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

Details

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  Description

  Dear travellers,
  We're looking for like minded people to share our outdoor life style with and to help us out with the maintenance of the olives, almond trees and a variety of other trees and small tasks on the land.
  
  We're working towards being self sustaining and we're looking for people with the same passion and some knowledgeable about the various aspects like permaculture, renewable energy and water management.
  
  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, etc
  For the end of October and beginning of November I'm looking for workawayers 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 there are about
  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.
  Living in the country side has become a way of life and we like to receive like minded people to share this way of life with.
  
  <<<< 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.
  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 :)
  
  To avoid problems between dogs or with the sheep of our neighbor, we can't take helpers with 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.
  
  You're welcome to come with your own van camper, we can give you power and there's space close to the house.
  
  <<<< IN RETURN FOR YOUR HELP >>>>
  We take care really well of you, you get a warm and comfortable room and you can use the common living spaces (living room, bathroom, kitchen and terraces).
  You get 3 meals per day, tea, coffee, some fruit and the occasional glass of wine.
  
  <<<>>>
  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.
  
  <<<< 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

  House sitting
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  Interests

  

  Sustainability

  

  Self development

  

  Pets

  

  Farming

  

  Languages

  

  Gardening

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Nature

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Fitness

  

  Hiking
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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 like equals, that help out with the tasks on the terrain and also share our household chores.
  
  ===== THE TASKS ON THE LAND ====
  We ask you for 4,5 to 5 hrs of help per day on the land plus the normal household chores.
  We take two days per week off.
  
  On the days off we still provide food, and you might have to cook yourself. If there are household tasks you're still invited to help out.
  
  During the olive picking days we ask you to help from 09.00 - 15.00 with one hour for lunch, this is 5 hours of help. We work for 3 days, then take one day off.
  
  Some of the things I need some help with is:
  - cutting grass and shrubs, picking almonds
  - small DIY tasks around the house and orchard
  ==== THE HOUSEHOLD
  It is important that everybody helps out with the general household tasks.
  This means first of all cleaning up after yourself ;).
  For both work and household tasks I ask people to observe how we do things; we ask people to be present and help out instead of play guests and create work for us.
  
  ===== 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 tasks.
  ====Prerequisites for dog sitters====:
  - 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 light tasks on the terrain and 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

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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

  You're very welcome however due to the road with a few short stretches (150 meters) of dirt road going up, 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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  My animals / pets

  Zara

  Scivu

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