Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
5 Apr 2024
Reply rate
78.0 %
Usually responds within 5 days
Feedback
43
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Details
Description
This is an old abandoned farm up in the mountains of Monchique which we (Roi & Ana) had bought about five years ago. We are now starting to live here and slowly attempting to revive it according to the principles of natural farming. We have 40 goats which clear the forest daily, prevent fires and provide milk from which we make cheese and yoghurt for our self consumption. Our goats get an amazing life and this is the most important thing for us. They live in the forest and spend most of their time munching on bushes and trees. Roi has been doing this full time for a few years in an very special goat farm near Jerusalem, and after learning quite a bit about goats and cheese making he has decided it’s time to try to do it on his own. This is a long term project and it’s in its first steps.
Other than that there are many trees to care for here as this is a very forested mountain area. The main fruit trees are olives, chestnuts and walnuts.
There is also a small veg garden that needs caring and watering.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
General Maintenance
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
ROI:
Before working as a goatherd and cheese maker I used to work as a cook in many types of places. If you are interested in anything related to food we are sure to have some interesting things to share and learn. Also reading is one of my favourites, specifically history and of course philosophy, but I love all genres really. I am quite into Taoist philosophy and try to live and create with it in mind. I love learning new languages and try to learn new things regularly. I am amongst other things, a big sinophile. I used to live in China for a few years, and am fascinated with Chinese and east asian cultures.
ANA:
As a local, I can teach you things about portuguese food, culture and good spots to visit.
I studied nutrition and my big passion is food!
I love exchanging knowledge on food culture. I am passionate about reviving old recipes and techniques, fermenting and baking sourdough.
Reading and herbalism are other of my big interests :)
Help
We have 45 goats that need constant care. This includes feeding, cleaning, milking and herding on the mountain side. We walk with the goats 5 hours a day. If you like hiking then walking with the goats will not be very physically demanding but a big part of it is mental. It takes a calm and relaxed mind to do it well :)
To walk with the goats we ask for a one month minimum stay as it takes some time to learn how to do it.
One of our main projects right now is renovating our old stone farmhouse into a family home.
The work is natural lime plastering, roof carpentry (we have some big natural chestnut wood beams that we would like to put to use) and general construction work.
We have a veg garden that needs care and watering.
Other than that we always have some sort of building/woodworking projects, so carpenters and people who like working with wood are more than welcome.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Hebrew: Fluent
Portuguese: Fluent
Spanish: Intermediate
Chinese (Mandarin): Intermediate
Arabic: Beginner
Accommodation
This place is still a bit wild. We live in a big yurt. We recently put a roof on an old stone structure that is in the farm and converted one of the rooms into a living space for volunteers. The room has a wood oven, a kitchen to cook in and a couple of beds for sleeping. Its dry, warm and nice. There is also a small campervan that can fit one person or a small couple :) If you have your own tent or other arrangement (campervan\caravan) that would be great, you can pitch or park it wherever you like, we have a few cute camping sites on the land.
There is a hot shower depending on the sun. There is water from natural springs on the land, and they are great for drinking. There are a also a few big stone pools for swimming.
There is a communal kitchen in which the volunteers cook their meals. We provide all the food, which is mainly vegetarian and once or twice a week meat if you like. We also love cooking and we enjoy inviting everyone to share meals with us. We get electricity from the grid and there is great mobile internet signal here. There is a mobile wifi dongle with loads of data that we can share.
Be warned: life up in the mountains can be quite rough at times. It can get chilly In the evenings and the winds often remind you that the ocean is ever so present. There is an amazing view of the coast of the Algarve to meditate with after a hard day’s work.
What else ...
We live in a remote area, and there aren’t many people around (though we have some very lovely neighbours). We love meeting new people and getting to know new faces and we also like our own time and space. If you are coming alone you should be someone who knows how to spend time by himself. Monchique is a beautiful mountain to explore while you are here and you can go on all kinds of hikes around. We have a car and we can pick you up from the village of Monchique when you arrive. We can take you into town when you feel like it or take you for a drive around the mountains and meet friends, which is always fun. There are loads of beaches around where we live (the western and southern beaches of the Algarve).
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
This host can provide space for campervans.
Can possibly accept pets
People with their own campervans can bring their dog with them
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week (but I'm quite flexible :)
Feedback (32)
They are amazing, at the beginning I was the only volunteer in the farm and they made me feel at home, completely part of the family. They gave me the possibility to discover how beautiful the goats are and I really have… read more
Feedback
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Accuracy of profile:
(4.9)
Cultural exchange:
(4.9)
Communication:
(4.8)
They are amazing, at the beginning I was the only volunteer in the farm and they made me feel at home, completely part of the family. They gave me the possibility to discover how beautiful the goats are and I really have… read more
I had a wonderful time with them, including fellow volunteers, trust me, we really had good time. If you like remote and natural experience this is a place for you... God's willing I'll come again. I have found yet another home.
warm regards,
PATRICK.
Ate Ja.
He is hard working, full of good energy and a great person to be around.
He learned quickly the tasks in our farm and we even taught him how to milk our goats (something we rarely teach our volunteers).
Be sure that if Fillippo is coming your way you are going to have a very reliable… read more
I spend something like more than 6 months in this beautiful place and it was the best experience I lived so far. we became a really good friends and they taught me everything about the goat. I was the guy that take care of milking whit them every morning. they gave me opportunity to hung out whit them friends and connect with a… read more
First of all,Monchique is a really nice place and the farm is well located. You have amazing landscapes and sunsets.
The missions with the goats are really fair, and you have a lot of time. It was my first time in a farm and with goats, so I needed to… read more
Thank you Hugo we wish you good luck on your journey
Walking the goats in the Algarve's mountains is a privilege, I would recommend this experience 100%. It's a great way to learn about your own behavior while having a good… read more
The farm is a really spacious and beautiful, with a refreshing stone pool for after work dips. Milton, a… read more
We enjoyed so much having them at our goat farm.
Amon is a very strong handy guy, while he was here he did so many great things for us!
Paula is a natural with the animals, a great goat walker and an amazing help in the garden.
During their stay we enjoyed their company and good vibes, we definitely recommend hosting… read more
Roi knows very well how to make good cheese and how to cook delicious… read more
I had such a good time staying here. The nature is so beautiful and the farm is located in a really nice place. You have so many different spots and areas to explore around the land.
Work was different from day to day. Sometimes I would walk the goats, help in the garden or clear out land on some of the… read more
He fitted right in, learned how to milk the goats and walk with them and has very skilful DIY hands. He can pretty much do whatever you ask him, and he will do it well :)
He is responsible, dependable and always wants to help.
Thank you Julian for a fantastic 2 months with the goats.
I really enjoyed my time… read more
When i arrived there was nothing in the room, and it feels good to leave something beautifull and cozy behind so other volunteers feel welcome in winter!
I was in charge of caring for the goats during my stay, what i loved, you totaly get to know some crazy goats!… read more
They are kind, gentle, sensitive and talented people. They were really enthusiastic to help out and are very independent. In short they are fantastic people worth meeting and definitely worth hosting. Big hugs from the mountains guys.
Communication with Roi was very uncomplicated, from the first contact to being introduced to the art of walking goats it took only 2 days :)
As the description says, the project is still in the beginning, but the amenities that are there - kitchen, shower, dry toilet,… read more
It was great having you guys around, too bad it was a bit short, better luck next time.
Good luck with your studies guys
We had fun and did the job well.
Thanks for everything guys and good luck on your journeys
She's also super intelligent and fun to hang around with.
I would definitely recommend having her as a volunteer.
Thanks for all the help!
The place is amazing, we had our own yurt with wood stove. We would get up in the morning to a view of the forest and montains, really beautyful.
He has a clean and well equiped kitchen, where he cooked posrtuguese and special chinese dinners for us, he's a great cooker!
The job was well organiced and different every… read more
They are super relaxed, helpful, hard working, independent and most important: fun!
We cooked food and made cheese together and it was truly a great time.
I wish you all the best on your travel guys and know you're always welcome back to visit the goats
much love
Roi
She and her friend Aaron helped with exactly what I needed, and though conditions were admittedly hard during those hot scorching days they never complained and always kept positive.
Will definitely have her again.
Thx Katharina, I now have electricity!
