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Off-grid living focusing on traditional/eco-builiding and permaculture in the alpine woods of Piedmont Region- Italy

  • Favourited 429 times
  • Last activity: 25 Mar 2024

Availability

  2024 

 Min stay requested: at least 2 weeks

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    We’re Andrea, Sofia, we live in Valchiusella, a tiny valley located in the Alps from Piedmont region, between “Val d’Aosta” and the Gran Paradiso National Park .
    After spending many years between Berlin and traveling around the world, tired from the misleading city life style, in the year 2017 we decided to get a land in the middle of the wood with two traditional houses (more than a century old!) to be restored on the banks of a river called Chiusella, aspiring to a self sufficient way of living. We live out of a small village called Traversella which is around 800m m.s.l. For the next years, beyond developing our garden of vegetables and build through different ways of farming, the project will focus on the renovation of the huts. The goal is to employ traditional and eco-friendly (bio-constructions) techniques and materials and trying to conduct the works autonomously or with the help of a craftsman to collaborate with.
    We have one and a half hectares of land composed by half hectare of flat field and the remaining it’s a deciduous forest adjacent to a river full of natural pools. The house is reachable in a few minutes walking through an old stone path from the 16th century, it’s supplied by self-produced solar energy, free water sources and wood heating.

    It’s possible to join us from April/May to November because during the winter we carry out a similar project in Colombia.

    Apart from eco building and agriculture we share deep interest in plants and natural medicine, in both a botanical and spiritual sense. When we do not work in the garden and in the house, we are dedicated to experimenting with herbal preparations, especially spagyric medicines and distillations of essential oils, we would like to meet people who share this passion and exchange knowledge

    From our life in South America we learned to deeply appreciate anything related to indigenous and ancestral cultures and traditional medicine.

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Help with Eco Projects
    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    Farmstay help
    Help around the house
    General Maintenance
  • 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

    You will make a real experience about how to live in the mountain through an off the grid way of living and in a close contact with nature. We will be happy to share our modest knowledge about natural agriculture, bio constructions, essential oils distillation, spagyric medicine,seed saving, edible and healing wild herbs.

  • Help

    Help

    For the moment help will be requested mainly for the renovation of the house except for some periods in which we will concentrate only on agricultural work (like spring) . We are looking preferably for people with skills in carpentry, eco-building, plasters, wood construction (floor and finishes) or even people with no experience but interested to learn about it, willing, energetic and without problems doing physical works on a construction site.
    We would like to specify that even agriculture works are physical, it's not just about planting and give water to plants, so if you have any problem with it maybe this is not the place for you.
    A minimum of adaptability and practicability is required, considering a daily relation with wild nature and a lack of comfort normally expected.
    In addition to the required hours of work, help is appreciated in domestic work: cleaning, washing dishes, help in the kitchen.


    GENERAL TASKS:


    -WOOD MANAGEMENT: cleaning, fire wood.
    -GARDEN: preparation of the soil and raised beds, sowing, planting, weeding, harvesting, making preserves for the winter.
    HOUSE RESTORATION: walls, plasters, floors, roof renovation; building construction with wood and stones.
    DISTILLATION: picking and cleaning herbs and fruits.

    SUMMER 2024

    (WE ESPECIALLY LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WITH CARPENTERY SKILLS)


    -roof insulation in our second hut
    -construction of a new wing in our second hut
    -plastering the walls of the second house

  • Languages spoken

    English: Fluent
    Spanish: Fluent
    Italian: Fluent
    German: Intermediate

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    We usually host our volunteers in a hut nearby our home (a old barn on restoration), it's not yet well isolated so during the coldest month (spring-autumn) we build the tents inside (with a good sleeping bag you will haven not any problem) . . We can provide two tents for two people each, some camping mattresses and pillows; you should bring your sleeping bag and in case you feel cold we have some extra blankets.
    During the next summer and on September we will start to renovate the hut where we usually host people so we could probabily host people just in the tents.
    We can use the washing machine during Sunny days. WE USE JUST NATURAL/ECO SOAPS AND DETERGENTS. (Please don’t bring chemical ones) . We only have wood-heating.


    For any doubt don't hesitate to write us.

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    STUFF YOU NEED:
    -sleeping bag
    -good hiking/working water proof boots
    - warm clothes
    -working clothes
    -head lamp
    -water proof/wind proof jacket

    During spring and autumn is common that it often rains , if you will visit us during these seasons is indispensable that you bring RAIN BOOTS and RAIN JACKET.

    You will have two free days a week that you can spend at the river, hiking, rock climbing or simply chilling at home. If you prefer you can also easily reach the city of Ivrea and from there, in around one hour of train, go to Turin or Milan.
    The closest village is 15-20 minutes walking and it has a supermarket, two bars and a post office.

    HOW TO GET OUR PLACE: you can reach Ivrea by train and then take a cheap bus to Traversella, our village. It starts directly at the train station in Ivrea and can leave you at the bus stop where we can pick you up.(we’ll send you the timetable if you need it) For more information please contact us in advance and please try not to arrive on a Sunday because there are not buses.

    Sometimes we go to Ivrea so we can directly pick you up at the train station.

  • 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

    Parking place at 10 minutes from our home because it is reachable just walking.

  • Can possibly accept pets

    Can possibly accept pets

    Since we have 3 cats we prefer to not host people with dogs because they are scared from them. Our cats live also inside the house so please consider it if you are allergic.

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    More than two

  • ...

    Hours expected

    25 hours a week max

Host ref number: 499861847421

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