Join our family of three and create a food forest with us in Bicada, Portugal

Details

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  Description

  Join our family project in the Alentejo, Portugal
  
  Hello and welcome!
  
  We are a family of three who moved from Germany to southern Portugal a few years ago to fulfil our dream of living a simple, nature-connected life.
  
  On our 2-hectare property in the beautiful Alentejo region, we are gradually creating a natural food forest and a diverse permaculture ecosystem.
  
  We live off-grid with solar power and fresh water from our own well. For our guests, we offer a simple outdoor kitchen, a shower, a toilet, and a place to stay or camp.
  
  Our land is peaceful, surrounded by nature, and ideal for anyone who enjoys a slower pace of life. We also have a natural lake where you can swim when water levels are high enough.
  
  Meet our family
  
  Kerstin is a holistic health and life coach who loves cooking with fresh ingredients from the garden. She takes care of the animals and enjoys going for walks with the donkeys – and soon with our goats, who have recently become part of our crew.
  
  Artur is a web designer and the heart of our building projects. He is passionately renovating our traditional taipa clay house and works on many other projects around the land.
  
  Joah is 9 years old, learns through a global project-based learning community, and loves spending time outdoors. He enjoys caring for the chickens, taking part in outdoor projects, and meeting new people.
  
  As a family, we are genuinely interested in other cultures and look forward to meeting people from around the world and creating meaningful connections.
  
  Summer exchange: less work, more shared experiences
  
  During the summer months, there is less work to do on the land than in spring and autumn. For us, this season is less about work and more about sharing experiences and enjoying time together.
  
  In exchange for accommodation or a camping spot, we ask for around two hours of help per day, mainly with the animals and small everyday tasks.
  
  Please note that, during the summer season, guests provide their own food.
  
  Possible activities include:
  
  * milking the goats
  * caring for the donkeys
  * feeding and looking after the chickens
  * light gardening
  * small tasks around the land
  
  Spending quality time together is more important to us than the work itself. We especially welcome families with children, couples, or individuals who enjoy cultural exchange, love being around animals, and would like to become part of our family life for a while.
  
  If you are looking for a peaceful place to reconnect with nature, slow down, experience simple living, and learn more about self-sufficiency, we would love to hear from you.
  
  Please note that this is a private family homestead and not a commercial project. We are not seeking support for any business-related activities.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Language practice

  Help with Eco Projects

  Teaching

  Light gardening

  Creative DIY projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Babysitting and creative play

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  Light maintenance

  House & pet sitting
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  Interests

  

  Sustainability

  

  Pets

  

  Self development

  

  Farming

  

  Plant care

  

  Music

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Books

  

  Art & design

  

  Photography

  

  Gardening

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Blogging

  

  Drawing & painting

  

  Astronomy

  

  Animals

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Nature

  

  Camping

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Hiking

  

  Cycling
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We enjoy the exchange with other people. We are open to new cultures and languages and share the knowledge we have acquired over the last few years while building our dream life. It would be especially great to learn English or Portuguese from you. If you are interested in holistic health knowledge, Kerstin can teach you a lot. Among other things, she is a medically certified nutritionist, works with essential oils and is very good at taking a holistic approach to life's challenges

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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  How you can support us
  
  Our project evolves with the seasons. Depending on the time of year, the tasks and daily rhythm on our land vary significantly.
  
  For us, connection, shared experience, and a mindful way of living together are more important than productivity. We invite our guests to become part of our family life and to share everyday life on our land with us.
  
  Spring & Autumn – Coming together and getting things done
  
  Spring and autumn are the most active seasons on our land. During these months, we welcome people who enjoy getting involved and contributing to a regenerative project.
  
  Possible tasks include:
  
  * caring for vegetable beds
  * weeding and mulching
  * pruning trees and shrubs
  * planting trees and seasonal crops
  * clearing vegetation and maintaining paths
  * harvesting and processing olives
  * supporting smaller food forest projects
  * repair and other tasks around the land
  * creative DIY projects using wood and natural materials
  
  Summer – Less tasks, more shared living
  
  During the summer months, there is significantly less help on our land. For us, this time is less about help and more about shared experiences and family life.
  
  We especially welcome families with children or people who enjoy spending time with our 9-year-old son and becoming part of our everyday family rhythm.
  
  The exchange includes around two hours of help per day, mainly with animals and small daily tasks.
  
  Possible activities include:
  
  * milking goats
  * caring for the donkeys and going on walks with them
  * feeding and looking after the chickens
  * collecting manure for compost
  * gardening
  * tasks around the land
  
  Please note that during the summer months, guests provide their own food.
  
  Winter – No stays at the moment
  
  We do not currently host volunteers during the winter months.
  
  Our animals
  
  Our donkeys, goats, and chickens are an essential part of our homestead and daily life. They contribute to our regenerative ecosystem and provide valuable resources for our compost and food forest.
  
  Family life & time with children
  
  Our son loves meeting new people, exploring nature, and working on his own outdoor projects.
  
  If you are creative, enjoy building, love nature, like playing games, or simply enjoy sharing everyday life, you will feel at home here.
  
  Families with children are especially welcome.
  
  Food & lifestyle
  
  We love cooking and value a healthy, natural, and minimally processed diet. We primarily use real, whole foods directly from our farm and garden. Sugar and heavily processed products play little to no role in our daily life.
  
  During the more active seasons, we enjoy preparing and sharing meals together and value the exchange in the kitchen.
  
  Please note that we do not run a vegan household. Our diet includes seasonal vegetables, fruit, eggs, dairy products, and occasionally meat from our own responsible production.
  
  As part of our holistic and regenerative approach, we care for our animals with respect and gratitude. This also includes that, from time to time, we process a chicken or goat for our own consumption. We understand that this is not compatible with everyone’s values. For us, however, it is an integral part of a sustainable and self-sufficient way of living.
  
  If you feel comfortable with this approach to food and farming and are interested in traditional self-sufficiency practices, you will likely feel at home here.
  
  We welcome people who appreciate a simple life, think sustainably, and are interested in self-sufficiency and regenerative living.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  German: Fluent
  English: Intermediate
  Portuguese: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  Wed love to learn english and portuguese
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  Accommodation

  We have a small tiny house, which is a converted caravan with an attached bathroom. Depending on availability, we can also offer it for workawayers. We also have a tent and an outdoor bed. A shared bathroom and a simple outdoor kitchen are available. You can also help yourself in our vegetable garden and cook together with us

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  Can host digital nomads

  Depending on which provider you use, the Internet connection is usually good. In bad weather, the connection may be a little slow.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  The plot is flat and can easily be driven on with a camper or caravan. If you have a very high car, e.g. a world tour vehicle, we should clear this individually, as an old cork oak grows on the driveway. Very high lorries may have difficulties with this.

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  Can possibly accept pets

  We should clarify this on an individual basis, but it is generally possible. It depends on the animals that come to visit.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  My animals / pets

  Goats, Donkeys, Chickens, Dogs, Cats

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