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Host rating
90 %
Last replied
15 Feb 2025
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Description
We are a small non-profit organisation with a permaculture farm. We host volunteers or people on time-out under the form of an educational farm. In doing so, we offer alternative seasonal daytime activities. We try to create a welcoming environment where people can come and get a taste of what the land and country life has to offer. Linked to this, we want to pass on and teach knowledge and skills that are forgotten or in danger of being lost. Our volunteers learn how it can be beneficial to take care of animals, work in the fields, experience the seasons with both their pleasant and hard sides, recognise plants and herbs, grow, process and preserve vegetables.
Organising immersion classes for children, working days in cooperation with youth movements, giving workshops and lectures are also among our short-term projects. Since 2020, we have cooperated with another non-profit farm, 8km cycling distance away, with similar ideals, which also opens itself up to volunteers. One day, usually on Tuesdays, our volunteers go to work with them, the other day, usually on Fridays, their volunteers come to us. In this way, knowledge is also exchanged between the different projects.
The project is run by the owners of the place (Sylvie, Ben, Kena (17) and Gonde (13)), sometimes assisted by some long-term volunteers.
The 2ha estate has an orchard (meadow) and farmland. There are donkeys, sheep, dogs, cats and chickens.Types of help and learning opportunities
Charity Work
Art Projects
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Depending on the number of volunteers, different building projects can be worked on. These include: building with chalk hemp, building with bricks, working with clay (cob) and applying other crafts.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
~ HELP NEEDED ~
It's always great to have people who stay a bit longer (one month and longer) and can take up some responsibility such as making bread, take care of some of the animals, help the garden (with supervision), organise the kitchen, the laundry, the bikes, the tools, help with communication or accountancy, ... If you stay longer, you can learn more and really 'land' in the rhythm of the land-life.Languages
Languages spoken
Dutch: Fluent
English: Intermediate
French: IntermediateThis host offers a language exchange
This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
You can contact them directly for more information.Accommodation
~ ACCOMMODATION ~
We have reconstructed a former barn. There's a spacey kitchen with a cooking stove, where life mostly goes on. If the 'polyvalent room' is not used for activities, it's available for volunteers. In summer, it's a cool, shady place that we also used for drying herbs.
The accommodation is simple. Take into account that this kind of life takes a bit more time than in a house in the city. Compost toilets need to be emptied and sawdust supplies need to be filled. It takes more time to light a wood stove than it takes to turn on the gas. Vegetables need to be harvested and cleaned before you can start preparing dinner. Laundry needs to be hung, water kettles and hot water bottles need to be filled (winter) or hot water needs to be hauled in from the solar boiler, daily cleaning of the kitchen in order to avoid insects, etc.
If you want to try/share this kind of life for a while, this is your project. If not, it might be frustrating.
Food
Our food is:
- seasonal (so no cucumbers in April, eggs in December, or pumpkins in August),
- local,
- organic,
- mostly vegetarian
We mostly have unprocessed products. We buy some basics such as oil, grains and legumes and we grow fruit, veggies, and herbs. It’s up to volunteers to turn these into meals, bread spreads (jam, hummus, pesto, veggie pâté, etc.), and other tasty things like pickles or sauerkraut. We bake sourdough bread.
Typically, there are oats and sourdough bread with home-made jam for breakfast at eight, soup or salad and bread with home-made spreads for lunch at twelve, fruit or smoothy in the afternoon, and a cooked meal for diner around six. In the season, there are, of course, always fruits and berries to be picked from the land.
Washing
There’s an outdoor shower with hot (solar heated, so depending on availability) and cold water. In winter, water is heated on the stove, and you have to wash from a bucket.
Heating
All heating is done with wood stoves. Usually, only the kitchen is heated, the sleeping area is not. We have plenty of blankets.
When it’s warm outside and the sun is shining the solar cooker and electricity can also be used to heat water.
Sleeping
We have a wagon and a caravan. Beds, sheets, pillows and blankets are available. Volunteers can bring a tent.
Transport
The place is easily reached with public transport. Every hour, a 3km walk will take you to a bus stop, which will take you to a train station, which can take you directly to Brussels and Gent. Please don't come by car. There are some bikes, but they are only borrowed to longer term volunteers that are able to take care of them or want to learn that.
Other things
- We only invite non-smokers.
- There is wifi.
- Compost toilets only.What else ...
The Flemish Ardennes is one of the most beautiful regions in Flanders, with a hilly and often surprising landscape.
At 7 kilometers, there is a small town with public transport, shops, a swimming pool, and a library.A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Feedback (7)
The place is wonderful, it has a big garden with a lot of animals to pet and spend time with, beautiful landscapes around and beautiful sunsets.
I slept in a caravan and… read more
We did a lot of things in the garden, cleaning up and preparing for the next planting season. She made a nice list of what we have sown. It's also nice to see that she writing down every method and recipe in you book as a… read more
Photos
Feedback
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Accuracy of profile:
(4.4)
Cultural exchange:
(4.4)
Communication:
(4.4)
The place is wonderful, it has a big garden with a lot of animals to pet and spend time with, beautiful landscapes around and beautiful sunsets.
I slept in a caravan and… read more
We did a lot of things in the garden, cleaning up and preparing for the next planting season. She made a nice list of what we have sown. It's also nice to see that she writing down every method and recipe in you book as a… read more
Greetings Ben & Sylvie!
We wish you all the best in the future! Greetings Ben & Sylvie.
I was very well received and the food was very good there too.
The place located in the Flemish hills lends itself to splendid sunsets, starry nights, long walks in the fields or in the cute surrounding towns.
There is always an activity to do, between painting, planting, wood,… read more
The food was also allways good and healthy.
I can realy recommend this place if you looking for something calm :)