Eco farm in traditional rural village near Skadar Lake, Montenegro

Details

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  Description

  WHO WE ARE/WHAT WE OFFER:
  
  Hi, we are Scott and Alex, respectively Australian and French, and after having worked and lived on almost every continent we decided to settle in Montenegro a few years ago.
  
  We purchased a beautiful land of 3.6 hectares with a vineyard, 2 small forests, multiple terraces with (fruit) trees and 2 stone houses that we have been renovating as authentically as possible. We learn everyday living on the land and our aim is to become more and more sustainable. We are currently semi off-grid. We love to share our simple, authentic and active lifestyle with visitors from all over the world, eat good food cooked from scratch (often on the fire), play music (Scott plays the guitar and loves jamming!), go exploring new hiking tracks/caves/wild swimming spots or simply enjoy the peaceful surrounding nature. We live in one large stone house and welcome guests in the renovated stone barn. We have a few pet chicken roaming freely on the land, 2 pet rabbits and a pretty chill cat. We produce wine/gin/port from our own vineyard and grow a good chunk of our own vegetables.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Our property is located in a hamlet on the North-West side of Skadar Lake, 15 minutes walk from the lake, where life has not changed in generations (our neighbours families have been on this land since the 17th century) providing a very special cultural experience. The property has 200 degrees view on the mountains range of the National Park of the Skadar Lake, and the surrounding area is very picturesque with fresh water springs, rivers, lots of beautiful rocks and wild herbs, as well as 280 species of birds known to be present on the lake. We are also only 25 min drive from the capital Podgorica and 30 minutes from the airport, providing easy access to all services.

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  Help

  WHAT HELP WE ARE LOOKING FOR:
  We are looking for help with horticulture/permaculture (vineyard, fruit trees and vegetable garden) with view to becoming more self sufficient in organic produce. Some parts of the property have been let go before we got here so there is always some clearing of weeds and non native bushes to do, reconstruction of old 'dry' stone walls, some manure digging, sometimes painting jobs, sometimes cleaning, but also woodworking, etc ... all depending on the season, the weather, the current priorities and your skills level! :-)
  
  WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR:
  * We are looking for Workaway's that are really interested in discovering and sharing our alternative lifestyle, that do enjoy working outdoor, and aren't afraid of insects or thorn bushes!
  * We prefer couples (as they are more independent) and those with their own transportation (for the same reason!) but it is not an absolute must.
  * We also prefer to welcome Workaway's with already a little life experience (minimum 25 years old), that are pro-active, self-motivated, creative and have a fair level of common sense, as working on a farm requires those traits daily!
  * We appreciate greatly Workaway's with specific handiwork expertise such as woodwork, etc as we often have small projects waiting for the right skills :-)
  * As we have free roaming animals, we don't take Workaway's with dogs ...
  * We are looking for Workaway's that speak English well enough to have proper conversations as Scott doesn't speak French very well, as it is much nicer to be able to have conversations all together! :-)
  
  HOW WE WORK:
  * We usually aim to work from 9h30/10hish to 13h, have a lunch break and then from 14h to 17hish, 5 days a week, depending on how intense is the work, how is the weather, etc. Once or twice a week we take afternoon's off to go exploring or go to a nearby village for longer lunch breaks.
  * For short-term stays, Scott usually cook (gorgeous) diners that we share together in our house, we do simple lunches together (wraps, etc) and Workaway's have supplies for breakfast in the tiny house.
  * For longer stay, we usually give a weekly allowance to the Workaway's to cook for themselves in the tiny house, and we "invite' each other for diners several times a week. Those who don't cook do the dishes!😜
  * We provide 3 meals a day or food allowance for working days. Workaway's are welcome to stay during day offs in the tiny house and take care of their own meals.
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  Does is sound appealing to you? Send us a message telling us what are your interests, skills and availability.
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  * PLEASE DO NOT COME WITHOUT PRIOR APPOINTMENT *

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent
  French: Fluent
  Indonesian: Intermediate

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  Accommodation

  We can accommodate 1 to 4 persons max. in the ecological tiny house (renovated stone barn) but usually have only 2 people staying at a time. It is very cosy and authentic space with great comfort and a fireplace for the winter. We also have good experience with workaway's guests coming with their own campervan as there is plently of space on our land and an outdoor hot shower.
  The tiny house runs on rain water or village source water, and wifi is available on the property. The toilet is located right next to the tiny house, and is a dry/compost toilet.

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  What else ...

  Pre COVID we ran an eco-tourism business in Montenegro, so we can offer advice on the best spots to visit and help you get there. We can pick you up in Podgorica, Podgorica airport or at the bus stop on the main road (between Podgorica and Cetinje).
  
  There are countless gorgeous locations within a short walk/drive from the property. We sometimes go explore new areas together by foot/car with volunteers over the weekend. The bus stop to the coast and to town is 10 minutes by car from our place. Hitch-hiking is very common and very safe in Montenegro. We are an easy going couple who love hosting guests of different nationalities. We very often cook in the evenings on the open fire (weather permitting), play guitar, star gaze and just soak up the outdoor atmosphere.

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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

  We have a parking space for campervan (regular size) located under trees canopies which keeps it cooler in the summer. We have hot outdoor shower and compost toilet. No direct electricity connection to the parking space though we could run an extension cable if needed.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  Hours expected

  Maximum 25 hours a week

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