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Help us with our project for ecological sustainability and peace in Wittstock, Germany

  • Favourited 916 times
  • Last activity: 28 Mar 2024

Availability

  2024 

 Min stay requested: at least 2 weeks

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    Welcome to our small subsistence farm in Zempow, a little village near Wittstock, Brandenburg. It’s a 2.5-hour train journey from the city of Berlin. We're currently transitioning our 9000sqm property to more sustainable farming practices. Previously a goat farm, we're moving to permaculture and carbon sequestration, emphasizing our commitment to CO2 reduction. We have planted trees and bushes on the former goat meadows in 2022, and we're exploring the cultivation of crops like soybeans, lupins, and amaranth to provide more plant-based proteins. We are Ulrike, Niels and Claudia (a throuple), Ulrike's parents Dorothea (born 1930) and Bernd (born 1926) as well as our dog Ranger and cat Nita. Our project refers to the bible quotation „They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.“(Micah 4).

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Help with Eco Projects
    Elderly Companionship
    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    Farmstay help
    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

    We see our farm as a place for learning together. Here, you may learn about organic gardening, about growing trees, about living together as a community as well as many practical skills. We are pretty much tied up here, so we like to learn from the experiences and observations you bring from other parts of the world. Together with you we want to continue learning about nonviolent communication and a respectful way of dealing with each other.

    We believe that the climate crisis makes it absolutely necessary to reflect our habits and to find out whether they are still appropriate in a changing world. A lot of the things that could be done to reduce CO2 emissions are just not done because people hate to change the way they have always been doing things. So, when you come to here, please expect to be challenged to reflect your habits, please feel invited to challenge our habits, and please expect to find some things different from how you know them from other places. For example, our food is mostly vegan; we save water by using compost toilets; we use the washing machine and dishwasher mostly when the sun is shining to use the energy from our photovoltaic installation. We have our own plant-based sewage system so we can only use bio-degradable products.

    In addition to that, Ulrike and Niels also run the Peace Barn association (Friedensscheune e.V.), which commemorates the succesful struggle of a citizen’s movement against a military air-ground-training range. That area is very close to us and is now partly protected as National Cultural Heritage, partly protected by the EU as a Fauna-flora-habtiat. We’re happy to tell you about this big example of a succesful nonviolent protest movement.

  • Projects involving children

    Projects involving children

    This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

  • Help

    Help

    Life here is a blend of indoor and outdoor activities. Outside, tasks range from weeding, planting and harvesting to tending to our chickens, maintaining the greenhouse and watering our trees and bushes. Sometimes there are also diy projects, like building, fixing or maintaining things. Indoors, we like to take turns with cooking lunch, using the seasonal fresh veggies from our garden. From July until October, more or less, there is also a lot of work with preserving food – like cooking big amounts of vegetable sauce and pasteurizing it, or cooking jam. As for household chores like cleaning, dishwashing and laundry, we like to share them between all those who are here. Also, we appreciate if workawayers spend time with our old folks, going for walks or just talking (if the language barrier is not too high). And yes, it is sometimes hard to draw the line between work and non-work.

    We do not exchange work for food and accomodation. We share our food with you because you are hungry; we give you a place to sleep because you need rest and some privacy. We suppose you work with us because you see that the work is necessary and makes sense, and because you can learn something from it.

  • Languages spoken

    German: Fluent
    English: Fluent
    French: Fluent
    Dutch: Fluent
    Spanish: Intermediate

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    Our attic has been converted into two private rooms for our workawayers so you'll have your own space to wind down whenever you like. When there are more than two workawayers, you might have to share a room.

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    Beyond the farm, Zempow and the surroundings offer a lot of natural attractions. You may borrow our bicycles for tours in the area. With its nice lakes, scenic cycling paths, forests and heathlands, the nature of Brandenburg is a great place to explore.

    How do you travel? We would like to encourage you to use trains or buses as much as possible rather than flying. We are happy to help you find the best available connections.

  • 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

    The wifi achieves speeds of 40-50mbps download speeds and is rarely used by us during the day so you'll have no issue getting your work done.

  • Space for parking camper vans

    Space for parking camper vans

    This host can provide space for campervans.

  • Can possibly accept pets

    Can possibly accept pets

    This host has said they are willing to accept those travelling with a pet.

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    More than two

  • ...

    Hours expected

    4-5 hours per day on 5 days per week. On days off, we like to share jobs like cooking and dishwashing among all those who are here.

Host ref number: 328768486155

Feedback (23)



Feedback

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Accuracy of profile: (5.0)

Cultural exchange: (4.9)

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