South Africa
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This project has been a coming back to nature for us. We often have friends and friends of friends visiting, who experience the connection with nature and we would like to extend this invitation to a wider range of people. We have a vision of the farm slowly developing into a community. Electricity comes from the sun, water from the mountain and we produce a large portion of the food we consume. It has been a life long dream for us, but the realisation of this dream is not without its challenges.
There are currently 6 of us living here. Mark (Father, soil scientist, businessman) and Sue (Mother, physiotherapist, tree popper), Thandu (father, operator of machinery and in-charge of the citrus orchard), Natasha (mother, part-time cheese maker and general helper), Tianna (daughter of Thandu and Natasha), Denzil (father, fixer of bikes, supports Thandu in farming activities.)
The primary activities on the farm are the olive grove and mandarin orchard. We have a variety of fruit trees, a veggie garden and bee hives, as well as our cow, Mirabel, who provides us with milk which we make into cheese and yoghurt. As part of the normal milking cycle, Mirabel is dry for a few months of each year which means the dairy activities come to a halt. At the moment we are enjoying the addition of Brie, who will move into Mirabel's shoes when she is ready.
DIY and building projects
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
Animal Care
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
The traveler will learn the skills required to do the various activities on the farm. Enjoy time here where there are great mountain biking tracks, great hiking and amazing scenery. We are not easily accessible to shops and cultural life in town.
The help would be assisting with general farm maintenance. This ranges from working in the house, assisting with cooking and cleaning to weeding in the nursery and veggie garden; from pulling out invasive plants to assisting with the bees. The cows and vegetable garden require daily attention and there is sometimes cheese to be made.
We are having a break from building, but there is always maintenance to be done.
We harvest our water from the mountain and the solar panel system supply our electricity, these sometimes need maintenance work done.
Afrikaans: Fluent
English: Fluent
Xhosa: Intermediate
There is a spare room in the main house. If there was more than one volunteer they would need to share a room and bathroom. There is also the option to stay in a detached wooden cabin, this would be pleasant in Summer.
There is a train that leaves from Cape Town at about 16:30 everyday that arrives at a station approximately 5kms from the farm, from there we could pick you up. The farm is a 2 hour drive from Cape Town. The farm is reasonably isolated and so the volunteer would need to be happy on their own. We have bikes and great mountain biking tracks, great hiking and scenery. We sometimes go into Worcester for events, but mostly we spend our time quietly on the farm.
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Two
5 hours a day, 5 days a week
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Cultural exchange:
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Communication:
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