Outdoor working experience olive picking and more in the Sardinian Country Side, Italy

Details

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  Description

  <<<<<<<<<<<< About the work >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
  Spring and autumn are always beautiful periods of the year to work outside. Especially in the autumn there is plenty to do, for example almond picking, olive picking, there might still be some figs, or make marmelade of the quinces, cleaning the terraces, fixing the natural stone walls bordering the terraces etc
  For the end of October and beginning of November I'm looking for work awayers to help with the olive harvest.
  
  <<<<<<<<<<<< ABOUT THE FARM >>>>>>>>>>>>>
  My small farm is not commercial, it's too small for that, at the same time it's too big for a hobby.
  The only thing we get from the grid is electrical power, we have to take care of our own spring water, sewage and the road to get here. In other words I don't make money with this project and I have to put in a lot of passion and love (which means hard work), in my spare time to get stuff done around here. So I don't exploit you as cheap labor, instead I like to share my lifestyle with like-minded people.
  
  <<<<<<<<<<< ABOUT ME >>>>>>>
  I am a Dutchman and I have been living in Sardinia from the year 2000 on a small olive farm. I work for 6 months a year as a tourist and hiking guide and the rest of my time is dedicated to living in the country side and sports The olive farm is situated on a slope with multiple terraces and stunning views on the beautiful valley surrounded by mountains. It's 14 km to the nearest beach and 6 km out of town.
  Besides olives there are a lot of almond trees and some other fruit trees like prunes, figs and apricots.
  
  ==== ABOUT THE DOGS====:
  We have 2 dogs, Zara and Scivu. They are good company and are allowed to come into the house. Scivu is a mix terrier and Zara is a sterilized female mix border collie and Sardinian sheep dog.
  Scivu is a bit bossy, but Zara is definitely the leader of the pack. They are both from end of 2015.
  Zara is very fast and agile and likes to run a lot. Scivu likes to play a lot and asks for your attention, he likes to play rough chasing games wit Zara.
  They are well educated and used to walking on the leash. Zara is very protective and doesn't allow strangers nearby, with a little bit of patience however when she gets used to you you'll start to discover that she's very affectionate. And you'll become part of her pack that she wants to protect :)
  Due to territorial mechanisms I can't take helpers with dogs. Unfortunately it takes a lot before a stable situation is constructed between my dogs and visiting dogs.
  
  <<<<<<<<<<<< ABOUT THE HOUSE >>>>>>>>>>
  The house has a kitchen, living room, bathroom and two bedrooms that are all on the same floor and the wood heater is in the center. A third bedroom is independent of the house and about 30 meters away.
  There are beautiful sitting areas outside that overlook the valley and the mountains where you can enjoy lunch outside on sunny days.
  
  <<<<<<<<<<< ABOUT THE SURROUNDINGS >>>>>>>>>>>>>
  The valley is covered in vineyards and olive groves and only few families live here. The closest town Dorgali has 9000 inhabitants and is 6 km away. The nearest beach is 15 km away, 20 minutes by car, on the other side of the mountain.
  There are plenty of hiking possibilities, the Gorropu canyon is one of the best known hiking trails around here, then there are the famous walks to Cala Luna and Tiscali, that can be reached with a short drive.
  
  <<<<<<<<<<< THE CLIMATE >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
  Don't be afraid to come in autumn and winter because November to April is a beautiful time of year here as days are crisp in the morning and can warm up to between 12 and 25 DEGREES around lunchtime, the views in this time of year are crystal clear. In winter there is always enough to do outside, so no lack of fresh air.
  Summer is usually very hot, and to get anything done you have to get up at 05.00, and then again there's not too much to do, this is why in July and August I can't accept volunteers.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  What's this?
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Learn all about olive cultivation and olive oil.
  Learn about living in the country side.

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  Help

  We are looking for people that collaborate with us, and that outside of the working hours do not create extra work for us. Be prepared to "work away", NOT "holiday away".
  By using this site, you get the possibility to look in other peoples life through helping them out, through the act of sharing their tasks and in this way get a broader perspective on the world and on your own life.
  
  ==== THE HOUSEHOLD
  It is important that everybody helps out with the work and with the general household tasks. This means first of all cleaning up after yourself ;) , people that are used to other people cleaning up after them should not apply. For both work and household tasks I ask people to observe how we do things, and concentrate on what we ask them to do and finish doing it, in other words we ask people to be present and help out instead of play guests and create work for us. EVERYBODY HAS TO TAKE THEIR SHARE OF HOUSEHOLD CHORES, OUTSIDE OF WORKING HOURS, JUST LIKE IN EVERYDAY FAMILY LIFE.
  In the common spaces we expect you to help with the normal household chores, like sweeping the floor, cleaning the kitchen and the bathroom. We also expect you to keep your own sleeping quarters clean. So when you come you get a clean place and when you leave you leave it clean.
  
  ===== THE WORK ON THE LAND ====
  We ask you for 4,5 to 5 hrs of work per day on the land and take part in the normal household chores on top.
  We take two days per week off from work (the dogs still need to be fed if you came for taking care of the dogs) so you have time to discover the area, on the days off we still provide food, and you might ave to cook yourself. If there are household jobs you're still invited to help out.
  During the olive picking days we ask you to work from 09.00 - 15.00 with one hour for lunch, this is 5 hours of work. We work for 3 days, then take one day off.
  Besides picking olives there are a lot of different fruit trees like figs and peaches that we use for making jam.
  Some of the things I need some help with is:
  - cutting grass and shrubs
  - light building jobs in wood around the house.
  
  ===== TAKING CARE OF THE DOGS ======
  Sometimes I'm looking for a couple to take care of the dogs, in this case time spent for walking and feeding them is considered as working time. So this is seven days a week, 1,5 hours per day for walking, feeding and cleaning up after the dogs (sweeping the floor).
  This means that from the 5 days of 5 hours = 25 hours per week there's roughly 14 hrs per week left that you can spend on gardening jobs.
  ====Prerequisites for dogsitters====:
  - experience with dogs, but you can't bring your own pet, to avoid tension and unpleasant situations between the dogs. Take the dogs out for a walk every single day (for the dogs see description below).
  - willing to do some work on the terrain and around the house.
  - you need to be handy to do some gardening and small jobs around the house.
  - willing to stay here alone as I'm frequently on a multiple day tour with tourists.
  - you have to clean up after yourself and keep the place orderly in general.
  - minimum stay 2 weeks
  
  ===== IN RETURN FOR YOUR HELP =====
  In return for your help, I take care really well of you, you get a warm and comfortable room and the common living spaces (living room, bathroom, kitchen and terraces) are orderly and clean. You get 3 meals per day, tea, coffee, (soy)milk and some fruit.
  
  ===== WORK ETHICS ======
  Some people are distracted and leave the tools and other stuff lying around the house and the terrain, often they don't put things back where they find them, I can't find the pruning scissors anymore or they only wash part of the dishes and forget to clean the kitchen top, or light the wood burner without sweeping up the mess they just made. Maybe they think I or someone else will take the role of their mum and clean after them? Who knows..
  Morale of this tale: if you start a job, be present and finish it. Be responsible for what you do, I don't like to treat people like little children but unfortunately it has happened.
  So to save both of us embarrassments like this, if you did not have a good laugh about what I just wrote, don't apply to come over and help out :)
  
  ===== SPARE TIME =====
  In the afternoon and on the days off you can go to town or go for a walk on your own or with one of the dogs or go for a bike ride. Sometimes I'll go to the beach or hike in the mountains and of course you can come.
  There are 2 mountain bikes, a guitar, a drum, various tools to work on your fitness like kettle bells, steel maces and Indian clubs.

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  Languages spoken

  German: Fluent
  English: Fluent
  Italian: Fluent
  Dutch: Fluent
  French: Intermediate

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  Accommodation

  Bedroom in the house, possibly shared with another person.
  Independent room next to the house.

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  What else ...

  The farm is 6 km out of town, you can hitchhike to town which is easy around here.
  The area is excellent for hiking, mountainbiking and climbing. We have mountainbikes for your use.

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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

  For a digital nomad there is the possibility to work in the living room, in your bedroom or outside. It is very peaceful out here. There is no fixed internet connection, but the mobile connection works very well here. I used to have internet via satellite but with the improving mobile connection I eliminated it.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  Due to the narrow road with a few short stretches (150 meters) of dirt road you'll be able to get here only with a van - camper.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  Hours expected

  5 hours a day, 5 days a week (2 days off)

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