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12 Jan. 2025
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Geforderte Mindest-Aufenthaltsdauer: mindestens 1 Woche
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Beschreibung
Tom (43) is English. In early 2019 he decided to move permanently from his home in England to a 2.7 hectare (6 acre) plot in the foothills of the French Pyrenees; by car roughly an hour South of Toulouse and an hour North of Andorra.
He is working towards a self sufficient life, with the aim of organically growing food and ideally to produce enough energy to heat and light the home off-grid.
The plot is on the South facing side of a lush green valley overlooking snow capped mountains. There is a small ‘modern’ (1970s) house where Tom lives, with a separate building alongside it that he rents to tourists. The terrain is roughly 50% grass / paddock, and 50% woodland. Wild cherry, walnut and plum trees are dotted around and on clear days the sun hits the slope from dawn until dusk.
The land sits 100m below the pretty mountain village of Roquefixade. The village is well known for it’s ruined castle, (Château de Roquefixade) and steep limestone cliffs that protect it from the Northern weather. In season, the Gite d’Etape in the village serves as a good local restaurant / bar, and the two lovely towns of Lavalenet and Foix are 10km away with many shops, bars, restaurants etc. Both towns have weekly farmers markets selling fresh seasonal produce.
A young orchard has been planted and a 35ft polytunnel has been erected on a newly landscaped ex-paddock. Crops on two large growing terraces will be cultivated from Spring 2019.
Tom has all the necessary equipment inc. mower and extensive building tools; mains water, mains electricity & a good WiFi connection.
Arten von Hilfe und Lernmöglichkeiten
Hilfe bei Ökoprojekten
Gartenarbeiten
Heimwerker- und Bauarbeiten
Betreuung von Tieren
Mithilfe auf einem Bauernhof
Hausarbeiten
Handwerkliche Arbeiten
Kultureller Austausch und Lernmöglichkeiten
The Ariège is one of the least populated and most beautiful areas of France.
Volunteering at this smallholding offers the chance to spend time in a stunningly beautiful, tranquil space, to experience rural life in France, contribute to (and learn from) a project aiming at self-sufficiency.
Tom has a cat that has free rein in the house. Tom ran a successful sales business in the uk before the lifestyle change, and now lives and works on the land. He is spiritual, fun and hardworking, and a fantastic cook!
For lovers of the outdoors, The valley is a perfect place to be. Cyclists, walkers and historians regularly come to explore the area, to visit the castles and lakes, and hike along the valley to nearby Chateau de Montsegur.
The land is situated such that you are sure to find a private spot in the trees or the paddocks to relax, to read, enjoy a glass of wine or just work on your tan :)
Arbeit
Tom is looking for autonomous, energetic, handy people who don’t mind very physical tasks, and are happy to get their hands dirty. You will have the chance to learn new skills and help with a variety of projects, including:
1. Painting outside walls in garden.
2. Helping with the construction of a woodworking workshop (casting new floor, electrics etc.)
3. Basic forest management, including clearing woodland scrub, pruning / planting.
4. Planning & sowing of seeds in line with the planting schedule. Caring for & harvesting organic crops.
5. Daily watering of large vegetable patch / garden.
6. Strimming borders with a petrol powered machine.
7. Installing CCTV system (tech skills).
8. Tending to chickens.
9. Design and build of a solar shower in one of the paddocks.
10. Building outdoor tent platforms in the paddock, and landscaping the area.
11. Building a rough wooden shelter from un-milled wood, for tool & machinery storage.
12. Fertilising and digging over soil in preparation for crops. Weeding & watering plants regularly.
13. Helping landscape a grass paddock and erect / decorate 5m bell-tents.
14. Building a second outdoor composting toilet.
Sprachen
Gesprochene Sprachen
Englisch: Fließend
Französisch: Gute KenntnisseDieser Gastgeber bietet Sprachaustausch an
I speak excellent English with no strong accent, perfect to learn from. Always interested in improving my French!
Unterkunft
For a single volunteer (or couple) there is a private, clean & comfortable private double bedroom in the central heated house. There is also a comfortable, private second double bed on a mezzanine area above the living room. Finally a study with two single beds.
Your own car, motorbike or bicycle are preferable to see the sights and go to the shops. For those without Tom can collect and drop off at the local train station in Foix, and provide lifts to nearby towns when he goes there. Volunteers should be self-reliant and happy to entertain themselves outside of working hours / meal times as Tom has an active social life and likes his own space.
There are plenty of opportunities to relax, hike and explore locally on foot in this stunningly beautiful part of France.
All guests have access to the recently refurbished main house bathroom with a beautiful large ‘Italian-style’ hot shower, double basin and flush toilet.
You will be offered three meals a day:
08:00-09:00 - A light French breakfast with bread, croissants, jam, fresh coffee / tea etc.
14:00-15:00 - A hot or cold lunch.
19:30-20:30pm - A hot main evening meal with wine or beer.
Tom cooks with fresh, local produce, and values time spent sharing meals. Food is very important to him and guests can expect good quality ingredients prepared to a high standard.
Was noch ...
Tom has travelled the world extensively for many years exploring Europe, South America, Africa, the Middle East & Asia. In years gone by he has worked as a volunteer himself so knows what it’s like and hopes to be an excellent host because of that experience!
Tom is very sociable, but outside working hours appreciates his own space. On days off and in free afternoons volunteers with transport can canoe, swim or wakeboard at the nearby lakes & rivers. The nearest ski lift is 30 minutes drive where you can ski and snowboard during winter months. There are numerous trekking / hiking routes nearby, rock climbing and the beautiful town of Foix with great bars and restaurants is just a 15 minute drive from the plot. Barcelona is a 3 hour drive, and you can reach Andorra (for tax free shopping and great skiing) in around an hour.
Volunteers are asked to help for 25 hours p/week, Monday to Friday; typically starting after breakfast at 9:00am, and finishing before lunch at 2:00pm. Your afternoons will be for you to explore and enjoy the area.
Where possible volunteers are asked to bring a set of work clothes and suitable footwear for working outside, but Tom has some spare things for people of most sizes!
Tom still likes to travel, and enjoys an active social life. He also values his time alone. For this reason typically volunteers are accepted for an initial period of 1-2 weeks, with longer stays possible if the fit is good for everyone.
Etwas mehr Information
Internet Zugang
Eingeschränkter Internet Zugang
Wir besitzen Tiere
Wir sind Raucher
Familien möglich
Kann Digital Nomads unterbringen
I have a decent wifi setup allowing access to data throughout the property and on the terrace. Digital nomads welcome!
Platz zum Abstellen von Camper Vans
There is plenty of space for a camper van at the house, with the possibility for an extension lead to provide electricity & an outdoor tap / sink for water and a temporary outdoor kitchen for cooking.
Hier sind Haustiere in der Regel willkommen
I have a cat and chickens. If you have a pet that will fit with this dynamic then they are welcome.
Kapazität - wie viele Workawayer maximal
mehr als zwei
Feedback (24)
He gave clear instructions on what to do and tasty food, if he ever has dal and pizza on the table at the same time you should try them together it was a very good combo!
Tom was a great host and I had such a good time I might have to come back… read more
Tom has a wonderful farm in the franchise Pyrenees. Besides the stunning location, Tom offers great accommodation - a privet room in his own warm and plaisent house.
During the stay, Tom took care about the meals - which were generous and tasty.
Tom made us feel at home while give us… read more
Tom is really available and convinient. The instructions were really clear. The food was really tasty.
We had a great time helping him and enjoying the incredible place.
Hope too see the asparagus in Spring !
Yolen helped mainly in the garden, weeding, preparing the ground and finally covering the vegetable garden with plastic in readiness for winter. She also helped in the house, cleaning windows and frames and she did a great job with everything… read more
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Korrekte Angaben im Profil:
(5.0)
Kultureller Austausch:
(5.0)
Kommunikation:
(5.0)
He gave clear instructions on what to do and tasty food, if he ever has dal and pizza on the table at the same time you should try them together it was a very good combo!
Tom was a great host and I had such a good time I might have to come back… read more
Tom has a wonderful farm in the franchise Pyrenees. Besides the stunning location, Tom offers great accommodation - a privet room in his own warm and plaisent house.
During the stay, Tom took care about the meals - which were generous and tasty.
Tom made us feel at home while give us… read more
Tom is really available and convinient. The instructions were really clear. The food was really tasty.
We had a great time helping him and enjoying the incredible place.
Hope too see the asparagus in Spring !
Yolen helped mainly in the garden, weeding, preparing the ground and finally covering the vegetable garden with plastic in readiness for winter. She also helped in the house, cleaning windows and frames and she did a great job with everything… read more
It was just unbelievably good. The work was very varied and fun. We did something different every day and it never got boring. Even the work didn't feel like work and the time went by very quickly. We learnt a lot from Tom. Every day was… read more
He is kind and caring, asking what food I wanted and went shopping. I felt more like a guest than a worker.
I helped painting shutters, helped around the house and in the garden. I also had a lot of time just to enjoy. Evenings often with his lovely cat next to me. His… read more
Work wasn't very hard, so I had time to hike around, pick-up mushrooms, chill and even partiing (on weekend Tom invited me to his friends… read more
Tom is a wonderful person and has qualities of a great leader. His organizational skills and clarity in communication helped us to get a lot done with few words of explanation. I experienced great sense of maturity and open hearted giving while maintaining the boundaries and emotionally groundedness. He… read more
During the stay we… read more
I had some great conversations with Tom overlooking the beautiful view and was introduced to some funky new music.
Tom is positive, open and very knowledgeable about travel locations around the… read more
A polite and friendly young man who is a great worker and also a fantastic musician & singer; but a little shy to admit it!
While Matthew was here we worked planting and moving Earth in the garden, building a large timber deck and laying laminate… read more
The stay with Tom was really great. As soon as I've entered his property, till the end of the two weeks, he began to make sure I've got everything I need and feel comfortable at his place, just like any old friend would do.
The food was great, the talks always fun and diverse and the weeks passed without any day of… read more
Jonas is also a very polite young man, and he has clearly been brought up well. He is helpful & clean & always willing to go the extra mile to finish off a task properly.
Over a 10 day… read more
Tom and Joanna are very friendly and welcoming… read more
We were doing a lot of very physical work in the garden and James gave it 100% every day. He took it spin himself to tend to the chickens and water the polytunnel every day and always had bright ideas about how to… read more
See you soon!
thank you for your warmth, for your kind nature and for your delicious meals! (Hugo doesn't stop talking about your cooking Joanna) especially the famous truffle oil! We are happy to have been able to put a little piece of us in your beautiful project and we are sure that this place will reflect your… read more
They are very kind, generous and joyful. Roquefixade is a nice isolated place, looks like a medieval village with the ruined castle which overlooks it. The tasks were various, they have many projects and we wish to stay in touch to see the… read more
They helped erect fencing, spreading wood chips, installing a hammock post and preparing beds for planting.
I can not recommend Elie and Leo highly enough. Very very nice guys. Thank… read more
Tom picked us up from the airport, what was really kind! Between us, it was a good harmony between giving and taking. Therefore my boyfriend and me worked with pleasure for Tom. We get also inspired for planting vegetables in the future.
Tom is a good take carer!… read more
Marcus and Karolina helped with fertilising and digging over vegetable growing beds in the polytunnel,… read more
