Area: Andalucia

I have a large cortijo in the Andalusian countryside that I'd like to turn into a yoga/meditation centre among other things. I've had the house since 1974 and it was always used as a family holiday home but now my family are all grown up and the house doesn't get used as much as it deserves. There's 50,000m2 of land to tender and I'd very much like to create a herb garden and veggie patch so we can provide good, home grown food for guests. The house is 9km from the nearest town and is set adjacent to a natural park. The scenery is stunning and there are lots of great walks so would suit a real country lover. There is internet access via satellite but no TV (yet) just lots of books.

Area: Midi Pyrenees

I am currently restoring an old french farmhouse using the same materials it was built with and making the materials by hand whenever possible. The house is on five acres, mostly pasture, some oak woods. There is a tumulus, an ancient burial mound, on the land from which there are fantastic views of the Pyrenees mountains and Spain. There are two organic vegetable gardens and a young orchard. I also do bronze casting. It is a very quiet and peaceful spot and the yurt, see accommodation below, is a great place to relax. From here it is possible to spend the day swimming in the Mediterranean or surfing in the Atlantic or hiking or skiing in the Pyrenees. In the area there are pre-historic caves, roman ruins and various medieval fortresses to visit.

Area: Popovo, Targovishte

We are an English couple that have moved to live in Bulgaria. we are situated in central Bulgaria, in a village called slavyanovo, which is 7km to popovo, and 35km to targovishte. We live in a village with beautiful views and the village is very peaceful and family orientated. We have a 7 year old girl, who loves being here. she is learning the language, and attends full-time Bulgarian school,and the neighbors and villagers love her. We have a large house, which we are slowly renovating, but have a double bedroom with ensuite tiolet and shower, to offer our guests.The guest house is renovated and very comfortable. We also have a large barn which we have two large rooms which we use as a gym. we are in the process of refurbishing the house and barn. The gym is opened to the public, as a small business. We are not only looking for skilled workers and builders of all kinds to help us to finish the house, but also people who are willing to just give us a hand with the gardening and general up keep. In the spring months, we get our garden ready, full with vegetables and fruit plants and trees. And of course add a splash of colour with the Flowers. We start the season as soon as the snow has gone, and the weather is warm enough for the seeds to germinate, usually around March. We have 16 chickens, some of which we hatched out in the summer of 2011. Which was wonderful to see, we will more than likely hatch more this year. We have also just bought an 8000m2 plot of land, that we have plans to build a lake, make a nature reserve, and it has a stream. We want to do a natural tiolet, natural living areas, etc. And would love help with this too. we are looking for any one really who will just help us out, for this you will work 5 days of the week, and we will give you in return food and board for free. Me and my daughter are vegetarians, and my daughter has been brought up not eating meat, (I have not eaten meat for over 8 years) but my partner does eat meat. So every night I cook meat and vegetarian meals. so everybody will fit in. We also have a villa which is completed and we rent out, to tourists, looking to buy property here. When we do not have guests we spend time at the villa relaxing in the pool and enjoying the peace. You can see pictures of the villa and pool under our photos section. Guests are welcome to come and stay for as long as they are comfortable with. If the guest house is full then you are welcome to bring a tent and camp in the garden, during summer months, or use our caravan on our land. please contact us with any questions you may have.

Area: British Columbia

Our historic ranch is located in the scenic San Jose River valley. It is 1200 acres of meadows and woods with a (small) river running through it. We use holistic management practices on our ranch. Our cattle are grass-fed using management intensive grazing with portable electric fence. We do not use herbicides, pesticides or chemical fertilizers, and our cattle are not given growth hormones. We are committed to ranching in a sustainable manner and strive to improve the health of our soil through good management practices.

Area: Lower Normandy

** We are looking for help with gardening and shed repair during June** We are a Kiwi family living in historic Normandy, renovating our amazing 400+ year old farmhouse whilst perfecting our French and generally immersing ourselves in French life. We are returning the house to it's traditional majestic beauty by reinstating the thatched roof and exposing it's stone and oak features, whilst at the same time adding modern twists of glass, metal and bold colour, and the occasional 'kiwi twist'. We are a couple who have travelled and worked in many different countries and enjoy learning about different cultures. Here in France, we have a simple but good life enjoying the outdoors in our pool, jacuzzi, trampoline, kids play area, etc. We are in the countryside just outside an active village, our 6 year old son goes to the local school (a 3.5km cycle to the center of town), we're close to all the historic D-day sites, actually on the D-day 'route-de-libertie', the evocative Abbaye d'Hambye is 5 mins away, it's 40 mins to the famous Le Mont St Michel, and we have easy access to port and airport connections to the UK etc. We're in the midst of an extenstive ecological project to rethatch and insulate our chaumiere. This involves many preparatory phases such as paving and decking terrassing and drainage, exterior insulation, lime repointing and double glazing. Additionally we are in the midst of many other projects - the construction of oak spiral stairs and mezzanine extension; instillation of wooden kitchen worktops and repair of 300 yr old o ak flooring; planting of a New Zealand garden; and several craft projects includingthe polynesian/celtic inspired carved facing boards for the new thatch roof (a great project for anyone with a passion for wood carving / wood carver). We use natural traditional products where ever possible and have a simple organic vegetable garden and we are looking for enthusiastic generally capable people who would enjoy helping us in exchange for access to this fantastic part of France. We are of course happy to assist those wishing to improve their French and/or cultural understanding of France and assist you with access to tourist sights where we can.