Come and help with some forestry, painting and general upkeep of the buildings. Vestfold, Norway

Norway

updated Last minute

Favourited 850 times

Host rating
Feedback
27
Last activity
04/06/2020
Nº of Facebook friends
675
Reply rate
81.1 %
Average reply time:
within 4 days
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This listing is a Last minute host. They have let us know that they are looking for help immediately as well as at other times of the year.

Map

Availability

2020

Min stay requested: at least a week

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What's this?

Details

Description
In 2017 I decided to leave my old career in the restaurant industry and moved back to the farm I grew up on.
Here I spend most of my time working in the forest, logging and thinning in the winter and planting cultivating in the summer.
The summer is also spent maintaining the network of forest roads and building new ones in preparation for upcoming seasons.

The farm is in Hillestad, 50 minutes from Oslo and 15 minutes from Holmestrand, a small city by the Oslofjord.
Type of help
Gardening
General Maintenance
Farmstay
Other
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
You'll be able to learn forestry and work techniques and skills related to my work.
My family is fairly active politically ranging from conservative and liberal to pretty far left.
I'm a trained chef and often cook traditional Norwegian meals.
If you want to learn or improve your ropes behind a bar I built myself a full bar upstairs where I'll happily share my skills and experience from many years as a bartender.
Help
The main work is forestry with changing tasks following the seasons, in the spring there's a few weeks of firewood production.
As a side project I'm working on the renovation of a cabin I have up in the forest, built a new roof in 2018, hope to finish the new floor and interior this year.
Since it's a old farm there's always some painting and renovations to the buildings that should be done too.
Languages spoken
Norwegian and English
Accommodation
I share my house with my two dogs Trym and Heimdal.
I have two guest rooms on the second floor, one with a double bed and one with a single, and a guest bathroom upstairs.
All meals are included in the work exchange and dinners are often eaten with my parents that lives next door.
What else ...
Hillestad is 15 minutes from the Train station in Sande and Holmestrand with North and Southbound trains every hour, 20 minutes from Drammen and 50 minutes from Oslo.
It's 15 minutes from the Oslofjord.
Nature is close by with the forest behind the house and Hillestad lake behind the field in front of the house.
A little more information
- Internet access
- Limited internet access
- We have pets
- We are smokers
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Hours expected
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week

Photos

The view from my terrace

My dogs Trym & Heimdal

Show all photos

The cabin before renovation started

Feedback left by and about host (27)

These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.

Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)

Cultural exchange:
(5.0)

Communication:
(5.0)

14/03/2020

Left by Workawayer (Weronika) for host

I spent a week with friendly Lars and his positive full of energy dogs. We had a tasty, hot meals every day. Lars house has a wonderful view of the lake and the forest, these is a very cozy space. I felt a lot of privacy in my room with private bathroom on the floor. Lars knows a lot about what he does and talks a lot about very interesting things… read more

(Excellent )

10/02/2020

Left by host for Workawayer (Weronika)

Weronika helped me for a week through a last minute arrangement.
She have a very positive attitude, is hardworking and pick up new skills easily.
The work she helped with was production of firewood and thinning forest where she was mainly limbing and cutting logs to lenght with a chainsaw.
I absolutely recommend her for future workaway stays.

(Excellent )

02/01/2020

Left by Workawayer (Emma) for host

I had a fantastic experience with Lars during two months. Thank you again for the calm, your generosity and the peaceful mood.

(Excellent )

16/12/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Emma)

Emma helped me at the farm for about two months.
She is hard working and picks up new skills with ease.
The main tasks during her stay have been thinning forest and firewood production.
Outside of work she is very easy to get along with.
After this time she almost feels like family.

(Excellent )

11/11/2019

Left by Workawayer (Lilly) for host

I spent two weeks on the farm last winter, sorry I'm so late writing feedback!
Lars was a great host and a really nice person overall, I had a good time! Even when I had some issues regarding the work, he gave me other tasks and we worked our way around. Really appreciated him being so easy-going, approachable and communicative. Loved the skiing,… read more

(Excellent )

10/10/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Selma)

Selma came through a last minute agreement and helped me for two weeks.
She is hard working and eager to try new challenges, she picks up on instructions easily.
Outside of work she is social and easy to talk with.
She is a structured person who keeps it clean around her.

(Excellent )

30/07/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (alicia)

Alicia and Caroline helped me for one month.
They are both hardworking and eager to try new tasks.
Outside of work they are very stoical and easygoing.
I had a great time hosting the two of them and can absolutely recommend their assistance.

(Excellent )

11/07/2019

Left by Workawayer (Karin) for host

Lars is a great host and a really great guy! He hosted me on very short notice and even picked me up from the train station after coming home from a birthday party.
I only stayed a few days in his house but i enjoyed it a lot! I learned so much about working in the forest, cutting trees and how to work with different machines. Before working… read more

(Excellent )

31/05/2019

Left by Workawayer (Sebastien) for host

I stay for one week

It was a really great experience! Short but good
Lars is really welcoming, patient, pedagogue. Always smiling and got some good joke :D

The work is difficult but at the end of the day you can feel the duty accomplished

It was my first Workaway and that encie me to continue

Thanks again for your welcoming and see u in the… read more

(Excellent )

26/05/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Sebastien)

Sebastien helped me for one week, he's hard working and easily picks up new skills.
Most of the work he was helping me with was hauling or logs with the winch and debranching logs with chainsaw.
He's social and very easy to talk with.

(Excellent )

11/05/2019

Left by Workawayer (Gabriele) for host

I had a really fun week helping Lars! He is super friendly and outgoing, and very helpful- a great host. The accommodation is just perfect, be sure you will never forget that lake view :) Also the hilarious amazing dog Trim (that could easily have it's own sitcom) will put a smile on your face everyday. I've learnt so many new things while helping… read more

(Excellent )

06/05/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Gabriele)

Gabriele helped me for one week.
She is hardworking and shows initiative.
She is a quick learner and not afraid of trying new jobs.
She helped logging timber, picking stone, painting and with some engine maintenance.
She is social and very easy to be around.

(Excellent )

29/03/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Sabrina)

Sabrina helped me for one week.
The work mainly consisted of helping logging timber in our forest.
She is hard working and eager to learn new skills.
In the house she is very organized and cleans on her own initiative.
She seems to always be happy and easy to get along with.
I give her my greatest recommendation as a workawayer and wish her all… read more

(Excellent )

17/02/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Baptiste)

Baptiste helped me for about a month.
He helped renovating my house and with forestry (clearing undergrowth with brushsaw and cutting branches of logs with chainsaw).
He is independent and a hard worker that takes instructions easily.
Without doubt a great helper that I give my highest recommendations.

(Excellent )

16/12/2018

Left by Workawayer (Baptiste) for host

Audrie and I stayed with Lars for one month, helping him with different tasks in his "new" house. Lars is a very friendly, uplifting and chatty person who loves to have people around him. The work (sanding, painting, cleaning, a little bit of forestry) was nice and Lars made sure it was adapted to our level of skill. The area is beautiful and his… read more

(Excellent )

17/02/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Audrie )

Audrie helped me for a little over a month.
She is very easygoing and social.
She helped me with renovation of my house and some forestry (clearing branches with chainsaw, winching out logs and working with a brushsaw clearing smaller trees).
She takes instructions easily and can work independently.
If you want some help with a little fun… read more

(Excellent )

04/02/2019

Left by Workawayer (nicola) for host

This was a great first workaway experience. Lars and his parents (and trym the dog!!!!) Were all so lovely and welcoming. The work was in the forest timber logging. I was taught all safety measures and how to use the equipment properly . The work was hard, but fun (and with the cold I was glad of it being physical work!) Defiantly recommend this… read more

(Excellent )

04/11/2018

Left by Workawayer (Jamie Ann) for host

This was my first experience with workaway, and it was better than anything I could have imagined. I stayed for about a month and I had a really amazing time here!
I had the opportunity to help with a variety of tasks. The work was always adjusted to my own strength and never too hard, and I could learn and improve lots of skills. The… read more

(Excellent )

31/10/2018

Left by host for Workawayer (Jamie Ann)

I had the pleasure of Jamie's assistance for about a month.
She is hard working and eager to learn new things.
She assisted me in the building of a new roof on a cabin and logging timber.
Outside of work she was social (during her stay we managed to watch almost all of Monty python), helpfull in the kitchen and clean and organized.
I can give… read more

(Excellent )

15/08/2018

Left by host for Workawayer (Celine)

Celine helped me for about two weeks.
She's a quick learner that tries any task without hesitation.
She helped renovating a cabin in the forest and her carpentry skills improved at an impressive rate during her stay.
She is very social and up for any activity.
I had a great time hosting her and wish her the best for the future.

(Excellent )

29/07/2018

Left by Workawayer (David) for host

I had a great experience here!

Lars is a great guy. He is very welcoming, outgoing and incredibly knowledgeable about the area, the kind of guy that has something interesting to say about just about anything. It is so easy to talk to him and learn so much about local history, culture, wildlife, farming, forestry and so much more. He was also a… read more

(Excellent )

29/07/2018

Left by host for Workawayer (Anna & Richard)

I had the pleasure of having Richard and Anna helping me for three weeks.
They mainly helped working in the forest clearing with brushsaws, assisting in road maintenance and they helped splitting and packing firewood.
They are both quick learners that easily adapts to given instructions.
In the free time they are social, fun to be around and… read more

(Excellent )

30/05/2018

Left by Workawayer (Luiza & Katarzyna) for host

Lars is born to be a host. He is very cheerful with lots of stories to tell and good sense of humor. During our stay he taught us a lot about forestry, nature, history and culture of Norway. We also spend some time listening to music and watching movies together.
He took care of us at all times so we could feel at his place like at home. His… read more

(Excellent )

02/05/2018

Left by host for Workawayer (Luiza & Katarzyna)

Lou & Kate helped me for almost two months, in that time they almost started to feel like a party of the family.
They are both hardworking and easily adapts to new tasks.
The tasks they've had have been to dig out trees and dig paths between them to help logging in deep snow, they have helped winching out logs and cutting branches of the last logs… read more

(Excellent )

01/08/2017

Left by Workawayer (Friederike & Jens) for host

Lars is a very extrovert and friendly person. He knows a lot about local history and is a great guide to the nearby museums. When he cooks, the food is excellent. There are not always scheduled meals, but food is provided for self service all the time. The work is not complicated and adjusted to your strength. When something is too heavy, Lars… read more

(Very good )

08/07/2017

Left by host for Workawayer (Marek & Jana)

Jana and Marek helped me on the farm for about two weeks.
Jana mostly worked in the garden while Marek was helping me in the forest and working on the tractor.
They are both hardworking and full of initiative as well as friendly.
I can give them my fullest recommendation as volunteers.

(Excellent )

08/07/2017

Left by Workawayer (Marek & Jana) for host

We spent almost two weeks with Christian and his family on their very nice farm and it was wonderful time. Christian is very friendly, communicative and smiling guy. He still try to you feel very complacently. He is perfect trained chef and cook very tasty meals and soups, mostly for people who love meat :)
Marek usually helped in the forest,… read more

(Excellent )

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Host ref number: 124955722173

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