Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
14 Apr 2025
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 10 days
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Description
Welcome to our homestead! We are part of the creation of the first ecovillage in Bulgaria, and with our neighbours have created an educational NGO for our ecology work, regenerating the landscape here and creating a model of off-grid living and reuse of ex-agricultural land.
Our long term vision is creating, in partnership with our neighbours, a vibrant community for creation, learning and experimentation, with a series of permaculture edible forest gardens to cover this land in lush, beautiful, tasty abundance!
We are Sophie and Krasi, an English Bulgarian couple who are passionate about living in harmony with nature and building our community here and connecting to like minded people across the world.
On our homestead we live simply in a small cob house we built, with a little lake, vegetable garden, orchard with huge diversity of old kinds of fruit trees, swales, bees and a lot of beautiful open sky over us. We are 100% off-grid and have solar panels for electricity, a ram pump for water, compost toilet, solar shower outside and a handmade rocket stove. We are currently planting a large swale system with mixed forest and fruit trees, propagating a wide range of plants in our nursery, grafting fruit trees, getting the gardens ready for seasonal vegetables, preparing our bees and new hives. We are also building an extension on the side of our house this year, bigger nursery greenhouses and repair of our existing cob cottage. We have a community off grid water system that we've made that we are always improving. Also many community projects such as shared food growing, forestation and creation.
We are happy to share our experiences of living this way and our love for this land. We have completed our Permaculture Design Certification and are implementing our design part by part and running permaculture courses here. I am a permaculture teacher and facilitator, and run an online permaculture network.
We also have knowledge in Natural beekeeping, electronics and alternative technology, woodworking, clothes making, herbal medicine, holistic nutrition and more.
Accommodation in the warmer seasons is in tents or there is space for your camper van. We have an outdoor compost toilet, and enclosed outdoor shower.
Food is healthy vegetarian/ vegan food, a lot raw in the summer and from our own garden. We eat together twice a day, mid morning and mid afternoon. We don't eat meat/fish or smoke and we ask you to respect this while you are with us.
We have mobile reception and quite limited internet. We are 20km from the nearest town, but can arrange to pick you up in our car.
We do a lot of communal activities with our neighbours, other families with similar dreams- helping each other with building projects, a shared garden on a river island, yoga, dancing, singing and celebrating! Nearby we have small areas of forest, a river for swimming and big lake. Its possible to also go on trips to ancient historical sites, the sea, national park, mountains... Bulgaria has a very rich, diverse and beautiful nature.
We look forward to meeting dedicated, open minded volunteers, who share our passion for caring for nature and enjoying the simple pleasures of life. Its best if you can come from one week to a month, to have enough time to get to know the place, really be useful and learn something for yourselves.
The daily hours depend on the weather and the tasks, ..In the summer we start very early and rest in the hot time then continue in the late afternoon. With days off for resting and exploring!
We are looking for motivated, energetic, focused volunteers to help us with the management of our young forest. Be ready to work in all weather, have an adventure and learn about permaculture and off-grid living!!
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Help around the house
General Maintenance
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We can offer a lot of knowledge about permaculture, plants, herbs, beekeeping, crafts, sewing, healthy vegetarian cooking, fermenting, preserving etc.
We can share our community life, where we have time to craft, sing and dance together, enjoy Bulgarian Paneurythmia, folk music and cuisine. There are many beautiful places around us that we can share - forests, lakes, ancient Tracian sacred sites.
We really love sharing skills and stories with all our visitors :-)
Help
We need help with Permaculture gardening, forest maintenance, building projects and water infrastructure projects.
Its important to have an active interest in an alternative way of life, earth care, people care, fair share and be open and willing to learn.
We prefer people who are independent and reliable and can work alone or in groups.
If you have experience with gardening, building, carpentry, plumbing, sewing, painting then great. If not you can learn!
Languages
Languages spoken
Bulgarian: Fluent
English: FluentThis host offers a language exchange
We are happy to teach some Bulgarian to our visitors!
Accommodation
Accommodation in the warmer seasons is in tents or there is space for your camper van. We can provide a tent, camping mattress and bedding.
We have an outdoor compost toilet, and enclosed outdoor shower.
Food is healthy vegetarian/ vegan food, a lot raw in the summer and from our own garden. We eat together twice a day, mid morning and mid afternoon. We don't eat meat/fish or smoke and we ask you to respect this while you are with us.
What else ...
We have been hosting volunteers, courses and youth groups here for many years and have many positive experiences and new friends from these exchanges. We really value mutual respect and openness and hope that everyone will leave with new ideas and inspirations from our time together.
Bulgaria is a really beautiful country with amazing nature - mountains, forests, sea coast and a rich folk culture and history. There is so much to experience and enjoy here.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
We have plenty of space for house vehicles on our land and welcome them. We are totally off grid so we dont have an electricity or gas hookup for vans, you would need your own power.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
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