Help develop our off-grid smallholding in West Wales, UK

Availability

  2024 

 Min stay requested: No minimum

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    We are one of a group of four new eco smallholdings in West Wales which gained planning permission in 2016 under the new One Planet Development planning policy. We are currently in the process of completing our off-grid family home and scaling up our growing to meet more of our food needs on site. The planning permission requires that the house is “zero carbon in construction and use” and uses local, natural materials.

    We are a couple (Chris and Erica) with a 8-year old who likes birds, reading, and imaginative play, and a 5-year old who likes Lego, reading and chasing. Our home is a beautiful two story roundwood timber frame house, with straw bale infill walls, lime plaster on the outside and clay plaster on the inside. We have a cat but she is not allowed in the house.

    We have two acres of apple orchard that we have planted and grafted ourselves, keep bees for pollination and honey, and will grow much of our own food. We also keep flocks of chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys for eggs (including hatching eggs) and meat. Our main goal for 2024 is to further develop our veg garden and polytunnels, improve site infrastructure and scale up seed production and bee keeping activities.

    Before Covid we've had an amazing stream of volunteers and course participants who have got stuck into everything happening on site and brought all sorts of skills and ideas to our new place. Things have been a lot quieter here for the last couple of years but we are now reactivating our Workaway account.

    There are a range of opportunities depending on the interests of visitors, but some upcoming jobs include, sowing and planting out, propagating and weeding and looking after poultry. In the summer/autumn there will be honey extraction, fruit picking, apple harvesting, apple juicing and preserving and cider making. When the weather is bad there are still some indoor jobs left to complete the house, including some flooring, carpentry, and painting. Playing with the kids is always a fun thing to do too. We also run interesting courses and meetings from our place which you'll be welcome to get involved with.

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Help with Eco Projects
    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    Animal Care
    Farmstay help
    Babysitting and creative play
    Creating/ Cooking family meals
    Help around the house
    General Maintenance
  • UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

    UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

    UN goals
    No poverty
    Zero hunger
    Good health and well-being
    Quality education
    Gender equality
    Clean water and sanitation
    Affordable and clean energy
    Decent work and economic growth
    Industries, innovation and infrastructure
    Reduce inequality
    Sustainable cities and communities
    Responsible consumption and production
    Climate action
    Life below water
    Life on land
    Peace, justice and strong institutions
    Partnerships for the goals
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Our development is part of the new One Planet Development framework. This is a radical new planning policy which uniquely centres on the residents' 'ecological footprint'. We have to build and live in a low impact way, we must meet some of our needs directly from the land and run a land based enterprise. Visitors will gain an insight of this pioneering new policy in Wales. Our immediate three neighbours in this new eco-village are similarly self-building homes from predominantly natural materials and we are part of a wider low-impact community in West Wales.

    More specifically you can learn about
    - self-building with natural materials (timber, straw, clay, etc)
    - design and planning of a new smallholding
    - vegetable growing
    - seed saving
    - breeding, raising and keeping poultry
    - fruit tree grafting, pruning, care and maintenance (seasonal)
    - beekeeping, honey processing (seasonal)
    - the One Planet Development planning policy in Wales
    - low impact living

  • Help

    Help

    There are a range of opportunities depending on the interests of visitors, but some upcoming tasks include, sowing and planting out, propagating and weeding and looking after poultry. In the summer/autumn there will be honey extraction, fruit picking, apple harvesting, apple juicing and preserving and cider making. When the weather is bad there are still some indoor jobs left to complete the house, including some flooring, carpentry, and painting. Playing with the kids is always a useful thing to do too. We also run interesting courses and meetings from our place which you'll be welcome to get involved with.

  • Languages spoken

    English: Fluent
    Welsh: Intermediate
    French: Beginner

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    We have a spare room in the house, with double bed and all the usual domestic facilities.

    Volunteers usually eat with us on work days but on your days off, or when your schedule does not match ours, you are welcome to cook for yourself in the kitchen.

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    The nearest town with reasonable public transport is Whitland, which is approximately ten minutes drive, half hour moderately hilly cycle or a very pleasant (and slightly less hilly) hour's walk. From Whitland there are buses to most nearby towns and regular rail services along the line from Carmarthen to Tenby, Fishguard and Pembroke Dock. We are well situated for a stop off on the way to or from the ferry to Ireland.

    - We are close to another Ecovillage which has a tour every Saturday in the summer months
    - There are many beautiful beaches within a short cycle/drive/train ride, including Amroth (closest), Saundersfoot and Tenby (accessible by train). Tenby is a lovely seaside town and Amroth has everything you could want in a beach with the bonus of a nice walk up to the Colby Woodland Gardens.
    - The National Botanic Garden of Wales is just the other side of Carmarthen and has many interesting events and displays
    - We are situated just off the Landsker Borderlands Trail, a long distance footpath which offers various walking opportunities, as does the Wales Coast Path which passes just a few miles away from us

    We are accessible to visitors without cars and are able to help you find lift shares to places of interest or at the very least to drop you off at the train station.

  • A little more information

    A little more information

    • Internet access

    • Limited internet access

      Limited internet access

    • We have pets

    • We are smokers

    • Can host families

  • Can host digital nomads

    Can host digital nomads

    This host has indicated that they love having digital nomads stay.

  • Space for parking camper vans

    Space for parking camper vans

    This host can provide space for campervans.

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    Two

  • ...

    Hours expected

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

Host ref number: 118936295952

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