Join us to help maintain, develop and re-wild our land in Jimena de la Frontera, Andalucia, Spain

Details

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  Description

  We have a 10 ha property which slopes down to a river in southern Spain. We have the challenge of the different seasons - hot and dry in summer and much cooler and wetter in winter so our plantings must endure extremes of climate. It is beautiful land with abundant birds and insects and lots of potential but has been long neglected. We have a 20 year project to develop the land using the principles of permaculture sustainably to plant woodland and hedgerows, develop wildflower meadows, improve our water management and also create good quality grassland for our horses and an organic orchard and vegetable garden aiming for self-sufficiency in seasonal produce. We would also like to produce our own meat through one or two pigs and milk and cheese through some goats, which fits well in to the local Spanish culture.
  
  We have expert help from our property manager who is a trained forester and lives onsite. We hope our grandchildren in 20 years will see the benefits of what we are doing now but they are already enjoying what we have done.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Babysitting and creative play

  General Maintenance
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Travellers will learn a lot about permaculture and re-wilding from experts. You will work with local people on projects and communicate in Spanish and/or English with others who work on the same or different projects on the property. Although we are in the countryside, it is only a 10 minute walk into the local village where strangers are made welcome in the local bars and cafes. There are also a lot of local ferias where the locals come out to party and welcome foreigners who want to join in.

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  Help

  We are looking for enthusiastic and energetic Workawayers, ideally a couple, to help clearing land, fencing with natural materials, building swales and berms and using our natural produce such as wood and compost for land enrichment and water management. You will be working with qualified and experienced foresters to develop and re-wild our land.
  
  We have an organic orchard and vegetable garden and would like help with planting, weeding and harvesting. We also have a flower garden which needs regular weeding.
  
  We also have 4 horses - if you enjoy animals, you can help with their care and if you enjoy riding, you can take them out on rides. We have also started carriage driving,
  Our horses are very friendly and easy and can be ridden by people with very little horse-riding experience.
  
  We also have a couple of goats for milking (we are learning about cheese making)and are planning to take on a couple of pigs so help with these new arrivals would also be welcome.
  
  There are any number of creative projects going on - there will also be some construction work. We have had artists painting and designing and exchanging ideas with us. We love that.
  
  When our family is visiting from England we also really value help entertaining our young grandchildren.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Fluent
  French: Beginner
  Portuguese: 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 offer a self-contained flat with double/twin bedroom upstairs with TV, desk and Wifi, and shower room and sitting-room plus kitchen facilities downstairs with fridge, hotplate, microwave and toaster.
  
  We will stock the kitchen with cooking ingredients and you can help yourselves to all the vegetables and fruit that you can eat from our very well stocked vegetable garden and orchard. We will also provide breakfast to eat together on workdays.
  
  Our local bar/restaurant provides a 3-course menu del día for 10€ which you can also enjoy when there is no time or space to cook.

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  What else ...

  With your time off you can walk along the river into the nearest town of Jimena de la Frontera and visit the Roman ruins and Moorish castle and visit the local bars and restaurants of this pretty, old pueblo blanco. There are lots of hiking and horse-riding trails through the national park and many cyclists on our local roads. There is also a train station within walking distance and a local bus service. The Costa del Sol is on our doorstep, as is the much wilder Atlantic Coast for surfing and other watersports. There are many opportunities for bird-watching, particularly when birds are migrating to/from Africa.

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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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  Space for parking camper vans

  We have space by our stable block to park a normal sized camper van with a hosepipe connection to mains water

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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