Join a French family and help with our permaculture projects in Olhão, South Portugal

Infos

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  Description

  We are a French family of four living in South Portugal. At the Quinta do Timon, we are trying to implement a life logic agriculture project with as much biodiversity as possible. Our 2.6 ha/6 1/4 acre plot is composed of citrus, carob, olive, fig, almond and other fruit trees, half acre vegetables, three dogs and two cats roaming free and fish in the tank. We are focusing on the farm inhabitants food autonomy, the surplus would be offered.
  
  My wife Cécile and I, Laurent, have had a organic farm project since we met 24 years ago. We have begun to realize it here in Algarve for 8 years now. We invite you to discover what we are trying to implement. The main idea behind it is to ape organic life by growing as many different a plant as possible, to plant trees in the dry lands to shelter the soil from the harsh summer sun. We've rejuvenated our orange plantation with grapefruits, limes and tangerines. We are also renovating the hundred-year-old house.
  
  We are practicing a mix of permaculture, organic, biodynamic farming working these principles around with the harsh Algarve climate. We work by hand as much as possible but still we use two small tractors to shred wood branches and scar the soil twice a year to keep it moist longer. We also mow with the tractor but with a little help we like to use scythes to do it as we did the first summer we were here.
  
   We need help in the field as well as in the house. Laurent has built a 50-sqm shed, our 100-year old house needs restauration and improvements, we'd like to build another yurt-shaped shed, two dry toilet shacks, a new doghouse, a solar panel structure, we'd like to fence the orange plantation to secure the chicks inside, to plant more trees in the dry non-irrigated areas of our plot.
  
  Help is needed for daily activities too like cooking, animal feeding, pruning trees, yielding fruits and veggies, watering, etc.
  
   Hence the farm offers a wide variety of tasks for the younger to the older, from the stronger to the wiser : François has heart problems, he cooked for us and crushed almond shells every day. Marie-Claire was raised in the city, she is a hair dresser, she did prune the trees. Mamadu is strong and willing, he mounted double glassed windows, dug holes for tree planting. Anne is a music teacher with a special milk and gluten free diet, she cooked for us to be certain it would fit her diet and taught music to the children. We are sure that you will find a way to help us with your own skill and will.

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  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Jardinage

  Bricolage et construction

  Aide dans une ferme

  Cuisine/repas pour la famille
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  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  We speak Portuguese, French and English. Apart from farming experience, My wife is an creative potter, she teaches a new moulding technique called Touroulage. I used to be a professional skipper and a yachtmaster instructor. I’m knowledgeable in old building restauration and passiv haus conception.

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  Projets impliquant des enfants

  Ce projet peut impliquer des enfants. Pour en savoir plus, consultez nos directives et conseils ici.

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  Aide

  We are curently building a wooden carport as may 2024. We plan to clear our vegetable plot, build wooden shades for caravans, finish tiling the farm roof, make a new terrace in front of the house. I have also a special side project : I’m building an outrigger canoe which I wish to finish before the summer.

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  Langues parlées

  Anglais: Courant
  Français: Courant
  Portugais: Courant

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  Hébergement

  There are two 2/3-people trailers to host you. We share our bathroom. We do not smoke, we do not do drugs hence we would prefer to host non-smoking guests.
  A day's work begins with the sunrise, in the summer we work until 1pm in the afternoon with a break for breakfast around 9-10 am, and work another hour at dusk to water the plants and feed the animals. We rest in the afternoon or go to the beach to cool down when it is too hot. Afternoons and Sundays are off. We eat together during working days except on saturday night and Sunday.

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  Autres infos...

  There is a good train service along the South coast of Algarve from Vila Real de São António to Lagos. There are ferries to the Islands of Ria Formosa and back country trails to explore.

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  Informations complémentaires

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    Accès Internet

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    Accès Internet limité

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    Nous avons des animaux

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    Nous sommes fumeurs

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    Familles bienvenues

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  Espace pour garer des vans

  We have hosted wwoofers with small campervans as our driveway is a narrow dirt track.

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  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Plus de 2

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  Nombre d'heures attendues

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