Help with gardening, fruits, and forestry on our small permaculture farm near Dresden, Germany

Details

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  Description

  We are a family of 8 (we are aged 47/48, kids are born 2001, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2016 and 2020). We live on a small permaculture farm, just about to start a Sustainability Center for learning about permaculture, ecological farming and forestry. The older 2 kids are living abroad already.
  
  We both parents are fully Covid-vaccinated and the 4 older kids as well.
  
  Please read the FULL profile if you want to get an answer. No Host-SPAM mails will be answered!
  We prefer at least 2 week stays. Long term stays are possible, very seldom also a paid job (if you are allowed to work in Germany).
  
  We have space for ukrainian and russian refugees to stay even for longer terms. We have hosted a russian family already for 3 months.
  
  Our "normal" projects:
  General depending on the skills of the helper:
  
  Due to climate change we are trying to replant our 4 acres of forest with more draught resistent plants. That means some cutting of trees and bring the wood out of the forest with an wheelbarrow and small tractor (+ maybe cutting firewood with machines)... That is the main job in winter time. And of course planting new trees in spring/autum. We have planted already about 500 trees.
  
  Furthermore we look for a babysitter/child care and household tasks so Marie can do some outside jobs in the garden and forest during planting season.
  
  We have a running smallholding farm working with organic methods and permaculture using terra preta. We grow some seldom/special fruits and plants to be used for food processing, so its quite sure you will learn something new...
  
  During the whole year there will be always some work on the farm like gardening, fruit processing etc. We have sheep (not 2022), geese, chicken, a husky dog named Barley and a cat (sometimes more…). And seasonly ducks and we might start with goats again (we had some until 2015).
  
  We're living in a very small village called Cortnitz (42 inhabitants) near Dresden (90 km away), about 200 km south of Berlin. We have a small garden (always some work there in 3 seasons...) and about 50 fruit trees. We do love cycling and being outdoor.
  
  We are militant non-smoker! :-)
  No smoking in the house, around the house or in sight of the house. No alcohol/drugs.
  
  
  Families/Helper with kids: Depending on the age of the Kids please contact us ahead with Information if the kids can be by their own or help you or need your special care. We sometimes have jobs to do (like in the forest) where kids love to play while the parents work there. But this kind of jobs will usually be outside!
  
  We live rural. There are not much possibilities to have a big party around, so this place is more suitable for people who like it a bit more quiet and green and having an evening at a bonfire behind the house. If you want to go around one or two bicycles will be there for use or to reach the train station (from where you can go to different towns around). Nice places to visit nearby: 1000 years old towns Bautzen and Görlitz, Saxonys capital Dresden, hiking and climbing in the Saxonian Switzerland, Wroclaw (Poland) and a two day trip maybe Prague or Berlin.
  
  We usually have only one or two workawayer at the same time as for us it is important to have a cultural exchange as well. Up to now we hosted workawayers/helpex'ers: an estonian family, Kaya from USA and Lucie from England (already 2 times) and Alexandra/Morgan from Australia, Friedrich from South Africa, Alex from France (already 3 times!), Matthew from Australia, Amy from England, Gilbert from Spain (2 times), Francesca from Italy, Szymon from Poland, Juraj from Slovakia, Brendan from England, Ramona/Joshua from America (several times), Thomas from England, Andrea also from England, Berry from Ireland, Jörg from northern Germany, Flora from Hungary, Cora from England, Brianna from Canada, Daniel from England, Steph from Australia, Jeanette from Danmark, Claire from Australia, Philip from Sweden, Jared from USA (2 times), Sofia from Sweden, Fabio from Brazil, Adam from Hungary... Be our next workawayer!
  
  We have only limited wlan for helpers!
  
  We are not vegetarians but we don't eat too much meat (mainly our own produced meat from goats/sheep/ducks/geese - so that is limited). We don't mind if the workawayer is vegetarian as long as he/she can handle that we are not and don't expect to cook special things for her/him. We do NOT buy special vegan food or lots of fruits and veggies, so if you are vegan it's probably NOT your place to be here. The dog lives in the house (entrance room only), but the cat is outside only - just in case you are allergic.
  
  Please be aware that we expect help in the household as well beside the work as this are common duties for everyone in the house (like dish washing, preparing breakfast...) without asking you every single time to do so.
  
  We both have been volunteering abroad (Marie 8 month in Russia, Stefan 11 month in Papua New Guinea). And we lived a winter on a scottish island 2013-2014. So the kids speak some english as well. We try to live with as low impact to the nature as possible. We produce our own solar energy (5 KWp) and have a full electric car, a solar stove (for cooking during sunshine), solar heated water and do lots of other crazy things. We might not be typical germans - you may have to find out.
  
  Next train station where we could pick you up is Pommritz, next Airports are Dresden, Berlin and Leipzig (trains from there) but even trains from Frankfurt are still affortable if booked in advance. Or check mitfahrgelegenheit.de or blablacar.de for car sharing (check for destination Bautzen) or flixbus.de (connection from Berlin to Bautzen, or from elsewhere to Dresden and train from there.).

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Language practice

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Babysitting and creative play

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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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

  See our feedbacks. We prefer doing things by hand and not by machines.

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  Always a lot to do on a very small farm. But great place to be in the nature as well.
  
  Please apply only if you already have experiences with manual tasks. Please no spoiled kids from the city that don't know how to use the hands. Be aware that you will get dirty while working! Check our feedbacks. No one complained yet and no one left earlier then planned :-)
  
  FOR MORE DETAILS SEE THE DESCRIPTION AND THE EXTRA INFORMATION

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  German: Fluent
  English: Fluent
  Russian: Intermediate
  Serbian: Intermediate
  Czech: Beginner
  French: Beginner
  Polish: Beginner
  Slovak: Beginner
  Swedish: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
  You can contact them directly for more information.
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  Accommodation

  usually you stay in your own room in our farmhouse with 2-4 beds (so max 2 adults+2 Kids), larger families just ask..., very limited WLAN! We have a studio in the garden without running water and limited energy, but lovely to live in with a basic standart in 3 seasons. In the sustainable courses centre there will be some rooms for helpers. This rooms might be used to accomodate refugees from war in Ukraine.
  
  If you want there is the chance of camping under the apple trees as well... (maybe not in winter...)

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  What else ...

  We live in a beautiful village, very rural and with open land and forests around - so perfect for those who want to be away from it all. We are not vegetarians but if you are its usually no problem but dont expext that we only cook veegtarian meals. We try to live as respectful as possible with the nature. We have an electric car for daily use and a dirty diesel bus but try to avoid using it. We love cycling and do most ways on a bicycle. The next nice lake is just 7 km away, the next larger forest 1 km.
  
  We live in a 260 years old farmhouse (room heights usually around 1,90 m) that is heated only by firewood- so it is special kind of comfort living without high tech and TV but with lots of flair. We have some cherry, pears, apple and plum trees and a small garden.
  
  We are all of us people who love to be outside. Germany is not as wet and cold as you might think. But it can...
  
  As we experienced that lots of helpers haven't read the whole profile we ask you to read it carefully, in a short:
  
  - rural location
  - no alcohol, drugs, smoking
  - very limited WLAN
  - 25 hrs work per week + the normal household duties
  - experiences with manual work (your hands will get dirty!)
  - usually minimum stay 3 weeks or longer, please no requests for shorter then 2 weeks
  
  If you understood all of these please write in your FIRST mail the codeword "Cortnitz-Saxony", all e-mails without this codeword will be denied! If you read until here and use the codeword: Lucky you! 80% of the requesting helpers won't do this!
  
  
  Have a great sunny day!

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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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  Space for parking camper vans

  This host can provide space for campervans.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  Hours expected

  5 hrs daily - feel free to ask for more:-), but 2 days a week free (usually sunday and monday)

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