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Description
Location: Livorno (Tuscany, Italy) 10 min walk from a bus stop to the city centre and the seaside
Hosts: Carlo (58), Chiara (55), Marta (11), Francesco (31) + our dog Lea & cats Meo, Obi, Dumbo
Capacity: Up to 4 volunteers (tents & bedding provided)
Languages: Italian, English, French (Italian welcome but not mandatory)
Best time to join: We are starting in September 2025 (our first Workaway here!)
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Who we are
We’re a family of four based in Livorno. Carlo and Chiara work full-time; Francesco has just come back to Tuscany after 10 years in London and a year and a half travelling, volunteering and organising projects around the world. Marta is 11 and full of energy. Lea (our dog) and the cats (Meo, Obi, Dumbo) also keep us company.
This year we’re starting something new:
1. Building a shared permaculture garden for food and learning.
2. Running a zine distribution project with materials on political theory, grassroots organising, and ecology.
We’re excited to now be the hosts, inviting others to join us in creating these spaces.
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What you’ll help with
Garden & eco-build
Building raised/wattle/hügel beds using our own branches
Laying paths, mulching, composting, simple low-tech irrigation
Sowing autumn/winter crops (kale, fennel, garlic, fava beans, greens)
Starting a herb lot (rosemary, sage, thyme, lavender, annual herbs)
Setting up a small oyster mushroom station (on straw/cardboard)
General garden care: watering, staking, harvesting
Zine distro
Sorting/cataloguing zines, light editing/translation (IT/EN/FR)
Folding/stapling/packing orders, keeping track of stock
Creating short posts/photos for sharing the project
We’re ideally looking for a mix of people with different skills, and at least one volunteer with some gardening/permaculture experience would be great.
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Food & rhythm
Help: ~20–25 hours/week (about 4–5 hrs/day, 5 days/week).
Meals: Breakfast & dinner are shared and cooked together (rotating cooks, veggie/vegan-friendly). Lunch is independent.
Dietary needs: We can accommodate any dietary requirements.
Days off: 2 per week, flexible. We sometimes use the car to give lifts, depending on schedules.
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Accommodation
We provide tents & sleeping material (mat + bag).
Access to toilet, shower, kitchen, Wi-Fi/internet (good enough for calls and remote work).
No large vans/campers: the road is too narrow. Small cars/campers are fine.
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Practical bits
Bring long trousers & long-sleeved t-shirts (mosquitoes can be around).
Sturdy shoes can be helpful!
The climate is Mediterranean: warm and sunny in spring, evenings can be fresher.
We’re relaxed about atmosphere, dinners with wine are welcome, but this isn’t a party spot.
Adults only (no space for Workawayers with children this time).
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Getting here
Closest train: Livorno Centrale.
Closest airport: Pisa.
From Livorno centre: a bus takes you near the house; stop is 10 minutes on foot.
Depending on the day, we can sometimes organise a pick-up.
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Who we’re looking for
People comfortable with basic manual work and community living.
Respectful around kids and animals.
Open to sharing food, ideas, and conversations about organising & ecology.
Italian is welcome but not required.
Stays of 1–3 weeks in Spring while we test this project.
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A typical day
Morning (cool hours): gardening/building (beds, sowing, compost)
Break
Late morning: light work (mulching, watering, zine tasks)
Afternoon: free (beach, city, rest, reading)
Evening: shared dinner & planning for the next day
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How to apply
Send us:
Your dates and how long you’d like to stay
Any skills/interests (gardening, permaculture, building, distro, languages, design, etc.)
Dietary needs/allergies
One thing you’d love to learn here 🌿📚
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Farmstay help
Help with Computers/ Internet
Interests
Team sports
Sailing / Boating
Nature
Hiking
Camping
Beach
Gardening
Drawing & painting
DIY & crafts
Cooking & food
Carpentry
Books
Art & design
Animals
Technology
Sustainability
Politics / Social justice
Movies & TV
LGBTQ
Farming
Events & social
Culture
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Staying with us means not only helping with soil, plants, and zines — it’s also about sharing daily life in Tuscany.
You’ll be part of an Italian household with three generations under one roof (and a lively set of animals!).
We like to cook together and share different recipes — Tuscan food traditions are strong, but we’re also curious to learn yours.
We speak Italian, English, and some French. If you’d like to practice Italian (or English/French), we’re happy to switch languages at the table or while working.
You’ll get a taste of grassroots political culture in Italy through our zine distro project, with space for discussions on ecology, organising, and movement history.
Livorno itself is a port city with a radical tradition, close to the seaside, with lots of music, art, and history. We’re happy to share what we know and sometimes go together to local events or markets.
We hope volunteers bring their own perspectives and stories — whether about gardening traditions, community organising, or simply daily life elsewhere. This exchange of knowledge and experiences is just as important as the vegetables we’ll grow!
Help
1. Garden & eco-build
- Building raised/wattle/hügel beds using our own branches
- Laying paths, mulching, composting, simple low-tech irrigation
- Sowing spring/sumemr crops
- Starting a herb lot (rosemary, sage, thyme, lavender, annual herbs)
- Setting up a small oyster mushroom station (on straw/cardboard)
- General garden care: watering, staking, harvesting
2. Zine distro
- Sorting/cataloguing zines, light editing/translation (IT/EN/FR)
- Folding/stapling/packing orders, keeping track of stock
- Creating short posts/photos for sharing the project
- the zine project is absolutely not for profit, it is something we do to share knowledge with the community and learn some printing skills and translating togehter <3
We’re ideally looking for a mix of people with different skills, and at least one volunteer with some gardening/permaculture experience would be great.
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Food & rhythm
Help: ~20–25 hours/week (about 4–5 hrs/day, 5 days/week).
Meals: Breakfast & dinner are shared and cooked together (rotating cooks, veggie/vegan-friendly). Lunch is independent.
Dietary needs: We can accommodate any dietary requirements.
Days off: 2 per week, flexible. We sometimes use the car to give lifts, depending on schedules.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Italian: Fluent
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
We provide tents & sleeping material (mat + bag).
Access to toilet, shower, kitchen, Wi-Fi/internet (good enough for calls and remote work).
No large vans/campers: the road is too narrow. Small cars/campers are fine.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
This host has indicated that they love having digital nomads stay.
Space for parking camper vans
This host can provide space for campervans.
Can possibly accept pets
This host has said they are willing to accept those travelling with a pet.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
My animals / pets
Lea
Photos
