France
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Come and help us develop our eco project in the mountains of the Ardèche in France! Ecology, permaculture, sustainability, transition, consciousness, love of life and nature are all areas which we explore and would love to share in community. We are a family with 3 youngsters (two of which study abroad) and a small boy, sharing our project with friends and family as well as through a small b&b. A yurt and a cosy chalet on our beautifull land nested in the middle of nature are rented out in summer season. The garden loves your attention and we are looking for some help mainly on the land and for ecological building projects (woodworking, fencing etc). In the winter there is snow and wintersports, the magic of beautifull landscapes, the cosyness of the fireplace and slowcooked organic meals. The old farm needs some renovation, so there is always enough to do also on the inside. During summer we offer untouched nature, springs an rivers to swim and fish nearby, horseback riding (we have 4 horses on the land from spring to fall) and great fun around the campfire. You can come to us also for a Reiki course and initiation, energy work and/or join us when we organise a temescal (sweatlodge). We would love to learn from you to, since sharing is bliss!
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
General Maintenance
We offer a place in the middle of nature where you can reconnect with yourself and the seasons. Long walks and horseback riding, fishing, swimming in the river during the summer, collecting mushrooms in fall. A place where you can meet and share with interesting people, where synchronicity is the pace, where we gaze at the magic of life. Together we learn about permaculture by observing and growing produce and caring for the land. I am a routined 'professional' cook and can teach you classical as well as world kitchens or vegetarian and 'free from' diets. We strive to eat organic and local produce only. There is also some room for yoga, meditation, reiki and energy work, music around a campfire, a sweatlodge to mark the seasons, depending on the moment and on the guests that we host.
We are fluent in French, Dutch and English and can help you out with these languages. We understand some Spanish and German.
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
We are looking for all round help, approximately 4 to 5 hours per day. There is plenty of room for personal time and also to take a weekend off. We will gladly show you around the region should you want to. Apart from the help in the garden or with projects in and around the farm, we expect you to take care of your room and help out with the regular house chores as dressing the table, dishwashing and feeding the animals.
Skills we are looking for to help us further develop the land: woodbuilding, permaculture gardening, masonry, plumbing, or decent DIYS experience.
You are not expected to cook, to do cleaning work or to help out with the guests. Should you like cooking, then you are always welcome, but no obligation there.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: Fluent
Dutch: Fluent
German: Intermediate
Spanish: Intermediate
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.
We live in an old farm (more then 200 years old) that has been cosily renovated. We have a large meadow (5 hectares) in front of the house with horses, two goats, a veggie garden and a chicken pen. Springswith clear wather run through the valley, our tapwater is all natural and from the highest quality. Around us there are 4 more hectares of land, surrounded by natural reserve and forest.
We rent out two rooms and a bathroom in the house and have guests mainly during the summer season. Apart from that we have four rooms for ourselves, one of which is available with a double bed that can acommodate one person or a couple. We are also open to host a mother with a young child (> 2 years). We have a second bathroom downstairs.
For the rest there is a small kitchen, a large dining table and a cosy living room with two fireplaces. it is a typical farmers house with lots of old woodwork and stone. Upstairs is an open room with a television, Netflix, Gaia and a Chromecaster. There is wifi in most parts of the house, and usually 3G outside, depending on the weather.
When the weather is mild (from May to October), it is possible to sleep in a tent outside should you want to. As from spring 2020, we will have an outdoor sanitary tiny house on the land.
The meals are usually shared together. Whenever it is possible we eat outside. In the summer season when we provide guests tables it is possible that we eat apart, depending on the moment and the guests we host!
We are food lovers, flexitarians, open to vegetarian and free from diets, as long as you are not 100% vegan (= vegan flex, that is when open to having a bit of egg or very little diary sometimes, works perfect)!
Our nearest neighbour is 2,5 km further down towards the village of Lanarce, a small rural village with 180 inhabitants. In the village there are renowned butchers, a wonderfull 'fromagerie' - cheese diary, a baker, a pancake house and a pizzeria + three restaurants. The region is quite touristic in summer season.There is a bus only twice a day, going to the nearest cities of Le Puy en Velay (starting point of the famous Compostela Pelgrims route) and Aubenas (both approximately 1 hour away). Local people are used to hitchhikers so that is also a way to go along. Some larger villages are a 15 minutes drive away, where you will find most shops and were we go to the local market once or twice a week. We try to avoid supermarket as much as we can.
There are several lakes close by and half an hour walking from our land there is a river where you can bathe. The region has mostly pristine nature and wonderfull produce to offer. You can also go for canyoning and kayaking on the nearbij rivers Ardèche and Chassezac. Should you want to travel a bit further, the valley of the Rhone with its famous vineyards and the grotte Chauvet (most ancient cave in Europe) and the Provence with its lavender fields and olive trees awaits you. The medditeranean sea is a few hours traveling from our place. In the summer the temperature rises to 35°C, in the valley of the Rhone it would be around 40°C. Since we have a sunny mountain climate, the temperature is nice during the day even when there is snow, but the nights are cool and it can be quite cold during winter (up to -20 °C).
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
We have wifi and 4G, working average to well. Coverage for most french operators except Bouygues (no téléphone service for this operator in the whole area). Most internet services work correctly. Sometimes difficulties with video streaming, depending on the weather. Bram has a full time virtual job conferencing via vpn and this works fine.
This host can provide space for campervans.
This host has said they are willing to accept those travelling with a pet.
Two
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
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Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(4.9)
Communication:
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