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Host rating
80 %
Last replied
17 Jun 2025
Reply rate
60.0 %
Usually responds within 22 days
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Description
Hey there! the full text below, first comes a list of the primary things where you can join in at the moment:
-garden: sowing, harvesting, conserving, caring for tomatoes and cucumbers and berries...
-community meals and space: cooking a lunch or two per week (usually for 12-16 people) or supporting the kitchen crew
- Chicken: feeding, opening- and closing the coop.
- Pottery workshop: support on the open days (every 2-3 weeks), tasks depending on skill level. We'll have a Raku workshop soon!
-renovation of a house: depending on the phase everything from tearing down walls to installing heating systems, plastering walls or flooring...
- infrastructure: improving/maintaining garden and outside infrastructure. this really depends on interest and skill. there are a few thing that need repair or where there is room for upgraded solutions, if you want to take on a mini-project like automating irrigation for example, or upgrading the accomodation space with you interior design skills :)
-occasional childcare: two very lovely 4 and 5 year-olds :)
-bakery: depends on prior experience...
-wood-straw construction, clay plastering: internships possible from 4 weeks onward, but you can peak inside to get a feel, obviously. With prior experience things are differenty, of course..
***
In the beautiful north of Germany, in between Berlin and the Baltic Sea we‘re establishing a unique workspace and studio for creatives and craftspeople. The old estate, which was built in the 19th century, is now our playground and laboratory where we are seeking for joyful, sustainable and independent ways to live in these times.
Here, in the quite special, vast northern countryside, we've built a space where you can realize your own ideas or join in on shared projects, without feeling cramped by the city and its noise around you.
We started to work on the estate in early 2018 and built our studio space. Downstairs we established our carpentry workshop, next door there is the bakery. These might be followed by other workspaces (newest addition: a pottery workshop) in the coming years. The estate consists of three huge barns (over 2100 m² ground area) and the manor (which is run by friends of us) and further 11 ha of pastures, partly swampy. The biggest of the barns has been transformed into a production site for prefab eco-homes (timber frame with straw insulation) and ist used by a company that three of us founded together with some friends.
Over the next years and decades we want to develop this place, make it lively and beautiful, providing sustainable living spaces for up to about 50 people. Right now we're in the process of founding a cooperative and transferring much of the land into the hands of a foundation.
Right now theres around 17-18 people living here permanently between 1-75
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Crazy skills and lots of fun!
While staying here you could have the chance to learn many skills and techniques related to contruction and renovation of buildings - from planning to executing them. Two of us even are baker Masters and another one a trained carpenter, there's regular pottery sessions accompanied by a true master of her field, and some of us have have also studied design, architecture and sustainable economics.
The society is occasionally organizing workshops for artists and craftspeople where you are invited to take part in or even help organize a workshop on your topic of interest.
Especially if you stay for a couple of weeks or even longer, we encourage you to bring in ideas, and we will try to realize them.
For us, this place is an incredible play- and learning ground - we constantly test out new things, test ourselves as we make plans that sometimes seem way over our heads. And almost always it works! And we grow with that, gain confidence and experience, and so can you!
If you have experiences and skills to share, we can aim still higher ;) but to be clear, all this isn't limited to construction or the like - if you know a craft, or have some crazy cooking skills, or can lead a yoga session.. There is hardly anything we don't want to learn and many other little things we can teach!
*Disclaimer: most of this was originally written between 2021-23 ;) And while we are still true to our play- and learning-ground ethos, we have also grown up and out of the experminetal stage of the first years in the sense that we spend quite a bit of time working on our jobs, which are mostly on site though, those being the bakery, carpentry and sustainable construction company.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
No matter whether you have just finished school or are a skilled carpenter, there is certainly something that you can help us with and will enjoy doing. All the more if you like manual work, be outdoors and get your hands dirty :)
Construction
This year we want to do a little less construction which was our main work in the first two years, but of course there are still a lot of unfinished things and projects around the yard.
Gardening
We have now managed to be self-sufficient on vegetables over almost the whole year and try to conserve stuff for winter. For next year we want to improve the structure and planning of the garden as to make it easier for everyone to find tasks to work on.
Animals
We only have cats 🐈⬛ and chickens at the moment - Our sheep and pigs have found new homes because we could not find the time needed. :(
Household
All of us really love cooking and good food.
While you're here you are of course free to help yourself to the communal foodstuff whenever!
Together we try to keep things clean and tidy - everyone is a part of this.
Occasional projects, creative projects - we have space, machinery, lots of scrap material... Some plans / ideas for 2025 are:
-garden tiny house, outdoor kitchen, a sauna, plunge pool, stables for animals, furniture
If you have formal training or the relevant experience, we have a wide range of basic and advanced construction machinery and tools, a digger and a fully equipped carpentry workshop from mid 2019 on to put your skills to best use.
Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
Spanish: Intermediate
Italian: Beginner
Accommodation
We have a trailer with two separate little bedrooms and an entrance ( both heated), and a straw-clay tiny house, also heated and very well insulated. All are comfy double beds. The atelier studio is fully equipped with a big communal kitchen, bathroom, hot shower, washing machine. The atelier also hosts our office space and is a good space to hang out, work, draw and whatever. When the weather is warmer it is also nice to camp outside.
What else ...
For the activities part...while there is not much to do in the immediate surroundings, the Baltic Sea is only an hour away (sailing, kitesurfing, beaches...) and there is the possibility to go kayaking in the beautiful Peene river or take a bike for a ride. You can very cheaply buy a monthly ticket for all regional trains for the whole of germany, which makes a weekend trip to Berlin or one of the national parks in the North East an easy escape.
On the weekend we sometimes play soccer with a group of friends from the area. As soon as it gets a little warmer we have our regular swim in a nearby lake, enjoy having barbecues and fires outdoors and if you want to visit Berlin, there is a local train going there every hour from the close-by station Sternfeld, which is also where we can usually pick you up and drop you off.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
We have 200 Mbit internet access and you can work in the Atelier space.
Space for parking camper vans
we have a cosy sheltered camping space with showers and compost toilets close by.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Feedback (11)
We especially valued you kind and humorous way and your independence and diligence in all parts of the work on the… read more
We really like the freedom… read more
During her stay over a couple of weeks, it was always great to have her around, she's very attentive, humorous and charming. Her tidiness and organizational skills are exceptional, and she helped us a lot in transforming our studio space. And yes, her tiramisu is indeed outstanding! We're grateful for… read more
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Feedback
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Accuracy of profile:
(4.9)
Cultural exchange:
(4.8)
Communication:
(4.8)
We especially valued you kind and humorous way and your independence and diligence in all parts of the work on the… read more
We really like the freedom… read more
During her stay over a couple of weeks, it was always great to have her around, she's very attentive, humorous and charming. Her tidiness and organizational skills are exceptional, and she helped us a lot in transforming our studio space. And yes, her tiramisu is indeed outstanding! We're grateful for… read more
everyone was very welcoming and friendly we learned a lot about renovation purchasing timber and the local economy.
the food was great and we all took it in turns to cook. we really enjoyed using the artlier kitchen which has all the things you could ever want in a kitchen including a powerful gas… read more
My 2 weeks experience has been really worthwhile, it was physically challenging but i loved it. The animals are well trained, on some days maybe they won't listen to you but that's what's makes it interesting, makes you learn more how to deal with animals.
As for the accommodation, you have a warm and comfortable… read more
The stay here will be remembered for a long time. The hospitality that we were allowed to experience was incredibly beautiful. We felt very at home, learned a lot and, above all, met a lot of great people. We will definitely be back. Thank you very much that we could be part of your community for a short time. We miss you.
