Área: Aquitaine

Please note, we have room for one additional person (Male or Female) for the period Apr - Aug 2013. We already have three long term helpers here and don't have the rooms for anymore. However, if you re happy to sleep in a tent (or in the top of the barn) then shout. Thanks for reading our profile. In September 2010 we bought a derelict farm in the heart of the Perigord Vert (North Dordogne) in France. The house was not habitable, the barns were run down with leaky roofs, the land we bought with the farm was either run down meadow, a mix of derelict copse as well as even more derelict mature woodland and the arable land was being rented out to a neighbouring farmer and we had no equipment with which to work the land other than a few garden tools. When we moved on site on in November 2010 it was into a 10m x 3m static caravan. That's us, four kids, 3 dogs, and 3 cats. So what has changed in the last year? Well, because of work commitments not a lot has changed. Some work has been completed on the house and two of the boys are currently camped out in the kitchen. We have an extra dog and an itinerant stray cat who puts in an occasional appearance but not much else has moved forward since we arrived. However, I now have a break and I am going to get going with some of the projects that I have been waiting to complete. Our intension here is to attempt to live a low impact lifestyle while combining this with a policy of managing the land we have in an ecologically and environmentally friendly manner. While I am not so naive as to imagine that all projects will be a resounding success, I do hope to succeed at most. So, who are we? Well, my name is Andy and I'm married to Meredith and together we have four wonderful children James, Thomas (Tom), Kathryn (Katie) and William (Billy). What is our background? Well. I was (and still am to some extent) an Information Technology consultant having worked in IT for 25 years, primarily within Investment Banking and Finance in the city. In the past I have qualified as a cat 8 skydiver and as PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer (Instructer). Meredith is a registered nurse, accomplished clarinet player, mother of our four children as well as a professional agricultuer and general keeper of livestock (kids and stock alike). My background is that of a townie, all be it I grew up within walking distance of the south coast and had ample countryside in which to explore and grow up. Meredith is from good welsh farming stock and as such has always had that much more of a head start over me when it comes to farming and agriculture in general. As a family we have lived all over the country and more recently in France. We lived for 7 years in rural Dorset, 3 years of which were in a cottage on a small pig farm, 4 years in Shetland (that wild, windy and truly beautiful set of islands out in the north sea) where we had our first holding, and the last 2 years in France where we now have a 19.2 hectare (47.4 acre) small holding. In Shetland we spent the best part of 2 years without having to buy a single piece of meat from any supermarket or butcher. In the past we have grown much of our own personal food and we want to resestablish the farm as a small holding producing all of our own meat and growing as many of our own vegetables as possible.

Área: Arizona

We are a 90 acre family-run alpaca farm in the mountains of Northern Arizona. Alpacas are easy on the environment, thrive in our sometimes-harsh high desert clime, and provide a peaceful interlude with a sweet face. We strive to minimize environmental impact while growing our herd of these incredible, intelligent animals. We are on solar power, completely off the grid, recycle everything, and must do for ourselves and our animals. We grow a large garden. We are NOT vegan, but believe in humane practices and good, healthful eating. Our Great Pyrenees livestock guardian dogs keep range cattle and predators away from our alpacas, barn cats and the flock of laying hens and free-range semi-feral bantam chickens and Muscovy ducks we keep for bug control. At over 5100 feet elevation, our wintertime weather is cold and sometimes wet, always windy. Workawayers are welcome all year with two private and shared rooms, camping and RVing ok. Nearby Grand Canyon, -Railroad, -Caves, Sedona, Oak Creek, Prescott, Flagstaff and the San Francisco Peaks, and abundant wildlife offer recreational opportunities. Workawayers need to arrive on a Friday and be able to work independently on the farm, two week minimum intervals suggested. We expect 30-40 hours of work for room and board. Must be open to education, able to negotiate stairs, enjoy the sun and speak English. No young children or pets please -- exception may be made for one (1) small dog that ignores cats. Requests for help may include fencing, herd health (handling the alpacas!), housekeeping, gardening, harvesting, weed control, construction, conservation and pasture management. We practice sustainable agriculture and low-impact alpaca farming. Come enjoy our alpacas and help keep Arizona beautiful!

Área: Connacht

Mother and daughter run a small holding in the west of Ireland. We're just expanding and need help with getting things going. Have goats, sheep, pigs, a cow, horses and lots of poultry. Plus many other animals! Also love growing our own veg and redoing our gardens.