Help with a permaculture project and experience off-grid living near El Perello, Spain

Details

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  Description

  Hi, I'm Fran I moved to a small finca in Catalunya in 2020 and need your help!
  We are totally off-grid (solar power & well/rain harvested water), which means treading lightly on the planet - careful use of all resources including water and power. The household includes Dave the cat, Dulce the dog, six chickens - Chookie, Ethel, Elsie, Fanny, Florence & Felicity, around 24 budgies (it’s a long story!), plus 2 donkeys (Jote & Ketta). We all rub along very well indeed, (although Dave would like to get a closer look at the budgies).
  
  I am trying to regenerate the soil & build biodiversity from a fairly sterile base. The finca itself has 160 olive trees, 40 carob trees and 50 almond trees, plus 3 veggie beds. The ground has been compacted over years and now needs lots of organic material added, plus love and hard labour in order to bring it back to health. The donkeys arrived 18 months ago and are supposed to be helping by grazing the terraces in order to keep plants under control against the risk of fire and to fertilise as they go, however the drought means that there is no grass for them & the ground is just dust at the moment, (not the only experiment that has failed under my stewardship!)

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  General Maintenance
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  What's this?
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Keen to meet a range of nationalities for general chat and learn about one another, particularly on things permaculture and syntropic agriculture. Also nice to cook typical national dishes for one another, (but not necessary).
  
  The area is very beautiful, beaches nearby and acres of forest, plus mountains within reach. The train to Barcelona/Valencia is just 6km away. Hiking, biking, swimming, kicking back in the sun - the world is your whelk!

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  Help

  Gardening, Animal Care, Harvesting, Strimming, General Maintenance, Cooking, Pruning, Building/Repairing dry stone walls

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Beginner
  French: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  I am happy to help visitors to improve their English, but equally happy to speak in my basic, but improving Spanish. I have found that I can no longer speak French (my Spanish now impedes my French!), but can understand it. My social group is like the United Nations, so all sorts of cultural opportunities.
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  Accommodation

  You will have your own room, (unless traveling with someone) with bathroom shared with the residents of one other bedroom, plus a kitchenette if wanted, although the intention would be to eat together in the main kitchen/on the terrace. I will provide the ingredients for 3 plant-based meals a day and expect (& appreciate) that cooking & cleaning be shared equally.

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  What else ...

  The nearest village is 4km away, as is the sea, (different directions). It is incredibly peaceful, surrounded by pine forest. Since there is very little light pollution the night skies can be amazing, particularly in winter, and it’s good to see the last of the daylight from the 1st floor terrace, (maybe with a drink in hand).
  There are bikes if you wish to go to the beach or local villages.
  Wifi is pretty good, although not up to steaming films - on the other hand I do have a few DVDs we can project outside for a little home cinema or you could bring your own DVDs. There is no TV.
  
  I am hugely concerned about climate change and for this reason work hard to minimise my carbon footprint; I would encourage you to consider using an environmentally-friendly method of travel (certainly not flying) to get here (such as train, car share (eg blablacar), cycling, etc.)

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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

  I have decent wi-fi, although there are times when it can go down all across the local area, so no guarantees. Equally the mobile signal is pretty good.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  I have space next to the house for camper vans as well as an outside loo, (although you are welcome to use the indoor facilities if you prefer)

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  Hours expected

  Maximum 5 hours a day, 5 days a week, plus equal share of cooking & cleaning

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