Organic self sustainable, off grid, family market farm near Cradle Mountain, Australia

Details

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  Description

  Hi we are Wouter and Elyse,
  
  At this point our internships are closed, please do get in touch if you would like to go on our future list.
  
  We are at the moment really looking for help with the kids and the homestead.
  If we've got vacancy we would accept builders to help with some of our natural buildings or more simple items (if the natural building sounds too daunting :) )
  
  Typically we're looking for a little more meaningful connection with our volunteers and rarely accept stays under 2 weeks.
  
  In the past we've accepted help for our farm
  Wouter is a CSA organic vegetable farmer coming from Belgium and Elyse is vet from Tasmania
  We have three young children (Seven, six and three). We are looking for some help around the place and obviously
  we like good company
  
  We have a block of land on which we started a certified organic farm, with the focus on vegetables.
  
  As we have moved to this place not so long ago, there is still a fair bit of work in setting up.
  
  Elyse grew up around this place and has together with her parents a small herd of milking goats for home dairy use and blackberry control. Living self sustainable has always been a major part of daily life.
  
  Wouter had a CSA vegetable farm in Belgium (for which this Workaway page was use first) and had quite a few volunteers usually.
  In pursue of a more close to nature life for us and our kids, we decided to live here in Tasmania and build up a new farm.
  
  Lorinna is a pretty amazing part of Tasmania, it lies at the very top of the Forth river, just out the Lake St Clair- Cradle Mountain National Park at Lake Cethana,
  We have a lot of wildlife, beautiful forests, a beautiful lake for swimming and offering great vistas, nice views over the mountains and Cradle Mountain.
  We live at about a 45min drive from Sheffield, 1.5 hours from Launceston.
  
  We live off grid, using solar panels and micro hydro for electricity and hot water
  firewood from our block for cooking, heating and hot water.
  Gravity fed drinking water from a creek.
  composting toilet
  
  Around the house we have an established orchard and a small vegetable garden for a few items we might not grow on the farm, for some of our vegetable seed production, perhaps some crop trials and a little bit of chook food at times.
  
  At times we make some cheese from the goat milk and always do a few different ferments ( like saurkraut, beer, wine,..) preserve our food in all sorts of ways, all depending on what's happening in regards of our available time and the time of year.
  
  Next to our homestead & family life we have our commercial farm:
  
  This covers about 1000m (1/4 of an acre) of greenhouse growing, about 2 ha( 5 acres) of outside production (not including rotation with more pasture)
  We take a fairly professional approach to this part of our life and this is, as well as a passion, just as much a business, with often a fair pace:)
  We have our own seedling nursery using soilblocks, we also sell seedlings.
  We work quite intensively, European style foundation, with a focus on direct sales.
  We have Tassie's only single farm CSA and we've weekly attended the Launceston farmers' marketfor the past 6 years, currently we're on a break of this to improve our farm's infrastructure. We're still providing veg for our CSA and a select few fine dining restaurants and hotels: Still lots of small successions of many different crops.
  We take a holistic approach to the farm and despite the intensive veg, work more and more with a low input system. We're pleased to stay away from plastic mulch and to see more and more greenmanures/cover crops happening, animal grazing, on-farm compost making and the long planned for sintropic inspired alley cropping&sylvo pasture taking shape.
  
  We get inspired by people like Jean Martin Fortier, Many Great Belgian and Dutch collegue farmers, Darren Doherety, Bill Mollison& David Holmgren, Elaine Inglam, Allan Savory, Ernst Gotsch, Colin Seis, ... (the list goes on for a while)
  We aim to be regenerative and things like permaculture, biodynamics, biological, common sence, the regrarian platform,... are part of our toolbox we use for our farming.
  
  
  We are keen on having helpers that are very interested in what we do and our way of life out in the sticks.
  
  ...
  
  As our kids are bilingual we'd love to find a Dutch speaking person who would like to stay long term and help with our homeschooling. for long term arrangements we can certainly setup some au-pair style arrangements.
  Either way we probably are keen to meet and host you so please be in touch :)

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Help with Eco Projects

  Teaching

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Farmstay help

  Babysitting and creative play

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  Projects involving children

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

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  Help

  There's a wide range of jobs that need to be done, we're very happy to suit jobs to your liking where possible, we really like having a good atmosphere where everybody is pleased about all conditions.
  A few suggestions:
  
  Our place could really do with some mural paintings to cheer some walls up, or some sculptures along the driveway to create a more funky place.
  
  We have three kids and often only one parent to look after them, some help with the kids and around the house would be lovely.
  
  We use a fair amount of machinery in the farming, mechanically minded people keen on machines, car mechanics, welding and so forth are very welcome.
  
  We have a few renovation projects we would like to get started on using natural building materials for e.g.
  our deck walls needs rendering with cob (clay-sand- straw mixture)
  Over summer we would like to build a cob pizza oven.
  
  We have quite a few shelves that need building, ... We've got locally milled timber ready to go, we've got the power tools needed for the jobs,... just a passionate and keen person needed.
  
  And of course there are lots of random jobs around the place, plenty of things to keep you more then busy.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Dutch: Fluent
  French: Intermediate

  This host offers a language exchange
  This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
  You can contact them directly for more information.
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  Accommodation

  A campervan with a woodheater
  A large canvas tent for the summer months when there are multiple people sgtaying.
  
  Basic house work jobs like cooking and doing the dishes or lighting the kitchen fire and sweeping the floor are part of the daily tasks that get shared among the hosts and guests, on top of the daily work.
  
  we are vegetarian
  Nearly 100% of the food we eat is from certified organic source, we highly value good quality of food and highly value people who value this too and share the interest.
  
  There is an internet connection preferably via cable or wifi can be turned on upon request for limited amount time. (We keep our wifi typically off as we don't appreciate the radiation that comes with it.)
  
  We have one very kind dog who lives outside and one cat who lives in and outside
  
  We live remotely meaning, going to town is a full day affair, is mostly quite busy getting everything done and doesn't necessary happen every week, we often have other people pick up supplies for us.
  
  Living off grid also requires some different attitudes towards, electricity use, hot water use, toilet use (emptying a toilet bucket or weeing under a tree for both sexes for e.g.) heating (lighting a fire, carrying wood in for e.g.)
  These differences may be found challenging for certain people.
  
  We live at the end of a narrow and windy gravel, no through road which takes about half an hour from the bitumen. Check the map and you'll understand that getting here is best organized ahead of time. Unless you come with your own vehicle, we can pick you up from Sheffield/Devonport on Tuesdays and from Deloraine/Launceston on Saturdays.
  Hitchhiking is best done from Sheffield early enough in the day with a Lorinna sign.

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  What else ...

  As Lorinna is a place of great natural beauty, the place is great for doing short self guided walks.
  We like to look for like minded people who are into off-grid, sustainable and alternative living and building
  
  There are a few strawbale and clay light straw buildings in Lorinna.
  An organic food co op, open twice a week with Saturdays the time to meet people and buy organic coffe.
  In summer pizza nights.
  Movie nights and different events.
  An interesting community that helps each other in many different ways
  Lorinna is very much an alternative building, energy and living hub;
  Lots of people who have come here went back often very inspired to start similar projects elsewhere or even here in Lorinna!
  There a lot of children in Lorinna (about 20 for the moment), all home educated

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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

  We can supply internet, only through an ethernet cable though (wifi only for short amount of times) 4g connection is available too with your own data, but only via the Telstra network.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  This host can provide space for campervans.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  Hours expected

  5 hours per day 6 days per week, as agreed

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