Join our family and learn about food production in the cool highland climate of Armidale, NSW, Australia

Details

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  Description

  We are Aggie and Emile. Together with our 2 children Digby (12) and Matilda (9) we are living and working on Anaiwan Country in the Northern Highlands of NSW. Our home is a beautiful hand built haven of timber and local stone surrounded by beautiful gardens and 100 acres of farmland. We look forward to sharing nights under the stars, home grown feasts, music and stories with you.
  
  We currently run a small herd of cows, raise our own chickens for eggs and are in the process of building a large and extensive kitchen garden, including a polytynnel and orchard.
  We use regenerative agriculture principles to manage our livestock. We are passionate about trying to make changes to the way we live that will contribute to healing the planet.
  
  Our projects include establishing a self-sufficient kitchen garden and orchard. This will include work such as planting trees, helping to construct timber vegetable beds and no dig beds, weeding, composting, propagating seeds, planting our seedlings, watering the garden and preserving foods. We also have upcoming large projects install drainage, retaining wall and steps to the garden and building a fence. For those who love animals we have many daily tasks to care for our animals including collecting eggs, feeding and watering the hens, feeding the dogs and taking them for walks, handling the ponies, checking the cows. We also have projects for the home and garden including sanding and oiling the timber for maintenance, general repair projects and establishing new ornamental gardens, maintaining the lawn and edges as well as pulling out the weeds! There is much to do and energetic and enthusiastic helpers will be appreciated and welcomed. If there are any helpers with skills in carpentry we are also hoping to build a milking shed for the dairy cow. Emile is also wanting to build a round yard for handling and working the horses. Our working horses are located on our other property which is 90kms away.
  
  Our longer term vision is to create a therapeutic farm which hosts people and helps them connect deeply with the natural rhythms of the seasons and with themselves. We recognize that many people are yearning for this reconnection to nature and a simpler way of life.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Babysitting and creative play

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance

  House & pet sitting
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  Interests

  

  Culture

  

  Events & social

  

  Sustainability

  

  Pets

  

  Farming

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Plant care

  

  Music

  

  Books

  

  Gardening

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Carpentry

  

  Drawing & painting

  

  Astronomy

  

  Animals

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Team sports

  

  Nature

  

  Camping

  

  Dancing

  

  Water sports

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Hiking
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  What's this?
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Emile has an agricultural engineering background and Aggie is a Mental Health Nurse with other studies in agriculture. We are happy to share our knowledge and experiences which are wide and varied. We frequently enjoy going to live music events and occassionally pull out a guitar at home.
  We both enjoy reading and discussing books and ideas. Particularly those focused on shifting our culture toward greater connection and communion with nature. We have a good knowledge of native fauna and flora and a growing ecological understanding of water catchments, small water cycles, the soil food web, holistic grazing management and regenerative principles. We have learnt these skills through further study and attending many workshops and short courses.
  
  We look forward to sharing our world with you and learning about yours.

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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

  In exchange for 5 hours of work per day we will happily house and feed you.
  
  You would be expected to fit in with our schedule and assist with daily chores and current projects. Generally working hours are from 7.30AM to 1PM with half an hour for a morning tea break.
  
  Morning jobs include attending to the animals. Feeding the chickens, collecting the eggs, checking their water. It may include feeding baby calves and letting the dogs have a run around. After the animals are done we move onto current projects as listed above. There are so many ways to help and we are happy for people to help where it suits their interests. All we expect is a good work ethic and a good attitude.
  
  In the evenings it is expected that helpers assist with meal preparation and tidying up after meals. Helpers are also expected to keep their living areas clean and maintain the bathroom and shared living areas.
  
  In exchange you will be warmly welcomed, well fed and supported to explore our local region and local opportunities. We have a dynamic town 20km away where there is a rich cultural scene. We also have many amazing National Parks near by and a beautiful lake for swimming and kayaking. You are welcome to use any of our kayaks for this.
  
  
  Aggie, Emile, Digby and Matilda

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Beginner

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  Accommodation

  We have recently invested in a 5m Bell Tent and are setting it up in a Glamping style with a double bed. This can also be configured to accommodate another person. It will have power and a Stove for heat and ambiance. The bell tent overlooks some bush and our small dam.
  
  Your bathroom and toilet will be a short walk away in the house.

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  What else ...

  In your spare time you can explore the local regional city of Armidale.

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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

  We have Star Link for the internet and we are open to discussing the needs of digitinal nomad and sharing our office space.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  The space would not have close access to the house or to power but for people with an self contained van this would be fine.

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  Can possibly accept pets

  We are open to a conversation. It would be dependent on the animal.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  My animals / pets

  

  Goat

  

  Beef cattle

  

  Egg layers

  

  Ponies and Stockhorses

  

  Charlie

  

  Working Dogs (Dusty, CC)

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