Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
11 Jun 2025
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 1 day
Feedback
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Details
Description
Hello!
we are Bruno & Elena and we live in an organic farm of 4,5 acres adjacent to our house. We are simple, enthousiastic and happy people!.
Elena works full-time on the farm, while Bruno no longer works as he is retired now. We have two children aged 14 and 19, both attended the local Waldorf-Steiner school. There are also two members of the farm, Luca and Beatrice, who work full-time with us but they live somewhere else.
Elena is normally busy with clients, accountancy, deliveries, website and the commercial part of our job, while the two partners are busy with growing vegetables mainly by hand or with a limited use of mechanical means.
We have an healthy life and we eat healthy food, mostly organic, with vegetarian and vegan options and, as much as possible, self-produced.
We grow any kind of vegetables, some fruits and cereals from "ancient" grains, and we produce tomato sauce, vegetable preserves, stone-milled flour, bread, legumes and more.
Our project is a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture): a system that connects the producer and consumers within the food system more closely by allowing the consumer finance the harvest of a farm. It is an alternative socio-economic model of agriculture and food distribution that allows the producer and consumer to share the risks of farming. The model is a subcategory of civic agriculture that has an overarching goal of strengthening a sense of community through local markets.
You may have the chance to see organic gardening but please note we do not allow volunteers in the farm as this is not allowed from Authorities.
We also organize classes for healthy cooking lessons, meetings with doctors and biologists specialized in conscious nutrition or concerning critical consumption, self production of soap all over the year, just need to check our event calendar on our official website.
From June 30th up to August 1st and, again, from 1st to 12 September, we will host every day a small group of children from local Steiner Schools in a sort of rural kindergarden. They follow agricultural life accompanied by a Waldorf teacher. We provide also meals. This is very interesting for those who like to observe this way of education and for those who like cooking or learning how to prepare vegetarian and vegan genuine food.
As we are so busy with our job, volunteers are welcomed also for house keeping and preparing meals for the family and the workers or perhaps helping our son in homeworks or with learning languages (english & spanish) or whatever you would like to do, just ask!. We normally expect at least 5 hours of help, 5 days a week.
Elena speaks English, French and Spanish. Our two partners speaks little English.
We do not use TV, but an internet connection is available in house. If possible, we don't use wi-fi at home to avoid exposure to radiation (surely never at night). Smoking is also not allowed in house.
In case you would like to join us, few recommendations to bare in mind before writing to us:
- We offer separate self-contained room near our house, the room has one sofa bed for one person only, kitchen and bathroom with shower inside. In case you will come during summer camps of the kids, the small house will used for didactic and food purposes and it needs to be set up and cleaned by 8:00 in the morning
- We host only one person per time and normally only from May up to September as there's no heating system
- We suggest you to consider no more than 2-3 week stay, the accommodation we may offer is not so confortable for long stays and in winter the room is cold
- In our house we have a cat, take care if you are an allergic person. Moreover we produre and sell gluten foods so it is difficult for us to accept celiac persons
- From late spring up to the end of September our job is very hectic, this is the period during which a help is really appreciated! Please, before writing to us, check our workaway calendar, we try to update it regularly with availabilities
- We ask you to write us ONLY if you really intend to join us and if our profile really fits to what you are looking for.
We receive so many requests but 99% turns to nothing, so I am sorry to say ..no time-wasters!
We wait for you!
Elena & Bruno
Types of help and learning opportunities
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
Farmstay help
Babysitting and creative play
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
Interests
Farming
History
Books
Gardening
Nature
Dancing
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
You may learn the Steiner way of educating during dedicated periods, learn organic agricultural practice and enjoy our simple and happy way of life.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
We like to share our knowledge. We are very careful that volunteers spend time with us.
The farm takes us a lot of time so we expect organized and autonomous people who take initiatives in domestic chores such as gardening, cooking etc!
Languages spoken
English: Intermediate
Spanish: Intermediate
French: Intermediate
Accommodation
We offer a self-contained room outside the house (around 25 sq mt) with one sofa bed (for 1 person), bathroom and kitchen, so your privacy is quite guaranteed except during summer camps, the flat will be used by kids from 08:30 up to 16:30. We normally host during warm seasons (beginning of May up to the end of September) as the room is not heated but hot water in the bathroom is guaranteed by the solar panel. In this room we store some non-perishable products such as flour, pasta, preserves so it could be visited by customers who intend to buy or who may need toiletries. We always recommend keeping it in order for these eventualities. You may see a picture of the flat scrolling up, just to have an idea of the kind of accommodation you may expect.
What else ...
Volunters may visit Bologna, the oldest University in Europe (15 km) and we are mid way between Florence (100 km) and Venice (160 km).
You should land in Bologna Airport, which is 6 km far from our house and normally we may pick you up by car.
We are around 500 mt far from the nearest bus stop that goes to Bologna city (45 min by bus).
The nearest train station is Anzola dell'Emilia (on the Bologna-Milano line) and it is 1,5 km far but you can bike there and in 15 min you are in the city.
The nearest village is always Anzola dell'Emilia and you may also bike there.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
One
Feedback (20)
I have enjoyed getting to know them all, spending time with Elena in the kitchen and having the most wonderful conversations and exchanges ( big surprise for me that Elena and Bruno are incredible salsa/ bachata dancers), learning some tips from Elena in vegetarian… read more
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(4.9)
Cultural exchange:
(4.9)
Communication:
(4.9)
I have enjoyed getting to know them all, spending time with Elena in the kitchen and having the most wonderful conversations and exchanges ( big surprise for me that Elena and Bruno are incredible salsa/ bachata dancers), learning some tips from Elena in vegetarian… read more
Elena and her family were incredibly helpful. They even gave me a day off to visit Florence, which made… read more
Everyone was so kind and attentive. It was very cool to be immersed into the Italian countryside culture. Thank you everyone :)
During the week, I was always busy in the mornings helping to prepare the menu for the… read more
Elena is a great cook and I learn a lot from her and she is really carefull about enviroment
Bruno is the funniest father I ve ever met in my life, he… read more
