Need help creating a self-sufficient farm on the Appennino Lucano, Italy

Details

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  Description

  My name is Beppe, I've been living on the Appennino Lucano for eleven years, at 1050 m above the sea level at the edge of a forest of oaks and beeches. Together with friends and travelers I am trying to carry out a self-sufficient farm where we can produce everything we need in order to be really self-sufficient. I live in a mountain chalet and I have another one that I use as a workshop (carpentry, honey transformation, various kinds of craft). At the moment I have a barn for the pigs and one for sheep and goats. There is a henhouse for geese, chickens and turkeys. There are thirty beehives where we get all the honey we need. There is an electric oven to cook clay. There is a young fruit orchard that i manage with the natural farming method and a big vegetable garden that provides us with vegetables and legumes throughout the year. I am experimenting the natural farming of wheat in a small field. We are managing an olive orchard and a walnut orchard in a nearby location. Much has been already achieved, but much has still to be created: a well, a wood oven to bake the bread, a wood oven for the clay, a small lake for geese and ducks and, if I find sail lovers like me, I would also like to build a small sailboat made of wood and natural materials.
  
  Sono Beppe, vivo sull'Appennino Lucano da undici anni, a 1050 msl ai margini di una foresta di querce e faggi. Insieme ad amici e viaggiatori di passaggio sto cercando di realizzare una fattoria autosufficiente dove produrre davvero tutto quello che serve per esserlo. Ho una baita adibita ad abitazione ed una che uso come laboratorio (falegnameria, smielatura ed artigianato vario). Al momento ho una stalla per i maiali e una per pecore e capre. C'è un pollaio per oche, galline e tacchini. Ci sono trenta arnie che ci danno tutto il miele che serve. C'è un forno elettrico per cuocere la terracotta. C'è un frutteto impiantato da poco che gestisco con il metodo naturale e un grande orto che ci dà da mangiare tutto l'anno ortaggi e legumi. In un piccolo appezzamento sto sperimentando la semina naturale del grano. In una località vicina abbiamo in gestione un uliveto e un noceto. Tanto è già stato realizzato ma tanto è ancora da realizzare: un pozzo, un forno a legna per il pane, un forno a legna per la terracotta, un piccolo laghetto per oche e papere e se troverò degli amanti della vela come me anche una piccola barca a vela in legno e materiali naturali.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  General Maintenance

  Farmstay help

  Help with Eco Projects

  Help around the house

  Animal Care

  Language practice

  Art Projects

  Help with Computers/ Internet

  Teaching
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  What's this?
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  Help

  My aim is to become self-sufficient. There's a lot of work to be done in the farm related to gardening, growing food and carpentry, building with wood and clay etc. During their stay volunteers can learn much from my own experience in carpentry, farming, looking after the animals, grazing, making cheese, beekeeping, woodcutting, making home-made pasta, and everything that can be learned in a farm.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  Italian: Fluent
  English: Beginner
  Spanish: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
  You can contact them directly for more information.
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  Accommodation

  Private or shared room (depending on the number of volunteers) in the mountain chalet where I live and three meals a day in exchange for your help.

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  What else ...

  The farm is situated in the Appenino Lucano National Park, so during their free time volunteers can have walks around in the woods or hike in the nearby mountains. The city of Potenza is 12km from the farm and there is a bus that goes there. The Pollino National Park is two hours drive from the farm: there you can see the unique "Pino Loricato", a marine pine tree that grows at more than 2000 meters above the sea level and that can be seen only here. In one hour drive you can reach very secluded sand beaches on Ionio Sea and in one and half hour drive you can reach the famous village of Maratea, where 1200 meters mountains sink into the Tirreno Sea. In one hour drive you can get to the ancient city of Matera, which is famous worldwide for its houses built into caves. All these places can be reached by bus.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Space for parking camper vans

  This host can provide space for campervans.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  Hours expected

  5 hours, 5 days a week

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