Driving distance: there are many alternative communities about half hour drive south, an interesting big family pottery nearby, lots of little lakes, one very big one.

  • A little more information

    A little more information

    • Internet access

    • Limited internet access

      Limited internet access

    • We have pets

    • We are smokers

    • Can host families

  • Space for parking camper vans

    Space for parking camper vans

    This host can provide space for campervans.

  • Can possibly accept pets

    Can possibly accept pets

    N'hésitez pas à demander, si votre animal est propre et sage

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    More than two

  • ...

    Hours expected

    5 hours maximum 5 days a week

Host ref number: 15284264624d

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