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20 Jan 2025
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Description
Come help in the beautiful gardens of our 5.5 acre hobby farm in Taradale, Central Victoria. We grow most of our own organic food and aim to live as sustainably as possible.
After leaving a frantic city life 12 years ago (London and Melbourne) we are now living the country life, contributing to the building of our ethical and healthy local community. Jane is a Yoga Teacher and Glenn a Shiatsu Practitioner and Teacher.
We have recently opened our Retreat Centre where yoga and health and wellbeing workshops and retreats are offered.
The volunteer role is to help in the garden, not the Retreat Centre business.
Particular skills we are after:
- gardening, and a deep willingness to getting your hands dirty!
- admin and organisational skills to assist in garden projects including seed collection, labelling and sorting etc
- labouring learning and helping with small farm building projects
We love to share the cooking of the main meals with volunteers. There is plenty of garden produce to inspire our cooking.
This role would suit someone (or a couple) who are autonomous and likes to have quiet time alone and also enjoys working together collaboratively with others living on the property.
We ask that volunteers have travel insurance that covers volunteering.
We are open to applications from volunteers to stay for a whole garden season (up to 3-months). That way you can learn the whole seasonal cycle of growing food. Our busy seasons are Spring and Autumn in the garden. We are also open to short term stays, minimum 10 days.
We ask for an initial 3-day trial period, to ensure both parties are happy with the arrangements.
Please get in touch if you are interested, and please let us know what interests you in volunteering with us.Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Help with Computers/ Internet
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Hands on experience to learn about permaculture-inspired organic gardening. How to grow food. How to make compost. Local weed identification.
Help
There are a variety of tasks on our permaculture inspired garden and around the house.
In the Spring, the main work includes weeding and maintenance of the vegetable and fruit trees and berry beds, propagation and planting of vegetables, making compost, mowing etc.
In the Late Summer and Autumn, the main task is harvesting and preserving the abundance from the garden as well as propagation and making compost.
All year round there is the care of the chickens, ducks and sheep.Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Accommodation
We have a range of accomodations available, depending on current retreat activities and bookings.
- A cosy cabin with a separate adjacent bathroom
- A self contained blue tiny house with kitchen and bathroom
Both of these are located in the back paddock of the property - see photo, and have a compost toilet. If staying in the cabin, volunteers can use the community kitchen in the retreat centre.
Food is provided with one main meal per day is shared in the evening. Self-catering, with food provided, for breakfast and lunch. We eat as much as we can from the garden and local seasonal produce. We enjoy multicultural food and welcome volunteers to share cooking and recipes!
Please note we are omnivores, and eat meat and eggs from the garden. But we also love vegetarian and vegan cooking.
WIFI is not available in the Tiny House and cabin. Although they have good mobile reception. Unlimited WIFI is available at the main studio, and in many of the seating areas around the studio.What else ...
About Taradale : it is a small town in Central Victoria. We are 15 km from Castlemaine which is a thriving and culturally rich town (including artist and environmental sustainable communitiies) in Central Victoria Goldfields region. There is limited but very connected public transport with a local bus during the week between Taradale and Castlemaine; and a train line with easy access to Melbourne (approx 1 hour away) and Bendigo 1/2 hour away.
Taradale itself has an eclectic mix of locals, with many interesting social events and has its own local Wine and Produce store that serves coffees, wines and pizzas. There is also the monthly Taradale Produce Swap which we go to and take excess produce and plants from the garden to swap with other avid gardeners and cooks.A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
This host can provide space for campervans.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Feedback (27)
Thank you both very much for hosting… read more
He is an enthusiastic hard worker, always interested and keen to help out. He was good at asking clarifying questions on projects he was working on. His main contribution was as a labourer, assisting in a landscaping and paving project and… read more
Photos
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Cultural exchange:
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Communication:
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Thank you both very much for hosting… read more
He is an enthusiastic hard worker, always interested and keen to help out. He was good at asking clarifying questions on projects he was working on. His main contribution was as a labourer, assisting in a landscaping and paving project and… read more
My first few weeks in Australia couldn't have been better! Thanks for… read more
We instantly felt like we were welcomed into a warm environment at Tara Springs, Jane and Glenn are so lovely and organised and fun to spend time with. We instantly felt like we had clear information and guidance to settle in smoothly.
We spent many evenings having inspiring and… read more
the accomodation was amazing in their tiny house, very comfortable! I think the most comfortable accomodation I ever got in a workaway!
They provide me food, all I wanted to eat, I could just go to their pantry and get it... and every 18h we have dinner together... they always… read more
From the first minute they would make me feel part of the family. Jane is such a lovely person, who makes you feel at home immidiately. Glenn is really funny and knows so much about the nature in the surroundings! We went on a lot of walks togheter, which were really… read more
The workaway cabin was so cozy and private and it was… read more
the date that i stayed here was holiday season but they warmly welcome me.
i learned a lot of things from Jane and Glenn.i.e.garden plannning, varieties of tree/plants /sometimes snake and spider!! also,i did learn cycle of life.there were nothing useless… read more
We had huge opportunities to learn, Glenn took us on some of his morning walks through the near forest and explained every detail to us, he showed us the best places to… read more
Jane and Glen have a lovely family and a really nice house and garden.
It's a perfect break from the city and Jane and Glen are more than happy to show you around and if you're interested to talk to you about Yoga/Chinese Medicine/Travel. They have a lot to teach you.
Plus the food from… read more
Jane often works togheter with the workawayers in the garden, but she leaves them work on their own as well, always with Kosma the wonderful dog Jeeping company! Works are various, from digging weeds to picking berries or vegetables, feeding chickens and ducks, prepare… read more
Jane is a really interesting… read more