Come and help and learn on a biodynamic farm with vineyard and olive grove in Central Portugal

Details

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  Description

  We purchased a badly neglected property 4 years ago. We have achieved amazing results. We need Workawayer help with our ongoing tasks of reforestation, bringing the vineyard and olive groves back to health and producing wholly organic and biodynamic food. Workawayers are needed in a non-commercial project as our foremost concern is to repair the land and exemplify how we can produce enough for our needs without chemical intrants. We are experimenting with small-scale agroecology projects to explore how we can best bring wildlife back onto the property and create a self-sustaining food forest.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  What's this?
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  we are passionate about teaching land care and mostly land repair, and we have practised biodynamics for 4 years. I have had personal knowledge of permaculture for 30 years which I studied long ago in Australia when it wasn't even a word. I recently completed a local Portuguese diploma in agricultural management. I believe that sustainable small farms are the way forward for our next generations and please prepare for a big download of our knowledge! Portugal is very special and though we are foreigners here (French/Australian) we have fully integrated with our small village community and will be able to tell you a lot about Portuguese history, culture, food and more. You will partake in the village and district festivals and we will drive you to places of interest on your free days if you do not have a car.

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  Help

  We need help all year round with our Quinta and our feather and fur friends. Right now, we would like to do repair and maintenance on the fences and animal shelter.... And with our olive harvest. We are still at an experimental stage with bringing our land to a full biodynamic cultivation technique, especially for our vineyard and olive groves. We have been working at converting the land to organic production for 3 seasons and we hope that this year we will have settled all the aspects of an eco-organic rural lifestyle that combines with a spiritual approach to land care.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  French: Fluent
  Japanese: Intermediate
  Portuguese: Intermediate

  This host offers a language exchange
  I am trilingual. And always practising one of my languages with whoever is interested. So if you wish to exchange, I am very happy to do this!
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  Accommodation

  very comfortable. high speed 5G internet. in the Quinta with owners. lots of space. you will have a choice to either: occupy your personal bedroom (bath might be shared), park your camper van, or bring your tent along. In those latter cases, you will have access to electricity, hot water, bathroom, kitchen. We provide 100% of your food, which you cook on your own or we have shared meals: let's keep it organic. We can cater for omnivore and vegetarian meals. We are not vegan.

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  What else ...

  Time off: plenty of local sights and conveniently located for individual transport. district town is 40 min by foot. buses can bring you to the regional town where you can hop on express buses to several other regions. We can drop you in town or at the bus stop.
  Work: 4 to 5 hours per day, generally in the morning, with 30 min or so at sunset to bring the animals back to their pen. 5 days a week unless it is vine harvest time (September) or olive harvest (October/November) at which time things get messy! We would discuss with you to which extent you wish to be involved in those 2 harvests.
  How we live and our expectations: let's discuss it with a video call before you firm your visit!

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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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  Can host digital nomads

  5G connected, through cable or wifi at 120 mbps minimum down/up loads. desk in two rooms. Good for remote workers, However, please keep your morning free to help us on your workaway!

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  Space for parking camper vans

  You can park on our land, there's electricity, amenities, hot water. You can camp too.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  Hours expected

  Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week