Interested in permaculture? Join us in our adventure in beautiful South Western France.

  • Favourited 475 times
  • Last activity: 4 Mar 2024

Availability

  2024 

 Min stay requested: at least 2 weeks

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    We live in a beautiful, historical site in South Western France, next to the ruins of a Medieval castle. Carlos (51) has completed his permaculture course and has done several relatedncourses including woodland management and mushroom growing. He's English and has two adult son that come on holidays regularly. Carlos is also very passionate about learning new, and often unusual things! Christine (50), a biligual Canadian, has taken an early retirement from teaching Literature and ESL, and now is also focusing most of her energy on developing their permaculture smallholding. Despite being recently handicapped, Christine is, as always, enthousiastic and full of creative ideas. We live with our two lovely cats!

    We are in the process of setting up permaculture gardens (forest garden, natural pond) and we run a guesthouse during the summer. Projects planned for this year include building of a cob oven, a chicken coop and a tiny house on wheels. We also need help with the guesthouse 5 paid hours a week possible during the summer X 2 for a couple. Come and join us!

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    Creating/ Cooking family meals
    General Maintenance
    Help with Eco Projects
    Help around the house
    Animal Care
    Hospitality/Tourism
  • UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

    UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

    UN goals
    No poverty
    Zero hunger
    Good health and well-being
    Quality education
    Gender equality
    Clean water and sanitation
    Affordable and clean energy
    Decent work and economic growth
    Industries, innovation and infrastructure
    Reduce inequality
    Sustainable cities and communities
    Responsible consumption and production
    Climate action
    Life below water
    Life on land
    Peace, justice and strong institutions
    Partnerships for the goals
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Carlos and Christine have both traveled quite a bit. He's a permaculture practitioner with a passion for forest gardening and wants to grow mushrooms. He calls himself the King of the Elves (but the elves haven't yet taken notice!). Christine has lived and worked in Quebec, Paris, Rabat, Boston and on a native reservation on Flores Island in British Columbia. After a few jobs as a student (market gardener, house painter, hotel receptionist, health food store manager), she starts her career teaching English (language and literature) and working as a translator. We're both very sociable and spend a lot of time with our friends, a multinational group of dreamers and artists mainly, that love this area.

    We are part of a very diverse and dynamic community; there are people from various cultures and walks of life living and working in the village, which is walking distance from our home.

    This setting is beautiful, with the valleys, rivers, woodlands all around, but best of all, the area is seeped in history. There are several castles, and if you prefer, even prehisoric caves, to visit.
    We speak English at home, but Christine also speaks fluent French.

    Most of the shopkeepers speak only French...so it will give you a chance to practice!

  • Host offers payment in line with the minimum wage

    Host offers payment in line with the minimum wage

    This host offers accommodation and payment.

    Host has indicated that they will pay at least the minimum hourly wage of their country for each hour worked and that accommodation will also be provided. They are asking for help with a business or business activity. Contact the host directly via the site messenger for more information and details about the wage provided. Any arrangements should be agreed in advance with your host.

  • Help

    Help

    If you know a little about permaculture, and want some hands on experience, this is the place for you! There is a lot to do in terms of the maintenance and development of the permacuture gardens and woodland. There is soil development, clearing, planting, setting up irrigation and more. Volunteers should have some experience with a chainsaw. As for the eco-buiding projects (cob oven, chichen coop, tiny house), volunteers must have basic carpentry and building skills. Though we are very flexible about the work schedule, we do need our volunteers to help once a week doing changeovers at the guesthouse (usually Saturday, during the summer.) On this day, the house must be cleaned, the garden maintained as well as the pool and hottub. We can take a single person and/or a couple.

  • Languages spoken

    English: Fluent
    French: Fluent

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    Accomodation depends on which dates you stay with us...

    When we don't have reservations, the volunteers can stay in the main house and garden. We spend some time in the main house but we usually stay in a nearby cottage with our cats.

    When we have guesthouse reservations (June - September), you have two possibilities. Either you can use our caravan (comfortable for couple) or our camper van (for 1 person or a couple), which has a double bed, wood burner, mini kitchen and a chemical toilet. Or you can camp, in the woodland, or in the cottage garden, next to the river.

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    There is alot to do in your spare time.

    First of all, we live by a river and we have a row boat and a kayak you can use. We also have bikes that you can use to quickly get around the village, or visit nearby villages. There are quite a few, somewhat challenging, biking/hiking trails leaving from the village.

    As for visits further away, such as castle and cave visiting, we might go along with you, or if you have a driver's licence and at least two years experience, you can use our car.

    Oh, and I almost forgot! There's a train station in the village, that can get you to the lovely city of Toulouse in just over an hour.

  • A little more information

    A little more information

    • Internet access

    • Limited internet access

      Limited internet access

    • We have pets

    • We are smokers

    • Can host families

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    Two

  • ...

    Hours expected

    Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week

Host ref number: 294949398662

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