Spain
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We (Sarah and Chris) are originally from the UK (although we haven't lived there for over 15 years!), we lived in Cyprus for a few years and have now been living in rural Catalunya for 10 years.
We live on an olive farm (The Valley), which is located about 3km from the rural Catalan village of Riba-roja d'Ebre. We are surrounded by picturesque valley and mountain backdrop close to the River Ebro. We have absolutely no light pollution so the stars are amazing!
Our ambition for The Valley is to setup a residency for like minded creatives and off-grid enthusiasts. We have been renovating the existing farm house and outbuildings as well as constructing alternative accommodation and starting to grow vegetables.
Pruning the hundreds of olive trees throughout the year is very important for the annual harvest in November, we produce olives and oil for sale locally and internationally.
We organise artist residencies and commissions both here in The Valley and in the local village. We welcome applications for artistic proposals for creative projects throughout the year.
A bit more about our background - Chris is a web and graphic designer and I'm an artist. We have been hosting workaways for 7 years now and it's such an amazing experience, meeting people from all over the world. Talking round the dinner table till late, hearing such awesome stories, sharing ideas and getting to know new people with fresh perspectives and fantastic personalities!
We really appreciate help and support here on the farm with the varied projects and love having a shared work ethic and vision for this place with new people - creating a living/working community. Both Chris and I have a very strong work ethic and, although we love to socialise and relax, we really do appreciate your help with the various physical projects here.
We LOVE music and art! So, in 2013 we decided to start a mini-festival! We hosted 4 events which bring together creatives from all over the world for this international arts and music festival. The festival has now become part of a registered non-profit association here in Catalunya, which also includes an Artisan Market (Mercat d'Artesans). We would love to continue the festival at some point in the future and are always looking for like-minded people to help us achieve this!
What we can offer you - basic off-grid accommodation either in the large static caravan or the VW campervan, a home cooked vegetarian evening meal, awesome views of the Catalan landscape, the peaceful environment of The Valley and the self-taught skills we have acquired over the last few years! We receive a lot of applications from people traveling with their dogs - we are sorry but we cannot host your pets!!
What we ask for from you - 4 to 5 hours of your time helping us with either a specific project in progress (this could be either on the farm or in the village) or general farm work and maintenance. The work here is physical and requires decent gloves and shoes - there's no working in flip flops! We appreciate your energy, enthusiasm and your stories over dinner!
We look forward to hearing from you!
Art Projects
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
We are situated close to the village of Riba-roja d'Ebre where you will experience a genuine taste of Catalan life, the people are welcoming, the food is awesome and there is always a fiesta going on. We can help with the language and if you would like the opportunity to work as part of the association team or submit an artistic application for our art projects, we welcome your collaboration.
We always need help on the farm with the olive trees, either pruning or harvesting. General clearing of weeds to maintain the farm is also needed. Beyond that, we need your help to build alternative accommodation, compost toilets, shade structures and gardening.
Strong footwear and gloves is a must whenever working with us.
If you are artistic, we are also looking for project proposals for creative commissions.
Contact us for more information.
We really look forward to hearing from you! Sarah and Chris :)
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Intermediate
This host offers a language exchange
We speak a mix of English and Spanish here in The Valley, as well as being able to understand Catalan (but would like to be able to speak this too!).
There is a large static caravan which can sleep up to 4 people with fully fitted kitchen, shower room and toilet. We have a VW campervan for sleeping too. There is also plenty of room for camping with compost toilets and outdoor solar showers.
The Ebro area is full of wonderful things to do: kayaking, clay pigeon shooting, off-roading, fishing, tennis, swimming, climbing, hiking, yoga.
The local village has all amenities including banks, pharmacy, bars and restaurants and there is a public swimming open in the school holidays.
There is a rural co-working centre too, available for those who need to continue working during their stay.
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
We have a 4G radio mast internet connection, which is unlimited. Downloading is incredibly fast. Upload a is little slower than urban office spaces, but the view makes up for it! We run our own graphic and web design business from this location and we never have any issues (even when there's a storm as the power is never cut off as we're on solar!). However, if we ever have a really large file to upload for example a video or print ready pdf to transfer, we will pop into the village of Riba-roja and use the awesome Co-Working Centre 'Zona Liquida'. There are some great people who use this co-working space and it's a great excuse for a coffee at the local bar!
We have ample space for parking your own van. We also have an outdoor shower and compost toilet for your use.
More than two
4-5 hours per day
