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3 Sep 2024
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[LOOKING for LONG TERM HELP]
OPEN (full season) POSITIONS FOR YEAR 2024 and 2025:
- "Market garden" take over (nursery, planting, watering, weeding, harvest)
- Animal care (polutry, goat): MOB grazing, moving fences for animals daily...
- Infrastructure renovation (wood work, construction work, landscaping, building electronics, water systems etc.)
- IT help: social media, setting up web page, translating information from farm projects to online diary...
You can also write for short time help (21 days - 3 weeks as minimum)
{NOW ABOUT US}
We are Juš and Kim (27, 29), an engineer and a designer by education, farmers by profession. Founders of dobrine.goods regenerative farm operation.
Currently living the life in Bohinjska Bela, Slovenia. We established dobrine.goods operation.
In a valley carved by the river and glacier, on the periphery of the only national park, both river banks are suitable for cultivation and settlements. On the west-side bank, surrounded by densely forested plateau and the easternmost parts of the Julian Alps, we are regenerating a “sleeping” farm back to life.
We started with the knowledge from modern techniques of regenerative agriculture and upgraded the model to adapt it to new standards of not starting from zero, but starting from too much and moving towards zero - making it easier for future generations to start similar projects on their own.
In the four years of the project we have established a market garden, composting station, integrated MOB grazing, pastured meat birds, perennial lines and landscaping. Along side we are renovating the infrastructure, the house, barn, and other structures the farm includes. In 2023 we have started with forest work, basic forest maintenance, firewood and slow renovation of forest cabins. The progress is slow - but constant.
The terrain here is hard to cultivate and being a farmer is not yet profitable or respected. With our projects and lifestyle we are improving the stigmatisation of farming life and hopefully encouraging people around us to understand the new paradigm. Our goal is being a good model others can adapt, enjoying farming that allows harvesting not just organic crops, but also other amenities of modern life, without overexploitation.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We live next to Bled lake, which is always full of new interesting people on the go. So it is amazing place for cultural exchange, exploring nature, live in the comfortable Slovenian wilderness.
Every day on our farm is a new story, so you can easily learn lots of new stuff. Landscaping, gardening, wood making, stone house renovating, alternative living, art projects, etc.
Help
-general help on farm. We are setting up no till farm and renovating old infrastructure step by step, learning from surroundings and creating future proof farm.
We do a lot of forest related work, renovating house and farm facilities and maintaining/creating garden.
- art projects. We want to connect as many like minded people as possible, connect art and cultivating land in something special, so we can set up a showcase for future youngsters looking for inspiration.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Slovenian: FluentThis 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.
Accommodation
We can offer:
-barn next to our house, converted to studio for 1-4 persons.
- shared common spaces for cooking, eating and hanging out in the house
- shared bathroom in the house
- stand alone house in the woods, 10-15min driving from our farm or 40min walking. House has its own water spring, 12v solar power supply, gas cooker and room warmer, lights, place to sleep for 2-4 people. Outside, there's a big fireplace.
*since the project is in an ever evolving state, changes and upgrades of the environment are a possibility.
What else ...
We provide main meal of the day. Things that we cultivate in the season are avaliable anytime (eggs, vegetables, fruits...). For anything extra there is small store in the village and more options in Bled.
From our village, there's bus directly to Bled, Ljubljana every hour. So you can be in the capital in an hour. There's a lot to explore around us, we live just by the national park, between two lakes, there's a river 10min walk from the farm, rocks for climbing above us...
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
We have Wi-Fi in our house and enhancers around the house and barn, and places to use it.
Space for parking camper vans
There's a lot of space dedicated for working on the field, and you can park on the plot as well.
Can possibly accept pets
We have two pet dogs, Nerinni (croatian shepherd, 1.5 year) and Tippi (border collie, 1 year). In 2023 we have hosted 4 WW dogs, without any problems.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week, daily tasks on weekends
Feedback (25)
They all quickly adapted to our routines and contributed greatly to our project. They communicated effectively, took initiative, and were always comprehensible. During their stay they took full… read more
We stayed just 2 weeks and only 1 week with Kim and Jus but we can surely say that their project is amazing. We loved how smartly they work and build their systems. They are really open, flexible and kind. We loved so much the place and working with the animals.
We were also so lucky to see new baby goats coming… read more
Photos
Feedback
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Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(4.8)
Communication:
(4.9)
They all quickly adapted to our routines and contributed greatly to our project. They communicated effectively, took initiative, and were always comprehensible. During their stay they took full… read more
We stayed just 2 weeks and only 1 week with Kim and Jus but we can surely say that their project is amazing. We loved how smartly they work and build their systems. They are really open, flexible and kind. We loved so much the place and working with the animals.
We were also so lucky to see new baby goats coming… read more
He showed us that given the right guidance he can take it really far. If you are well organised and comfortable with delegating work to others - Luke is the worker you want. He is determined to understand the tasks and has an eye for… read more
To understand what made this exchange unique among the three I've done this year, you need some context for exactly what Kim and Juš are attempting to do. They are not just making a sustainable eco project; they are determined… read more
We learned so much. Cooked a lot with local products, shared baking sessions of bread and pizza. We got to know other workawayers and shared also great… read more
We also looked after the garden and animals, it… read more
We usually worked in the morning from 9 to 1, we had free afternoons and weekends. Tasks were various, working in the garden, feeding the animals,… read more
My workaway stay in Bohinska Bela was such a great experience, Juš and Kim really have a great setup on their farm, with the workawayers that come through and the projects they have going. There was always a lot to be done and the work can be hard but you really start to enjoy it and… read more
Kim and Juš try to make the work versatile, and even though the project seems super large, they are chipping away at it one step at a time.… read more
It was our first workaway but we had such a great time it definitely won't be our last, we just hope anyone else we visit are as fun as Juš and Kim.
The work was fairly varied and was semi tailored to what we wanted to… read more
I've seen so much good ideas and learned a lot about this style of farming.
This two weeks… read more
We spent three weeks in Bohinjska Bela and we didn't have even one boring day. The tasks were various (making beds, general maintenance in the woods, planting, renovation works inside the house, transferring a greenhouse). Kim and Juš took our wishes and interests into consideration and they… read more
I've spent last two weeks with them and around four other volunteers. They work with awareness, which makes daily tasks more like a journey of meditation. I love how they respected different rhythm from each person. There are different tasks everyday, based on season. I feel very… read more
For me the balance and type of work was perfect, some… read more
It was a calm, warm stay with great food from the own vegetables and chicken. It was the end of harvesting time - instant gratification guaranteed (apple juicing :D )!
You are given a lot of freedom and you can also bring your own ideas. The workinghours are… read more
We… read more
We are very lucky to have… read more
She arrived in late summer and helped us with the forest projects; building a compost toilet, clearing the woods and creating new stone paved paths, picking the potatoes etc. At first she was shy, but as soon as she got the confidence of the tools and… read more
They live there with Juš’s Mother, her Partner and his grandmother, also a charming gang of 3 cats (say hi… read more
