Join our warm and friendly family and share your skills in Marvão, Portugal

Details

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  Description

  I live on an organic smallholding and also help run my parents farm which consists of olives and sheep. Mine is a new venture whereas my parents have farmed all their lives in the Alentejo and have worked on many conservation projects.
  It's an idyllic spot away from the fray but near enough to walk to a couple of historical gems with lots of happening and a colourful international flavour too. My parents used to run a tourism business but are now scaling down and focusing more on their own farm projects. Although they occasionally still have guests, volunteers would not be expected to help with this.
  We all help together on the land as a family although I also teach Portuguese to incomers and English at a local college. This region is spectacular for its natural diversity: cork and chestnut forests, vineyards, sheep and cattle farms, and plains which stretch as far as the eye can see providing a privileged habitat for wildlife.
  We are warm and welcoming people who value simple values and integrity.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  Interests

  

  Politics / Social justice

  

  Sustainability

  

  Pets

  

  Culture

  

  Farming

  

  Plant care

  

  Music

  

  Gardening

  

  Languages

  

  Hitchhiking

  

  Drawing & painting

  

  Animals

  

  Nature

  

  Camping

  

  Mountain

  

  Beach

  

  Water sports

  

  Hiking
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Part of what we offer is the chance to integrate with the family and share skills. This is a 2 way thing. My Father is very good at husbandry and has a wealth of knowledge about Portugal and farming but as he is over eighty, needs support with many tasks which would have been so easy a few years ago. Having fun is very much part of the agenda and people will be made to feel part of the family.

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  Help

  You will be helping with various projects depending on the time of year: olive picking from late October to late December, general help like feeding animals or helping my parents with household chores they may find challenging.
  
  My Father has a wealth of local knowledge and will teach about the local country ways and traditions as well as showing people a good time. Tasks may be shared or not depending. Olive picking is certainly a shared task as we get family members and friends to come and help too so it is a fun and social time. We are currently looking for volunteers to help pick olives to make our own family olive oil for our own consumption and that of our guests.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  Portuguese: Beginner

  This 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.
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  Accommodation

  Workaways will stay in very nice rooms on the farm, some which have an en suite bathroom and others with a shared bathroom. A fully equipped kitchen is also provided as well as a sitting room area and an outdoor patio.
  
  Food will be provided to make sure volunteers are able to cater for their own dietary needs. Some meals may be taken with the hosts but a stipend is also provided as well as access to local shops to buy ingredients. Our volunteers tend to cook together as a social activity but can organise what works best for them. The hosts will not be cooks as my parents are elderly and I am teaching a lot of the time.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  This host has indicated that they love having digital nomads stay.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  This host can provide space for campervans.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  My animals / pets

  

  Avelã

  

  Border Collies

  

  Sheep

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