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Last replied
15 Apr 2025
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Description
Join us to be part of an abundant place with healthy food, eco-friendly designed buildings and positive mindset!
We are Kasia and Franz, living in Portugal since 2017 and during this time we have been mainly busy creating our 4ha homestead. We used to run permaculture related workshops and Permaculture Design Courses (PDC). Currently we are adjusting to function as a family with a newborn daughter, Norah, as well as finishing our main house project, where we are already living in. Our property has been affected by the last year's wild fires and we lost big part of our pine forest, which has created an additional task to take care of.
Our land and daily tasks have plenty to offer in terms of learning new skills and getting inspired. We have many diverse fruit trees, food forest and veg garden, polytunnel greenhouse, chickens, woodland, natural swimming pool, naturally build accommodations and commune facilities.
We will be a good match if you:
> Have a passion for farming and natural building
> Are not afraid of physical work
> Like to work in group, but can also be independent.
> Like cooking and are not afraid of contributing your time in the kitchen.
> Are tidy and responsible person, that cares for the facilities and tools as they were yours.
> Can manage to start up the fire in the wood burner, since we cook and heat our rooms entirely on wood.
What we usually struggle with:
> If it's your first experience living on such farm/"off grid" place.
> If you are looking for a community place, love to chill all day and party in the evening, our place is maybe not the best choice for you.
>If you don't like to be alone and need to have company all the time. We are busy in the day and we like to have privacy in the evening, therefore not always keen on hanging out.
Types of help and learning opportunities
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
Interests
Self development
Pets
Farming
Plant care
Music
Gardening
Cooking & food
Carpentry
Books
Animals
Camping
Hiking
Mountain
Nature
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We can teach about permaculture design, principals and techniques.
It is a perfect place for those, who wish to reconnect with nature and with themselves. Who wish for peace and are hungry of knowledge.
We can share our traveling stories and experiences since both of us made long journeys before getting established here.
We have a passion for good food, especially asian and italian cousine.
We have basic knowledge about natural medicine and foraging.
Kasia is studying and practicing Process Oriented Psychology and can share some knowledge about that.
We have a good deal experience on designing and constructing buildings, both with natural and conventional materials.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
What work may we expect from you:
GARDENING (weeding, planting, mulching, harvesting, watering)
PLANTS PROPAGATION (sowing the seeds, repotting plants)
COMPOSTING (collecting material for the compost, turning compost, applying on the garden beds)
LAND CLEARING (chopping down shrubs we don't need, taking away brumble bushes)
FOREST WORK (we will not ask you for using heavy machines unless you had experience with them and you feel comfortable with that, but you might help with loading wood on the trailer, pruning the trees, or taking away dry ferns)
HELP WITH MAKING FIREWOOD (assisting us while we are cutting the wood, storing it, bringing to the kitchen)
COOKING (If you enjoy cooking, you are more than welcome to make dinner or bake. We always cook on the firewood, so energy is for free and you can bake as much as you want ; )
HELPING ON THE CONSTRUCTION SITE
Type of help always depend on the seasons, on what do we have to do at certain time and also on your personal skills and prefers.
We would consider 5 hours of easy going help for 5 days a week as a fair deal for tasty food and accommodation through all the days of your stay. You will have weekends off.
Volunteer kitchen is a separate unit, we are cooking in our house, as we need privacy and independence with the baby. We will share the lunch together and during the working hours there will be one person responsible for making lunch. We always try to swap and keep it balanced, so nobody has to cook all the time. Breakfasts and dinners are up to you. We will supply the commune kitchen with all the basic ingredients, if you need anything more you can always talk to us before the next shopping.
Languages
Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
Polish: Fluent
Portuguese: IntermediateThis host offers a language exchange
We are always happy to practice Portuguese
Accommodation
During the colder season we have one wooden cabin and one cob house available, both of them are equipped with wood stoves. It will be up to you to light it up and take care of it according to your needs.
Also there is a lot of space to park a van, pitch your own tent or set up your hammock, if you come in the summer time.
What do we recommend you to take:
OCTOBER - MAY
good rainproof jacket and shoes
warm clothes for chill evenings
your own sleeping bag
torch
environmental friendly soap/shampoo
JUNE - SEPTEMBER
hat or clothes that protect you from the sun
your own sleeping bag
torch
environmental friendly soap/shampoo
SPECIAL WARNING TO SMOKERS
Since we are situated in the area with very high risk of fire, we want to make sure, that you are very conscious about that. We will ask you to always take care that you put your cigarette leftovers to the jar that is closed afterwards. Remember, that your one mistake could costs us loosing our land and creating a big danger to our neighbors.
We provide food for all the days of the volunteers stay.
What else ...
For your free time:
we have a lovely river close by to swim in the summer time or you can also hop in the water tank to cool off ; ) There is also a good possibility for hiking, mushroom picking, biking, fishing and getting to know the portuguese village life and local festas. We are 10 minutes drive from Tabua as well as Olivera do Hospital and about an hour drive from Viseu or Coimbra or the Serra de Estrela. The farm itself is nicely remote to be private but lays in 10 min walking distance to the village. There you can find a café, some bars and a little shop for the most necessary things. Close by we have two different yoga teachers and taekwondo. We are surrounded by plenty of similar projects/communities and farms like us. This creates a beautiful feeling of building a better future among friends and neighbors, who take great care of the nature and want to live a healthy, responsible and happy life. There are few local flea markets and other nice social event happening from time to time.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
There is plenty of space to park a van, but the entrance is a bit limited. Big trucks will not pass through, but there is still option to park near by in a distance of few minutes to the farm.
Can possibly accept pets
If you have dogs, be aware that there are many free dogs in the neighborhood and it would be your responsibility to take care of potential "dog's politics". We also live in the village full of farm animals, like chickens, goats, sheep etc. Make sure your dog is well behaved near them.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Feedback (13)
With Love,
Kasia and Franz
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With Love,
Kasia and Franz
Kasia and Franz really know a lot about permaculture and they like to pass their knowledge on. The same in natural… read more
Highly recommended!!
Being around her feels just right and comfortable. She has a great feeling of being in a community. She loved to cook and bake for us and we loved her food ; ) She instinctively did her every task, just as I would… read more
When we firt arrived at your Quinta, we were blown away by the beauty of it. You found such a lovely place in the heart of Portugal and you both do so much to make it even more beautiful. Thank you for teaching us about permaculture gardening. I learned about the edible forest, how you turn the eco toilet "left overs" into… read more
i believe this quinta represents all of what a permaculture place should be like. living off grid, growing their own food, making their own compost, with wood stove, geodomes, the yurt.. i mean i finally felt that there IS really a way to live sustainably.
also working there is so much… read more
They made me and the other work-awayers feel at… read more
