Learn new skills and nurture nature on the Southern Great Hungarian Plains near Makó, Hungary

Details

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  Description

  Dear Visitor,
  
  I have been hosting since 2017 on Wwoof, and since 2023 on Workaway. I have recently been advised to create a HelpX account as well in 2025. Many people have taken part in the farm's project in this time. Most people who had come around were searching for their Eurasian roots, or wishing to help their fellow neighbouring country folk. I thoroughly enjoyed each guest's company, working together and/or communicating our ideas about life around the table, or just sharing space in the silence of the praerie farm in it's habitat where I live since 2014.
  
  I have volunteering experience myself. My own journey began in the North-Western ends of Europe, in Cornwall, Wales, Isle of Wight and Brittany before starting my own project. I have upkept my blue farm in one place near to 24/7 throughout 10 years.
  
  After more than 10 years of farm construction in a depopulated, touristically unadvertised region and 7,5 years of hosting until 2025 I wish to continue the project. I started the year 2025 by reconnecting to the initial idea of helping out at a place in Occitania for half a month. I was recommended it by a visitor of mine who was on their way to Kyrgiztan from Blois by bicycle with only the keywords that "it is like my place: a house, a refuge, where people have the freedom to do what they want within the respect of the atmosphere". I booked the 30+ hour bus ticket leaving for the unknown prepared for anything - vitamins, hygiene, disinfectant, a basic cooking pack, candles, bedsheets, boots, slippers. The cooking pack came good upon my arrival, the candles were good for the instance there was no solar- or wind power the place was powered by.
  I had a real uplifting experience keeping my general rhythm of rising before the start of light (in January from around 5am),
  - preparing myself for the day,
  - digging up the host's garden,
  - spreading it with sheep manure and covering it with straw,
  - providing food for myself or sharing with the community,
  - washing dishes,
  - cleaning,
  - driving a towed car,
  - giving my homemade sausage to the neighbouring farmers we visited,
  - cutting and hauling firwood from the mountain and in pieces to the community space,
  - helping the reoccuring baker in the general processes of bread baking,
  - harvesting seeds for the next season and
  - boosting the community spirit alongside making the occasional mistakes.
  I also made time for myself to regenerate both my energies and the host's when there was nothing immediate to do or it was raining. In this event I left a donation I deemed appropriate with knowledge of general guesthouse and housing prices in Europe in respect to being in an organic, human-powered environment with an idea and responsibility larger than what can be seen. I was more than happy to do this beside also arriving with my own handmade pottery so the host will have a small, organic self-made present for everyday use that reminds them of my stay even after I've gone, whether I return or not.
  
  I was glad to help with no expectancies of directly drawing extra attention or energy from the host, but being self-reliant as long as I knew what I was doing. For that instance I enjoyed monotonous work. On occasion we would brainstorm for more specialised projects within my expertise that I might do if the possibility presents itself. In this case it was not possible to plaster the stove as it was not the appropriate season. So, I continued preparing the garden.
  
  In return I was able to put my capacity to the test in an unknown environment, I heard the real spoken dialect, practiced language, saw a different flora and fauna, smells, sounds, in the case of community cooking I tasted new tastes, I saw a different architecture, we went to a local dance event, I could even discover things in the local organic shop upon shopping for food that we don't have in my own country. I sparked new friendship and saw a glimpse of what a longer acquaintanceship or community dynamic looks like from the outside.
  
  I also was able to keep a little bit in touch online with the people farmsitting at my own farm. However, as I had written down and sent the vital information on my bus travel I only had to spend minimal time on WhatsApp, relieved to be able to spend the grand majority of my quality time offline.
  In the meantime I had a great group of people keeping the farm and it's animals running, clean and tidy while I was away. I arrived back to a warm house with split wood, peeled fence posts in process, well-fed and behaved animals, zukkini cake and positive energies!
  
  Apart from
  - volunteering and
  - keeping up the farm with its human and animal inhabitants (horses, cattle, pigs, poultry (soon again: sheep), incorporating for example training of the horses for longrides, trailrides and herding, possibly tracting
  - and cultural folkschool organisation,
  I am also
  - running a pottery and
  - weaving&costuming business with international collaborations, also with thanks to visitors who have come by and taken a part in the farm's life,
  - occasionally hosting workshops on the farm or abroad.
  Because of this I really appreciate similarily independent, responsible and positive, solution-seeking people who enjoy the Blue Farm's atmosphere that has accumulated since 2014 and are capable of self-sustainance whether they arrive by car or public transportation (in which case the bus stop is 1-1,5km, around 20minutes backpacking) while contributing further for the benefit of the other international or local travellers and/or community who are looking for an organic, cultured, human-powered and mechanic-based farmstead.
  In case you share the same skills and are available to share, please mention so!
  
  I am open to continuing travelling and helping at other places!
  I am accepting farmsitters that can keep things running after one-another with respect to one-another and the space the larger community has created. It is also possible to access help from family and neighbours in the farm's direct vicinity in case of emergency.
  
  By popular demand we are starting to expand and improve the quality of living space for visiting travellers since 2025.
  
  Personally I believe in quality over quantity. This is the defining spirit of the farm as well. In 2025 after a long, more than 10 year journey in the farm's development from a completely derelict and underdeveloped area it is transforming into an officially certified organic farm.
  
  2024 marks the fresh new start of the garden project after 4 years. The plains is more of a pasture terrain that is rich in minerals, great for livestock that require surveilance and training. Therefore the garden is firstly based on strong, low-maintainance herbs and vegetation that is capable of thriving only off of the attendance of volunteers.
  
  The daily rhythm changes according to season. I prefer to rise with the sun: in the summer waking up early (around 4am), taking an about 4 hour rest around noon with the high temperatures (possibly up to 35-40degrees celsius) and resuming work when it cools down to more humane conditions, finishing the day at sunset (around 10pm), whereas in the winter it is better to make the best use of daylight while it is still accessible, in the dark and cold hours finding general maintainance that can be done with minimal light and warmth. Winter temperatures since 2020 remain to be only around -6 to even +15 degrees celsius, however very muddy (when moving out we also had -25C regularly with ice). There can also be big winds and storms at any time during the year.
  
  Electricity at the farm is minimal, lighting, cooking and bathing generally runs off purchased firewood and candles. Hot water is in pots on a stove, that is mixed in a basin with cold water. In the summer there is a rain-collecting tank heated by the sun by the second half or end of the day.
  
  There are two carneval seasons and two fasting seasons in the winter half year. In practical terms at the time of 40 days during Lent (Advent and Lent) I am fasting (vegetarian, modest, no music, no dance, reflective, introvert). However during Carneval season (All Hallow's Eve-Advent, Christmas-Lent) I am eating more animal produce, being extra-merry and more of an extrovert.
  
  I look forward to your messages. Maintaining a farmstead with crafts is a very busy way of life, so I am not always available, however if we manage to arrange our schedules in agreement I look forward very much to having you at the Farmstead!
  
  With kind regards,
  Nóra

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Language practice

  Help with Eco Projects

  Teaching

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance

  House sitting
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  What's this?
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Travellers will learn the dynamics of a homestead with a large grazing area and of a bigger animal populace. Learn how to handle herds of animals, or get to know both smaller and larger animals' behaviour.
  They will also experience the beginning of a new life of a farm building, that had been derelict for a couple decades but otherwise has the skelleton of around 250 years made out of organic material. They can understand the difficulties and benefits of what such a building has to offer in renovation and living.
  I also strive to live as off-grid as possible, which is in process, and which process is exciting in itself as well.

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  Help

  - finishing up mudwalls
  - whitewashing
  - painting (with bronze-age patterns and oxides)
  - woodwork (gates, chickencoop)
  - fence and pen building, fixing
  - arranging firewood
  - electric fence building
  - animal care
  - herding
  - providing hey and/or water for animals
  - gardening

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Hungarian: Fluent
  German: Intermediate
  French: Intermediate
  Spanish: Beginner
  Polish: Beginner
  Russian: Beginner
  Ukrainian: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  Firstly I am currently looking at improving my French language skills. I am also proud to have finally settled on gaining a basic level of Polish out of my many favorite slavic languages, the language of our brother nation where I have travelled before and can't wait to connect with more! I grew up in part at my friend's russian-ukrainian family, so I am also interested in picking up this lost thread. In the first half of my twenties I was interested in obscure languages such as Gaelic, Basque and Quechua out of curiosity from my own native tongue, Hungarian.
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  Accommodation

  - Seperate farm building
  - Guest bed
  - Guest room combined with the potters' workshop
  - Spare room in larger building

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  What else ...

  Sunrises, sunsets, the great big sky, the grassland, pastural marsh and it's natural inhabitants.
  
  0,5km: 100 year old church
  
  1,5 km: Neighbouring shepherd's sheepcheeses
  
  3kms: Körös-Maros National Reserve
  
  5kms: Birdwatching tower over the National Reserve
  
  8kms: Csanádapáti Bronze age burial mounds, Kopáncs 1000 year old church
  
  10kms: Blaskovich Crypt with derelict estate and scarcely inhabited settlement
  
  16kms: Tótkomlós Rózsa Thermal Bath, Tótkomlós Jacquard weaving workshop, Tótkomlós Evangelical community weaving workshop
  Óföldeák 1000 year old fortified church
  
  20kms: Makó Spa & Thermal Bath, Makó's occasional dancehouses, Csomorkány windmill and 1000 year old church ruin in Körös-Maros national reserve
  
  25kms: Royal Stables of Mezőhegyes
  
  50kms: occasional dancehouses in Szeged
  
  Horsebackriding, biking, walking, car by host on occasion. Minimal public transportation.

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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

  There is Wi-Fi.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  There is bigger parking space as well if needed.

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  Can possibly accept pets

  Trained pets are welcome that are not harmful to their environment! I have purebred breeding dogs, therefore I am only able to host other dogs if they are neutured or are okay with being in a seperate, enclosed space.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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