Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
15 Apr 2024
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 20 days
Feedback
37
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ID verified
Email verified
Badges (4)
Details
Description
Hi Folks. Our Farm is a beautiful 140 acre organic natural farm in Central Victoria and is part of the thriving local communities of Castlemaine, Hepburn & Daylesford. Working with friends and our community we follow permaculture principles and best practice regenerative farming techniques. We embrace a natural life connected to the land as a path for fun, health and happiness. Our Homestead lifestyle incorporates wood heating, compost toilet, whole organic foods from the farm or trusted local suppliers and a more sustainable lifestyle... with internet. Our Farm is a positive, supportive, safe place where everyone feels hugged. There’s plenty to do and knowledge to share, permaculture design, eco building, appropriate technology, riparian activities, natural farming, animal management (inc. organic cattle), gardening and landscaping. Accomodation for up to 5 people, with shared meals supporting varied dietary preferences. Initial stay ideally 2-3 weeks. An interest in Permaculture, natural farming, or environmental stewardship would be an advantage, but not essential. So come and experience great community, learning, conscious & sustainable farm life and lots of fun. We generally take volunteers each Spring and Autumn, but less frequently in summer or winter.
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
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Each year we host and present in Permaculture Design Courses (PDC's). We have occasional larger gatherings and ecstatic dance events. Apart from complete immersion into a sustainable homestead lifestyle visitors will also have an opportunity to learn about and potentially gain practical experience in a wide range of other natural sciences, like regenerative agroforestry, Yeomans Keyline water management systems, water management, mycology (mushrooms), setting up natural food systems, tree systems, sourdough bread and cheese making, preserving, fermentation and a bunch of other stuff. Realistically we're not going to be able to share all of these things with you during a short stay, but if any of it interests you, just let us know and we'll see what we can do.
Help
We are a busy little homestead and permaculture farm which will have you involved in a wide range of varied and interesting activities everyday depending on ever changing opportunities and priorities. We work in our annual food gardens, our perennial garden systems or around the farm for food, medicinal, aromatics, teas, planting and propagating trees and more. We work with our soils, testing and mineral balancing, various compost systems, bio char burns and inoculation, eco/recycled materials building works, humane happy livestock/animal management.. and more.
Life is wonderfully diverse here on the farm, as we live seasonally and new things happen almost everyday as we respond to emerging changes around us. Including a whole range of varied activities, almost anything, soap making, herbs, tinctures, extractions, curing, foraging, fungi, adventures in ecology, cooking with seasonal foods from the garden, preserving.....
Please note, apart from the varied work activities around the farm & homestead, visiting our farm will have you immersed in a sustainable homestead lifestyle with all the rewarding daily activities that entails, there could be cows to be milked, bread and cheese making, great cooking with wonderful fresh ingredients.... There are no gender biased roles, we support each other, try out new things and we endeavour to find some balance between work, rest and play.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Accommodation
Accomodation is in our custom built Unity Wagon (), a caravan, bell tent, bedroom or BYO.
What else ...
We have a 'very' active, wonderful and welcoming local community, markets, speakers, festivals, dance events, community gardening, gatherings and the like, there's lots to do and plenty to see on and off the farm. We are LBGT++ friendly.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
Camper or caravan size is not a problem, but we do not provide, power, water or waste disposal facilities for campers and caravans
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
5 hours a day, 5 days a week
Feedback (24)
I stayed at the farm for nearly three weeks in March, and had an incredible experience that will be hard to encapsulate. But I will try!
I stayed with Michael, Jimi the cat and Jake the dog (my new best friend!). Lisa was abroad at the time but I would have loved to meet her as well :)
From first contact, I felt that… read more
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I stayed at the farm for nearly three weeks in March, and had an incredible experience that will be hard to encapsulate. But I will try!
I stayed with Michael, Jimi the cat and Jake the dog (my new best friend!). Lisa was abroad at the time but I would have loved to meet her as well :)
From first contact, I felt that… read more
So much to learn and so many amazing stories filled with so much knowledge. Michael and Lisa are so incredibly kind, loving and… read more
Michael and Lisa, and their network and community are a shining example of how life can be.
Eternal thanks, respect, blessings and love!
You can feel they have… read more
You are such welcoming people that I felt very much at home immediately.
I liked how the days were not 100% clearly structured and that there was loads of fun stuff to do and sooo much to read and lern that I didn't even have time… read more
How I wish I could've stayed longer at your wonderful farm. Two weeks was way too short, but still this was one of the most beautiful experiences I've ever had. The property, the homestead, the garden, the views, the dam, the flowers, the dog, the little caravan, the outside shower, the creek, the… read more
Thank you for everything and I hope I'll see you all again (if not in Australia then in… read more
I spent a good two and a half months working on Michael and Lisa's beautiful farm in 2015, and I must say it was one of the most memorable experiences I have ever had. It was my first volunteering experience, and they both made me feel very comfortable with a relaxed and open minded atmosphere, and… read more
Definitely give me a shout if you ever get… read more
It has everything. Good people, fulfilling work, and tons of fun.
Michael, Lisa and the gang are wonderfully openhearted and including to the extent that i had a harder time leaving the farm than i ever had leaving home.
The work has ranged from watering the gardens and… read more
Amazing food, satisfying work and a beautiful location. What… read more
