Volunteer with our family in Penkun, Germany

  • Favourited 961 times
  • Last activity: 16 Mar 2024

Availability

  2024 

 Min stay requested: 1 month or more

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    update February 2024:
    we are looking forward to the new workaway season in spring from the end of march/ April onwards. We are happy to share what we have and get help an company here!

    Besides, we are planning our yearly summer camping trip, we have been finding great housesitters here on workaway for the last 4 years, and we hope to be lucky also this year as being on the road is simply freedom for us :-)
    We`d like to be on tour from around mid July onwards for 3 weeks.
    We need someone who can take care for our veggie garden, mawing the lawn, feeding the chickens and taking care for our friendly 14 year old dog (who ist still very fit, luckily..).
    A well stocked larder and freezer is waiting for you, as well as a cosy old camper, lots of peace and nature and friendly neighbours!

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    Welcome to our Profile :-)

    Family of five needs long term help – minimum 4 weeks- minding the kids, running the household, gardening.
    99% vegan + glutenfree diet - not dogmatic; in the middle of nowhere; 1 dog, 1 cat and some chickens

    You should be a competent English (or German) speaker, patient with kids, able to deal with aloneness in the evenings and have a good idea of what it takes to run a household.

    You get your own space (caravan), a separate bathroom with shower, delicious vegan and glutenfree cuisine and (hands on) insights in:

    -mindful childraising
    -vegan cooking and cheese-making
    -glutenfree baking
    -DIY ~ecological building / renovating
    ~use of (power)tools
    ~fixing stuff
    -making fruitwine
    -pickleing / preservation of food
    -German language-practice
    and more...


    LGBTQ welcome!
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    Hello there!

    We're Alex, Jan, Arthur, Alma and Auguste Heuer. We are in our beginning 40s, 8, 5 and 3. (our kids are born in 2013, 2016 and 2018).
    We live on our farm (4000m²) in Kirchenfeld/ Penkun, eastern Germany.

    Our goal WAS to become (almost) self-sufficient minifarmers. In Summer 2021 we realized, thet three kids and a houserenovation is plenty and that gardening/farming must be reduced to a minimum. We still keep chickens (mainly for nostalgic reasons and eggs) and are growing few vegetables. In the past we have had sheep, pigs, ducks and rabbits.

    We also have Lara, our dog and one cat, Cleopatra.

    We take responsibility for the world around us, so whatever we buy, we try to go for organic and fair trade products.

    We try to avoid plastic as far as possible and stay away from flavour enhancers, preservatives and a lot of other additives from modern chemistry. We shop local produce or swap it in our LETS (Local Exchange Trading Systems or Schemes) – and also use it as a source for social contacts.

    We don't have WiFi because we believe there's enough radiation around already. There are LAN-cables ready for your device and a internet-laptop in the kitchen for you to use.

    Since we have a little child, we are pretty occupied, so we won't be around most of the evenings, that means, you have to be comfortable with aloneness.

    We realize, that we ask for a lot of commitment (four weeks), but we all (kids and adults) need the consistency.
    We want you to benefit from your stay, so we happily pass on our knowledge and experiences. Give you room for your own experiments and won’t be breathing down your neck. We will do our best to give you the best possible experience – please talk to us about your wishes and expectations.

    With three kids joyfully messing up the place on a daily basis , we need you to have an eye for(on) things that need to be done (cleaned, tidied up). (Autobiographical note: I (Jan) sometimes need a reminder, that I’m on team “tidying” - can’t have another one like me/this. I’m trying ;-))




    We have three old but clean caravans. You also have a separate bathroom in one of the stables, so privacy is guaranteed.

    We always need your help minding the kids, with housekeeping and with gardening/farming, so you should be comfortable holding a child, a shovel, a broom etc. Above that you're welcome to contribute with any other skill that you have (DIY, fixing things, building etc.) (Optional: We might even ask you to housesit for a few days.)

    What is probably important for you as well: as we live out in the sticks, there are no shops or pubs around.
    The next town with 2000 inhabitants is 4 km away, there’s a drinks store, a tiny grocery store, a pharmacy, a flower shop, a bakery and a restaurant. That’s all :-P

    We order a lot of our groceries online, but we still need to go shopping physically to Prenzlau (25km) or Szczecin/Stettin (Poland; 30km). If you need anything you may of course join us or we pick something up for you.



    A little bit about ourselves:

    Alex comes from a little town near Stuttgart and I was raised near Hamburg.

    We met in Tromsø, Norway in 2006, where Alex studied biology and I (kind of) studied philosophy. We were brought together by our love for heavy metal music and have been together ever since.
    Alex went back to Tromsø twice to finish her diploma. The last time, I joined her and made our living by guiding tourists. Meanwhile I had grown tired of philosophy and canceled my studies. Nowadays I dabble with art. I’m currently trying to get enough sculptures ready to fill a room and call it “exhibition”

    After Alex got her degree, we moved (back) to Hamburg together. We soon grew tired of the hasty city-lifestyle and decided to move to the countryside. We found the place we are currently living in and fell in love with it at first sight. The house had not much but potential and we started to make it a home right away.
    We basically emptied the house, did the water-installation and electricity and started to form everything to our liking. In 2014 we finally got a new roof and the outside of the house plastered.

    Still there’s a lot to be done, most prominently and urgently the attic, but we got kids and started farming…

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Art Projects
    Language practice
    Help with Eco Projects
    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    Animal Care
    Farmstay help
    Babysitting and creative play
    Creating/ Cooking family meals
    Help around the house
    General Maintenance
    Help with Computers/ Internet
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    -mindful childraising
    -vegan cooking and cheese-making
    -glutenfree baking
    -transition to vegan + glutenfree diet
    -DIY ~ecological building / renovating
    ~use of (power)tools
    ~fixing stuff
    -making fruitwine (occasionly)
    -pickleing / preservation of food
    -German language-practice
    and more...

  • Projects involving children

    Projects involving children

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

  • Help

    Help

    We always need help with the normal housekeeping, such as minding the kids, cooking, cleaning, feeding the animals, heating the stoves (winter), chopping wood, walking the dog, tidying up, cleaning the stable...

    For the summer there will be a bit of gardening, harvesting fruits and vegetables, and much more..
    We expect a minimum stay of 6 weeks.

    Of course it is great if you bring skills like building , farming, experiences with carpentry or any other type of mechanical art, but it is NOT mandatory at all.



    Hope to see you soon, Alex and Jan

  • Languages spoken

    German: Fluent
    English: Fluent
    Norwegian: Fluent

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    3 Caravans

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    Next train station (7 km from our place): Petershagen/Uckermark

    (NOT Passow (Uckermark)!!! Petershagen is the one after Casekow (coming from Berlin))

    Train to Berlin: 1,5 hours with local trains, Petershagen-Angermünde-Berlin.
    We will pick you up from the station in Petershagen!
    Last train leaves Berlin Hauptbahnhof 20:33 !

  • 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

  • Can host digital nomads

    Can host digital nomads

    We don`t have wifi, but a stable internet connection inside the house via LAN.

  • 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

    We have a female dog, 13 years old. She`s fine with male dogs, with other females she might be a bit bitchy.

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    Two

  • ...

    Hours expected

    25 hours maximum

Host ref number: 16875112834c

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