Permaculture gardening in the southern Swiss Alps in the village of Loco, Switzerland

Informationen

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  Beschreibung

  Last min- From april 9th until april 22th 2026
  
  Would you like to help in the large garden around my house in Southern Switzerland? Would you like to participate an attempt to live carbon-neutral? Do you feel like helping me to develop a dreamlike terraced landscape? Do you want to spend an unforgettable time in one of the most beautiful valleys of the Swiss Alps and at the same time not miss out on the 'good life'? Then you could be right with me!
  
  I will gather again a small group of volonteers (2 to 4) to intensely work in the garden. This year, the following work is scheduled: Gardening, gardening, gardening, planting perennials, build a dam, pull-out blackberries, repairing stone walls, splitting wood for the winter, various repair work in and around the house.
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  On a clearing in the middle of wild nature lies an old stone house from the 19th century, a classic Ticino rustico in which a large family used to live together with their animals. Me, Peter, a photographer and climate activist living in Zurich, took over the house eight years ago in a depressing state: for 50 years the owners had filled the beautiful stone house with the most terrible materials and objects imaginable. Anyhow, overwhelmed by the beauty of the terraced nature surrounding the house, and by the magic of the spot, I decided to buy the house and renovate it. Between 2018 and 2021 I have been working with my family (my girlfriend, my daughter and our very lovable Collie-Mix Django) ,friends, professional workers from the valley and Workawayers to redesign the house from scratch. The construction of the house is finished. But a lot of work is waiting in the garden (which has lately been plowed by wild boars). I am especially interested in perma culture gardening. I read some books lately and I am curious to get some things done.
  
  Besides the work we eat together and go - whenever possible - to the river or to other beautiful walks. And in the evening I cook for my guests. Good cuisine is an essential part of 'good life' (I usually cook a vegan mixture of Swiss, Italian and International cuisine with regional, organic ingredients – meet and diary product eaters are welcome too). At the end of the day you sleep very deeply and well in the tranquility of the beautiful Onsernonetal.
  
  I take ecological issues very seriously. It makes no sense for me to work on a CO2-neutral house and fly people in by plane. So, please do not apply if you plan to come here by plane!

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  Arten von Hilfe und Lernmöglichkeiten

  Hilfe bei Ökoprojekten

  Gartenarbeiten

  Heimwerker- und Bauarbeiten

  Betreuung von Tieren

  Zubereiten / Kochen von Mahlzeiten für die Familie

  Hausarbeiten

  Handwerkliche Arbeiten
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  Interessengebiete

  

  LGBTQ

  

  Haustiere

  

  Farmarbeit

  

  Vegetarier / Veganer

  

  Nachhaltigkeit

  

  Politik & Soziales

  

  Kultur

  

  Karitative Arbeiten

  

  Schreiben

  

  Zeichnen & Malen

  

  Gartenarbeiten

  

  Fotografie

  

  Gärtnern

  

  Musik

  

  Geschichte

  

  Heimwerken & DIY

  

  Kochen & Backen

  

  Tischlerarbeiten

  

  Bücher

  

  Kunst & Design

  

  Architektur

  

  Wassersport

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Radfahren

  

  Natur

  

  Wandern

  

  Gebirge
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  Kultureller Austausch und Lernmöglichkeiten

  If you decide to spend some time at Casa Tessino you will come into contact with many different cultures and languages. There is always a wild mix of languages at Casa Tessino. Working together on a common goal and living together in a small space automatically brings us together and inevitably brings us into a constant exchange of ideas. The heart of the exchange, however, is certainly the communal meals and the associated discussions. And if someone should get bored anyway, he or she can always explore Switzerland or Italy in the free time. I don't own a car, and when I am at Casa Tessino I don't travel much. But the village is very well connected to the Swiss public transport system, so you can easily travel without a car.

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  Arbeit

  Between april 9th and 22th, I am planning a gardening event for two to four people. This year, the following work is scheduled: Gardening, gardening, gardening, planting perennials, build a dam, pull-out blackberries, repairing stone walls, splitting wood for the winter, various repair work in and around the house. All are welcome who enjoy and have stamina to help in the garden. People with gardening experience preferred. Looking forward to welcome you in Loco!

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  Gesprochene Sprachen

  Deutsch: Fließend
  Englisch: Fließend
  Französisch: Fließend
  Czech: Gute Kenntnisse
  Spanisch: Gute Kenntnisse
  Italienisch: Gute Kenntnisse

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  Unterkunft

  The house is large enough to accommodate 6 people. However, one should not expect too much privacy. You can sleep in the small room in the basement, in the big main room, on the sleeping gallery in the same room or in the tree house in the forest. Whichever place you choose, we live in a small space and there is only one bathroom / WC, so, not too much privacy for all of us and especially for couples (normally couples can get the small room with the a double bed in the basement).
  
  * there is WLAN.
  * numerous animals live in the forest around the house. You have to be prepared to meet deer, squirrels, foxes, dormice, chamois but also (non-toxic) snakes. Fortunately, there have been surprisingly few mosiktos so far.
  * the house is situated very close to the sewage treatment plant of the village. In some weather conditions we are exposed to unpleasant smells from there. But they never last longer than a few minutes a day.
  * there is running warm water, there is electricity, there is an outdoor and an indoor kitchen a sauna and a dry toilet.

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  Was noch ...

  The small, romantic village of Loco is only a ten-minute walk away. There is a bank, a post office, a café and restaurant a small museum and a small grocery shop. The village is easily accessible by public transport from Locarno (approx. 10 buses per day, until late). Italy is close. There are fast trains to Zurich. There are wonderful walks and hikes in the area. There is unlimited nature! You can spend lovely days with some food and a good book down by the river. You can collect mushrooms or chestnuts. There are so many things to be done in your time off. Most of all it's an amazing spot in the midst of wild nature. And spring hits one month earlier than elsewhere in northern Europe.

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  Etwas mehr Information

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    Internet Zugang

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    Eingeschränkter Internet Zugang

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    Wir besitzen Tiere

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    Wir sind Raucher

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    Familien möglich

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  Hier sind Haustiere in der Regel willkommen

  I have a gentle dog myself. So it all depends on what pets and how they will be with my dog. But in general all animals are welcome.

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  Kapazität - wie viele Workawayer maximal

  mehr als zwei

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  Meine Tiere/Haustiere

  

  Django (10 Jahren)

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