Japan
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Hi, we are Otousan and Okasan and we have a dairy farm in the north of Okinawa island.
Our farm is located in the hills with an ocean view. it is a very quiet place, with beautiful nature. At the moment we milk 10 cows and we have 37 cows and young cows in total. The cows walk outside in the fields during nighttime and the milking cows stay outside during night time. The heifers and other young cows stay outside all day. We take pride in natural living and raising pasture grazing animals.
We have cats and dogs, rabbits, chickens , the grumpy old boar. If you like to work with animals, this is a good place to work.
We sometimes organize workshops for schools and families, where we make the students and families familiar with milking cows and butter making. Sometimes we will ask the volunteer to help assist with the milking and butter making workshop.
From our side we provide:
-Accommodation in our house or in the workers house. We have two rooms with two single beds. One for men and one for women. Volunteers will share the room with other volunteers. (In some situations a couple can share the room). The rooms are simple. There is a common toilet and shower.
-Three meals a day.
-Working clothes, working boots (also big sizes for people with big feet) and rain clothes.
-Transportation: we can give you a ride to the bus stop on your days off or you can use our bicycles.
What we expect:
-5 hours of help a day. 3, hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon
-The working day starts at 5:00 am, with getting the cows out of the field.
-From 6 am we feed the pregnant cows, the heifers and the other animals, while the milking cows go to the milking room.
-Between 7 - 7:30 am we eat breakfast together in the office
-After breakfast we feed the milking cows
-Lunch is at 12:00, sometimes we will ask you to cook for everybody、You can rent a bicycle. You can go to a nearby waterfall. (15 minutes)
-the afternoon shift starts at 3 pm, with feeding the cows and other animals.
-Twice a day we clean the shed where the cows stand, sweeping away the manure.
-We want people to be friendly, hard working, responsible and independent.
Gardening
DIY and building projects
General Maintenance
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Farmstay help
Help around the house
Animal Care
Art Projects
The workawayer can learn new skills about animal care. They will learn a lot about cows, about the food and the maintenance. They will also learn about how to take care about cats, dogs, chickens and rabbits.
We live in a rural area in the hills and we are surrounded by nature. The workawayer can learn a lot from the tropical and rural lifestyle. And experience that working with animals is very relaxed, no stress.
We cook Okinawan food. Sometimes we take the WorkAwayers to a local event in Ogimi village, In that way the volunteer can learn a lot about Ogimi and Okinawa in general.
Nearby our house there is Tataki waterfall, which is a very beautiful place to visit.
There is a pottery house nearby and Otousan would love to take you there.
Okinawan people are famous for their old age and healthy diet. In Ogimi village there is a famous restaurant where the grandmothers work in the vegetable garden, the restaurant is called Eminomise. The Workawayer can learn how to cook and eat healthy.
We need help with feeding the cows and all the other animals. Besides that we need help with making esa (esa is a mixture or rice flour, vitamins and minerals and a rest product of tofu. Also twice a day we clean the shed where the cows stand, sweeping away the manure.
WorkAwayers work 5 hours a day、5 、５days a week. 3 hours in the morning and 2hour in the afternoon. (Sometimes hours a day a negotiable when there are more volunteers at the farm). The volunteers start working at 5:０0 am to get the cows out of the field. Then they feed the cows and the other animals until 7:00 - 7:30 am. 7:30 am they have breakfast. After breakfast the morning chores will be finished. In the afternoon the volunteers start working at 3 pm, with feeding the cows and the other animals.
We sometimes organize workshops for schools and families, where we make the students and families familiar with milking cows and butter making. Sometimes we will ask the volunteer to help assist with the milking and butter making workshop.
When the volunteers arrives at the farm，they first work 5 days, before they will get a day off.
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Japanese: Fluent
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 have shared accommodation, one room for men with two single beds and one room for women with two single beds. The workAwayer will share the room with other volunteers.
In case a couple comes and there is enough space, the couple can share a room. In other situation men and women sleep separate.
The toilet and hot shower are outside the room. One shower is a wood burning shower (first you make a fire, then you can enjoy a hot shower).
Breakfast will be eaten in the office in the shed. Lunch and dinner will be served inside the house, in the kitchen. We eat together with the volunteers. Sometimes we will ask the volunteer to cook for everybody.
There is a beautiful waterfall nearby to visit. You can go by foot or take a bicycle. Although riding the bicycle is a little hard up the hills.
On the main road you can take the bus (number 67) to Nago or Hentona. In Hentona there is a tourist center, where you can eat food or go shopping. You can rent a bicycle there and you can go to Cape Hedo in the north.
You can reach Kouri Island with the bicycle from the farm. And you can reach Churaumi aquarium with the bus from Nago.
In Nago you can visit the Orion Brewery.Okinawan beer is delicious.
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
More than two
Maximum 5 hours a day and ５，５ days a week
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Cultural exchange:
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