Assist around our family homestead and explore local life in Belfast, Maine

Details

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  Description

  We are a family homestead located 3 miles from downtown Belfast, looking for helping hands and an uplifting personality to join us beginning May 15th, 2024. We're open to one person or a couple. I am a gardener, plant-nut and a dreamer with a bad knee who can't keep up with my projects let alone all the new ones I dream up. "We" also includes my 28-year-old son, and 25-year-old niece and her 4-year-old daughter who is the apple of our eyes.
  
  We have a Chicken Palace, a greenhouse and root a cellar. I like to plant a large garden, but have started to downsize because I can't keep up. We also have grapes, berries, apples, a few herbs and flowers, and obscure plantings like schizandra and pawpaws. There's room for you to have your own garden patch if you're staying all summer. We have 6 laying hens but no other animals.
  
  In exchange for accommodations, I'm looking for 3 hours of help per day, 5 days a week, helping with things like planting, weeding, mowing/scything, wheel-barrowing mulch, and small building projects. I can envision some communal meals if our dietary styles mesh, and you can share veggies from the garden and eggs from the hens when available. But if you want full board as well, we'll need to come up with a different plan. The shorter helping hours (3 hrs/day) reflects you being responsible for your own meals most of the time. But other options could include additional help hours preparing communal meals?? I'm open to discussion! Perhaps I would supply bulk items like rice, lentils, oatmeal, ?? but you might buy your own perishable at the co-op or grocery store nearby? Let's talk. I.enjoy communal meals but they don't often happen at home with our differing schedules.
  The main house is available for cooking, meals, bathroom, and socializing.
  
  You should be physically strong enough to help with things like medium lifting and wheel-barrowing that I can no longer do. Often we will do the tasks together mornings, so you need to be a morning person as opposed to a late riser. In addition to gardening chores, projects might include building arbors and a rocket stove mass heater for the greenhouse.
  
  For its size (approx 7000), Belfast is a hub of activity. People gather for contra-dances, music, rowing, board-games, and more. There's a Rail Trail for the 3-mile walk into town, but a car would be helpful if you want to seriously tap into community life. The Hills-to-Sea hiking trail is available out the back door. Other more-fabulous hiking trails are nearby, but require a car to access. Still, you might do well enough with a bicycle. Sometimes rides may be available from our household.
  
  This page is still a work in progress!

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  General Maintenance
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Would you like to learn about gardening? Are you interested in eco projects like building a rocket stove mass heater?
  We also have hiking opportunities, two small kayaks...
  Social opportunities include potluck suppers with friends, bonfires, a bi-monthly Soup & Spanish group for Spanish learners, contradances (), a rowing group (), free Thursday evening summer concerts (),
  
  In progress. I'll get back with links to local events...

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  Rough draft!
  ...I'm looking for help with things like planting, weeding, mowing/scything, wheel-barrowing mulch, and small building projects. An interest and willingness to learn is more important than previous skill. You should be strong enough to help with things like lifting and wheel-barrowing that I can no longer do. In addition to gardening chores, projects might include building arbors and a rocket stove mass heater for the greenhouse.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Intermediate

  This host offers a language exchange
  A Spanish speaker would be wonderful! I'm learning Spanish, and my 28-year-old son is fairly proficient. And my 25-year-old niece is a native German speaker.
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  Accommodation

  A 14ft x 12ft room with a queen mattress in the loft.

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  What else ...

  I'll get to this soon!

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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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  Space for parking camper vans

  Campers are welcome but we're not set up for septic hookup.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  Hours expected

  3 hrs/day, 5 days a week