Sweden
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PLS DON´T APPLY IF YOU DON`T MATCH OUR SEARCHINGS!!!
We´re looking for someone who´s educated physiotherapist or massage therapist. (It´s for me. More details via eMail)
We're also looking for a good carriage driver/trainer for 2 of our horses.
EXPERIENCED (!) Doghandler/Horse "handler"
Carpenter (building/renovating experiences)
Please have voloutnteering experiences!
Why that? We don´t want you to come all the way to us and find out, that this place might not be that you were dreaming of. Our 3 horses are not beginner horses and if you wanna come here and want to do quite a lot with them, you need to be experienced. They´re no riding school ponies. If you´ve worked and trained carriage horses, it would help us to educate 2 of our horses more than they are.
The dogs? Well, you can take a walk with them or help to train them, but in any way you need to be experienced with sleddogs, since they´re not like a Cocker Spaniel. In a speed of 30km/h on the bike you should not get afraid of but knowing how to work with the dog and the bike during the trip.
A Carpenter? Huh?? Ja, well, you know, things we need to do here are getting more detailed and it´s quite a lot of work when we have to do it in the end 2 times. So, we want to insulate the roof of our little old house and if you´ve never worked with crafts it´s so difficult to remember everything whats needed to know while working. Of course it´s no problem to learn things and if you´ve done such things, maybe you could show us pictures of it?
We´re not a tourist horse/dog farm, so a doghandler here means, that it´s someone who enjoys the help with and around the dogs but also to help us in the household, the stable etc. But your main tasks in that case would be around the dogs. We´ve cats in the house, so have to love them as much as the other fluffy family members :) If you´ve worked at other places and are used to sled/bike etc you can join or do your own little trips here. The same about the horses.
We need now some more special help because the winter is knocking on the door. That means less time with daylight and we want to make sure, the tasks we have are getting done with some kind of routine. It´s so nice when everything is done early and to sit in the kitchen and play a game, knit, talk, prepare dinner together ... am I right?
*️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️ Since we speak 3 languages we want to ensure, you, who wants to join us for a while, is able to speak German, English or Swedish in a higher level than you might learn it in school to ensure, you´ll understand our advices and explanations!!*️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️️️
Hej and welcome to us in Sweden!
we´re living with 3 horses, 20 chickens, 1 pig, 10 dogs, 6 cats, 4 guinea pigs and 3 rabbits in the forest of Österfärnebo, Sandviken Kommun, Gävleborg Län.
From here it is 1h 45min with the car to Stockholm Arlanda Airport. The next city, Sandviken, is around 40-45min away and the biggest city close to us, with a nice old town and at the sea is Gävle. (Now you can check google a little bit and read about the area :) )
We, is right now me, Cora, 33 years old, German but living almost 7 years in Sweden and my animals and my boyfriend, Swedish, 34 years old.
We´ve no direct neighbours but summer houses down and up the road, which means, here and there´s people for a day or two.
Down to the little village you can find 4 people who are living permanently around the old mill. There´s still a little lake and also a little stream behind our farm, down to the mill.
A little bit the time stopped here and we would like to continue, like it has been 30, 40, years ago.
The house we´re living in is 100 years old - also the stables and other buildings you can find on the farm.
The little stone cellar with another well in was build by hand around 1860.
Inside the house we heat with old stoves you can cook your meal an.
It means every or every third day you have to carry in firewood and staple it in the kitchen.
It also means to go up during the night if it´s below 15 degrees.
We have an earth closet, but we do have a bathroom of course and a shower.
Even it´s a lonely place, you reach the next shop in some minutes which is only for us exsisting who are living here in Österfärnebo.
Otherwise we need to drive a long time to the next bigger shop.
We´re speaking German, English and Swedish.
I don´t eat meat and don´t drink/eat any milk or other products made from animals.
But eat the eggs from my chickens and eat honey from a friend who´s a beekeeper and living close to the mill.
The form we live like is called ovo-vegetarianism
We always have the vegan version of meat/milk which is actually really tasty here in Sweden!
We´re non smoker, but do drink alcohol here and there. We´re open, funny and humours people, empathic and helpful.
You should be definetly a non smoker too!!
*️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️Important to know - we're living on a farm with animals and work outside and are dependent on the weather conditions what means, volunteering days might vary from only a few volunteering hours or long days in between. If you're looking for a place where you work constantly and exactly 5 hours/day 5 days/week and 2 days free without doing anything we might not be the right host for you! *️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️*️️️️️️️
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Creating/ Cooking family meals
General Maintenance
Farmstay help
Help with Eco Projects
Help around the house
Animal Care
Language practice
Art Projects
Help with Computers/ Internet
At our place and due to the little village you get back in time, when there´s been horses bringing the cereals to the mill, farmers worked on the fields and people helped out each other.
A world without stress and negative feelings.
Everyone knows anyone and you at least know each other by seeing from the shop f.ex.
Our life here is not only old school but also different and you start to understand what luxury is and what is only needed to be happy and feel nice.
It´s not the flat screen and newest Iphone, it might be the full storage of fire wood or a sunny day which makes you happy and smile.
Different animals with own stories, ups and downs in the everyday life but also a life of many stories of the people´s life might enlarge the horizont and feelings.
To listen to yourself and to help others, to be proud of what you´ve done by your own, to talk about problems, the day, positive and negative things - moments we might not have time in our stressy everyday life you´ll get back and learn how important and wonderful they can be.
If you´re addicted to Facebook, Youtube and Co. we might not be the best place for you to stay. We don´t want to have mobile phone zombies here...
For this winter there´s planned to renovate the guest house which shall be mostly for you, work aways, to feel cozy and comfortable in.
It means to be handy in different ways. If it´s roofing, painting, put up furniture or repair windows/doors etc.
You shouldn´t be afraid to cook or shop food, handle the animals or stay alone during the time I´m at work and while I´m not home the animals would appreciate a friendly person who´ll feed or brush them, ride them or clean their stable. Take a walk with the dog or cuddle with the cats.
As soon as possible we need to start to insulate the upper area of the house and make it habitable. There´s walls and insulation missed f.ex. but also renovation of the stairs, the bedroom, windows and furnishing in the end.
Urgently needed is the renovation of the old buildings outside like the barn and stables.
As soon as the snow leaves and the weather stays stable there´s a big area for our vegetables we want to plant.
The old horse stable shall become renovated again which means to sandpaper parts, paint and clean it but also to renovate the old window frames.
The horse stable is totally handmade and very well preserved from 1931.
In the summer when all the berries are ready to harvest we do a lot marmelade and we bring in the hay and straw we need for the winter.
For you who come here from around May till September - there's mostly garden tasks and to pick berries as well as renovation to do.
That means that if you wanna do stable stuff/be with the horses you should apply for winter instead.
Winter volunteers have to stay at least 6 weeks due to the special workload and the fact we've not many hours of daylight. It takes a while to get used by it and find your daily routines.
Year-round there´s a lot to do and to create and we´d appreciate to read the work awayer´s ideas in our buildings here and there.
We want you to be a member of us and our life which means you are absolutely allowed to have ideas and to help out in the everyday life.
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
Swedish: Fluent
Sami: Beginner
In an own room in the house. You´ll have your privacy and the possibility to withdraw.
As soon as the guesthouse is ready, you´ll live in it with a little kitchen if you want to invite someone or just be by your own - you´re free to choose yourself.
Not that far away you find a train station as well - the airport you reach by train within around 2 - 2,5 hours.
Perfect train connection from Horndal bruk to Gävle or Arlanda.
We´ve internet access (WiFi) but no TV - we watch here and there online.
In your freetime you´re welcome to ride the horses(if you're a good rider), take the bike to visit closest area around.
For trips to the bigger cities I recommend to take the train to skip expensive parking tickets or stressy moments. Whatever you wanna do, I´m always there to help and to support as best as possible.
If you´re intrested in winter sports, there´s possibilites as well as fishing, boating, swimming etc. (depends ofc of the season)
Recommendable is the silver mine in Sala (1 hour away) you can visit in many different tours and different prices, the Wasa Museum in Stockholm as well as other places in Stockholm, Gävle and Västerås city.
There´s many old places close around us where there´s been businesses in the past.
In Säter, Dalarnas Län, you can visit a mental health museum (Mentalvårdsmuseet).
Please note, that our winters can be below 30 degrees.
It´s important you take warm clothes with you if you stay during November until Febuary/ March. I definetly help you finding warm clothes/shoes for good prices here at the place, if you don´t have anything or you need anything special.
Don´t forget to take swimwear with you if you come here during the summer!
Very important as well is, to tell about your experiences with animals, especially horses and if you really like cats, if you´re handy, if you have any allergies or sth special you are looking for we should know before to make sure you won´t be disappointed in the end.
Please also tell how long you want to stay and don´t hesitate if you´re a couple - as long as you wanna share the guest house or guest room together, you´re absolutely welcome here as well! :)
Pls don´t forget mosquito spray (DEET) ! If you come during the summer.
Take always clothes with you they will keep you warm even it´s summer. Like a softshell jacket, a fleeze jacket or sth like that.
But also shorts or a skirt/dress, t-shirts etc.
Winter clothes are usually marked as winter clothes so please take jackets, thermo trousers, gloves, hats, long underpants, winter shoes, etc with you when you come here during the winter.
Once more: If your clothes won´t keep you warm enough and I can´t help out with the stuff I´ve already here to borrow, you can order in an internet web shop, pretty cheap, warm and snug winterwear!
Don´t hesitate to tell this right in the beginning so I can tell you prices etc you can calculate with! I´don´t earn any money with! It´s help I offer to make sure your stay is comfortable - if it´s summer or winter!
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
One
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
