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We are a couple, Tini and Olli and strive for living in harmony with nature and the seasons. We try to make as much as possible on our own. Also, we run a semi- professional honey farm and have a self-supporter vegetable garden.
We grow our vegetables in our garden and on nearby meadow of 400 & 800 sqm.
Our fruits and vegetables are being 100% biologically cultivated and further processed according to the lunar calendar.
We pay attention to maintain a natural and bee-friendly work ethic regarding our bee-keeping.
The two of us live togetherin the middle of a village. Despite urban surroundings, we make use of every space and have created our own green oasis.
The majority of our bees are situated nearby at 3 different places. Close to the house are a couple of bee colonies in order to breed (queen-) offspring.
We follow a strict vegan diet and don’t tolerate any meat or alcohol consumption.
We take care for 3 bunnies, 2 guinnea- pigs, 1 cat and 40 bee hives.
Requirements:
Our needs are for people with either knowledge of, or interest in, gardening, vegetable/ fruit growing and beekeeping.
Beekeeper and beginners preferred, minimum age 25.
Sustainability:
We do try to live as eco friendly as we can and request that people respect this by not wasting food, water and electricity.
Yearly work schedule:
April: Preparing the vegetable beds, preparing frames for hives, painting hives, weeding, planting potatoes, casting bee-wax candles
May: Swarm control, building starter hives, regular beekeeping tasks, Garden: Planting a lot of diff. vegetable plants, planting 50 tomato and 30 bell-pepper plants
June: Honey harvest, honey stirring, building starter hives, queen breeding, traveling with hives, honey canning, Garden: weeding, watering, harvesting,
July: Honey harvest, queen breeding, Garden: Cherry and berry harvest, watering, care & maintenance of the garden
August: Honey harvest, honey stirring, honey canning, Garden: Vegetable harvesting and processing, black- and elderberry harvest
September: Feed the bees and fight against varroa mite, preparing the hives winter ready, honey canning, casting bee-wax candles, Garden: harvesting and processing, taking care of the first apples, cleaning the greenhouse and planting the winter crops
October: Feed the bees and fight against varroa mite PART II, casting bee-wax candles, canning honey, Garden: Apple harvest & processing, cleaning the garden beds
Gardening
General Maintenance
Farmstay help
Help around the house
Animal Care
Language practice
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
You could learn a lot about apiculture / beekeeping, vegetable gardening and preserving homegrown fruits and vegetables. We both speak English and Tini speaks Swedisch. We would love to help you to improve your German.
Hopefully volunteers will come here because they want to join in our various projects and become involved, this is not a cheap way to have a holiday.
We do try to live as eco friendly as we can and request that people respect this by not wasting food, water and electricity.
Gardening ( tend the garden, watering, plant, harvesting, conserving)
Maintenance work, painting, woodwork, fencing
Apiculture / Beekeeping (Swarm control, Queen breeding, build mini colonies, honey harvest, honey canning)
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
Guest room in our house with own shower/ bathroom & Wifi. The food will be vegan.
Rural landscape in a small village.
Next bigger town: Hamelin 10km; Hanover 35km
We are hard workers with a lot of fun and happiness. Minimum staying time 2 weeks.
Your help is needed especially from Wednesdays to Sundays, about 5 hours a day.
The first day off will normally be after the first 5 days of work.
Beekeeper and beginners preferred, minimum age 25.
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
One
Maximum 5 hours a day, 5 days a week