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Help with gardening, building, pet sitting while enjoying our rustic off-grid homestead in Elma, USA

Availability

  2025 

 Min stay requested: at least a week

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    Hi! We are a couple (a Brazilian and an American) with a baby, who once were workawayers traveling the world. When we were volunteering at organic farms, restaurants, inns, permaculture communities, etc., we gained a lot of experience that without a doubt helped us to be where we are today.
    Now, we live off-the-grid on a beautiful 5 acres of forested property by the river in a rural area in Elma, WA. We are happy to have the opportunity to help workawayers on their journey.
    We live in a little paradise with our baby boy Gilberto, two dogs, three cats, and a dozen of chickens.
    The property has the main house (where we live), two garden areas, a small orchard, two greenhouses, a root cellar, and two guesthouses (for family, friends, and volunteers).
    We are about 16 miles from the city of Elma, there are no buses available to get here but we go to town once or twice a week.
    We have solar panels that you can charge your phone (12V), but 110V is limited, especially during winter months (lack of sunlight). No WIFI or Refrigerator, and we don’t have a TV but we like to watch movies at night with our laptop or projector.
    During cold months (October - April) we burn firewood for heat, the main house and both of the guesthouses have woodstoves.
    We have a plant-based diet (except for the eggs) and during summer times we eat a lot of vegetables and berries from the gardens. If you need meat or dairy products in your diet, you will need to provide it for yourself plus your own cooking set.

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Language practice
    Help with Eco Projects
    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    Animal Care
    Farmstay help
    Creating/ Cooking family meals
    Help around the house
    General Maintenance
  • Interests

    Interests

    Pets
    Vegetarian or vegan
    Sustainability
    Farming
    Plant care
    Music
    DIY & crafts
    Cooking & food
    Gardening
    Photography
    Drawing & painting
    Carpentry
    Yoga / Wellness
    Nature
    Mountain
    Dancing
  • UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

    UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

    UN goals
    No poverty
    Zero hunger
    Good health and well-being
    Quality education
    Gender equality
    Clean water and sanitation
    Affordable and clean energy
    Decent work and economic growth
    Industries, innovation and infrastructure
    Reduce inequality
    Sustainable cities and communities
    Responsible consumption and production
    Climate action
    Life below water
    Life on land
    Peace, justice and strong institutions
    Partnerships for the goals
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    We are a multicultural couple that can help Portuguese or English learners.
    There are a lot of people that would like to live off-grid or grow their own food, but they don't know where to start, so we can teach everything we know about our experience on the off-grid journey and how to grow and preserve food.
    Also, we live in a beautiful, forested area that can provide a connection with nature and detox from the city.

  • Help

    Help

    The type of help will depend on the time of year, some examples:
    - gardening: preparing the soil, weeding, sowing, planting, watering, harvesting, saving seeds, composting
    - weeding and maintaining trails.
    - preserving the harvest – canning and storing
    - mowing the lawn, raking leaves, mulching
    - helping with the animals (cats, dogs, chickens), feeding, brushing, play.
    - Building projects, there is always some project underway, right now we need help building our carport and outhouses for the guesthouses.
    - cleaning and maintaining the property.
    - cutting, splitting, stacking firewood
    Bring clothes for working outside (that you don't mind getting dirty), gloves, rain gear, boots and flashlights.
    The majority of the work is outdoors, so, if you are planning to be here during the cold and rainy season, be prepared to be in the weather.
    We prefer travelers that want to help for 1 to 2 weeks, with the possibility to extend.
    We welcome self-motivated individuals who are happy to get things done.

  • Languages

    Languages spoken
    English: Fluent
    Portuguese: Fluent
    Spanish: Beginner
    Italian: 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.

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    We have two guest houses available for volunteers. One is a studio closer to the main house that has a single bed and a single cot. The other guest house is a log cabin (rustic) a little further away from the main house and has a queen bed. Neither of the guesthouses has electricity, but both have woodstoves for heating. There are no bathrooms in the guesthouses yet. The log cabin has an outdoor pop-up shower (water has to be boiled first) with a composting toilet. We are planning on installing outhouses, maybe you can help us with that?

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    We are surrounded by timber company land, so you can go for a walk, to viewpoints, or pond with beaver, and the river. Bird or wildlife watching.
    We are closer to Schafer State Park, which has trails and wifi.
    There are no buses to get here, but we do go to town every week.
    If you are looking to be closer to nature, learn about gardening, canning, living off-grid, building and maintaining a homestead, and have a simple but meaningful lifestyle, please message us, we would love to have you here.

    Please, in order for your request to be considered, send us a message answering these questions:
    1- Tell us about yourself.
    2- Why do you want to do workaway?
    3- Are you at home or travelling? Tell us about your travel plans.
    4- Do you have your own transportation? (It's ok if you don't)
    5- Have you had other workaway experiences? If so, tell us about it.
    6-What motivates you to come to help us?
    7- Do you have any questions for us?

  • A little more information

    A little more information

    • Internet access

    • Limited internet access

      Limited internet access

    • We have pets

    • We are smokers

    • Can host families

  • Space for parking camper vans

    Space for parking camper vans

    We live on a dirt road down a hill so we cannot accept RVs or Trailers, only small vans.

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    Two

Host ref number: 487463321988

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