Enjoy peaceful surroundings in nature and help us with DIY, gardening & our dogs at our tiny farm in Sweden

Details

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  Description

  We are Joel and Lin, a couple who love a down-to-earth lifestyle. Each year between April and October we live on a tiny farm in the countryside 140 kilometres southwest of Stockholm. Only while we live there, we need some extra hands as we stay in a flat in Umeå during the winter. The area is mainly land used for agriculture. Around us are cow pastures and fields, and a some forest. Here there are very sparse neighbours, like 1 kilometre between the houses. So it’s quiet here, like an oasis. We don’t have any fields to grow a lot, but we have a garden.
  
  
Joel is from the Southern parts of Lapland so we live in the north of Sweden during winter (as his company is based in Umeå and there are best conditions for tour skiing and snowboarding). Lin grew up in the forest in southern Dalarna, so we are both nature lovers. Both of us run our own businesses and can work remotely, making our lifestyle possible. Joel has a profile company with organic clothes and merch etc. Lin works with digital communication from home and will train as a nature guide this fall remotely. We love hiking and doing all sorts of outdoorsy things.
  
  We have got two dogs. One is a big crossbreed dog called Ramses a shepherd/husky/malamute who is cheerful, playful, likes playing and running fast! Ramses keeps us on our toes. We joke that he is our trainer. He is a truly highly energetic dog born in March 2022 and weighs 40 kg. Since the beginning of August 2023, we also have a 20 kg husky called Luna and she's 3 years old. She is calmer around the cottage but loves to go for long walks and to run.
  
  Lin has been diving a lot in spirituality and that's where her heart is at. She practices yoga and likes to meditate. She also loves dance and photography. Also, she does love to go to outdoor dancing events.
  
  Joel is more of a practical kind of guy with a warm heart. He loves to build things with his hands. Joel loves board sports and last summer he bought a kite and a wakeboard, so if you are skilled in that he’d like to learn from you.


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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We can teach you almost anything you want to learn about Swedish culture. Oh well, perhaps not everything. But for example, if you are interested in food, we could show you how to make some typical food dishes in our outdoor kitchen. If you are interested in learning the Swedish language and perhaps already got started we can help you to practice. We can teach you some new words too. Both of us love to make proper homemade meals and we cook every day, preferably with locally grown and organic foods.
  
  Lin knows some traditional folksongs and will happily teach you a few of those. She can teach you some yoga, meditative movements, meditation and Classical Swedish deep tissue massage (used to work as a massage therapist once upon a time).
  
  The area is a typical farm and countryside area. There are lots of wildlife, unfortunately not so much forest left. If you want some peace and quiet this is like an oasis of calm. We'll invite you to also just learn about just being and enjoying the stillness, the simplicity of life.

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  Our plan this summer/autumn season is to paint the main cottage. So, if you have skills in caring for old wooden buildings that would be much appreciated. Or if you are just really good at using a paintbrush! Also, the windows need to be renovated, but we are not sure how we can do it ourselves. The garden is pretty wild grown in some parts so if you have skills in permaculture or gardening in general that would be awesome. We’d need to prepare firewood for the autumn also which would be great if you could help us out with that.
  
  Also, we have learned, since last summer, (our first as hosts) that our guests must be experienced with dogs because of the large one (Ramses 40 kg) as he has not yet fully matured and can be a lot to handle. He is also kind and loves cuddles. And the adopted one (Luna) is still finding her way into our pack. She's half his size and the boss, also a really people pleaser. Loves belly rubs and kisses ppl faces if they allow her. There is still a little tension between Ramses & Luna. But they also have a lot of fun. They play, run and hunt each other in the garden.
  
  The daily walkies can be intense. Both Luna & Ramses have strong prey instincts that often feel like a workout to walk with them as they have to be on a leash. Sweaty walks if there are a lot of wild animals out (deer, hares, elk)! LOL. It's not always the case, but...
  
  Therefore, we are ideally looking for someone used to large dogs. As one needs to be lovingly firm with them. And quite strong at least to be able to at least hold Luna back when she's on leash ;) So I guess this would be a bit too much to handle if one is not used to this kind of full-power dogs. They are also really chill and can relax, but just to be clear so there are no surprises. The dogs are quite central in our lives.
  
  If you enjoy cooking that’s also a skill much longed for as we cook ourselves every day, so if you’d like to help with making meals and/or perhaps harvest from the garden, like making jam or lemonade etc that is much welcome. We also like you to help with the dishes. (We take turns.)
  
  Please keep the room you stay in intact and clean it before you leave.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Swedish: Fluent
  German: Beginner
  Spanish: Beginner

  This 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.
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  Accommodation

  We have a room in an extra building just 20 metres from the main cottage, so you have your own space. There's a single bed, a table, chairs, wardrobe. We have a folding bed too (if you travel together with someone). It’s a simple standard and feels a bit like travelling back in time. Lin's dad says we live in a museum. The ceilings are pretty low, so if you are very tall that can be a bit of an issue. Joel is and he can't stand straight. LOL.
  
  Wifi is available and we also have a washing machine you can use. There is a shower, but no modern toilet (no water closet). There is only an outdoor toilet, old school privy.
  
  We eat 3 times a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and will happily share our food with you in exchange for your help. We eat lots of vegetarian food, but sometimes seafood and wild meat. If you are vegetarian or vegan there is no problem for us to just make that kind of food while you are here.

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  What else ...

  There is a bicycle you can borrow (if you didn't come by car) to take to the bus (approx 15-20 minutes ride). And there is a nearby town Katrineholm if you need to go shopping or visit a bank, or pharmacy. It's like 25 kilometres away. From there one can take the train to the capital Stockholm and it takes about 1 hour. There are some nature reserves around, but most one has to travel by car there.
  
  If you want to go for a swim there is a lake 4 kilometres away where one can also go by bicycle. It's a lovely ride passing old big oak trees near the dirt road that leads there. Near there is a place where you can rent horses also. 


  
  We like to have a good balance of work and rest and play. Lin has lived in a few collectives and has travelled quite a lot. Places she has lived in for a longer period are Goa, San Francisco, London, the foothills of the Indian Himalayas and Mexico. She also used to be a host via couchsurfing.org and had some good experiences from that while she lived in Stockholm.
  
  We go for long walks almost every day and sometimes take the van to the lake, nature reserves or the sea. The plan is to start running/jogging with Ramses and Luna every second morning or so.
  
  We expect you to be able to respect the quietness of the area and not make lots of noise. This is really a good place for you who in your free time like to read a good in the hammock or go for a jog, yoga or bicycle on the dirt roads. Perhaps you like to paint or draw, knit, woodwork or do something else creative with your hands… the room when we don’t have guests is our creative space.
  
  There is a sewing machine too that you can borrow if you like to sew. In the evenings when it is not too dry in nature or too many mosquitos we sometimes make a fire and invite you to join us to hang out around it for tea or a beer, and perhaps some sharing of life stories under the stars.

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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

  This host has indicated that they love having digital nomads stay.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  This host can provide space for campervans.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  Hours expected

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

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