An organic off-grid project close to a historic village Monsanto, Central Portugal

Details

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  Description

  Please read carefully what we are currently looking for (scroll down a little). Make sure this opportunity matches what you’re seeking.
  
  Who are we?
  
  We’re Karo and Ben, originally from Germany and the USA, and we share a passion for living sustainably and in close connection with nature. Our goal is to create a welcoming home / homestead for ourselves, our friends, family, guests, and others who may share our values. The journey so far has been the most rewarding experience of our lives—empowering, humbling, and full of surprises and lessons. It truly feels like a magical path forward, and we love that it is also inspired by those who spend time with us, and serendipity and spontaneity, which we consciously invite.
  
  Our land is an old portuguese farm that we’re gradually restoring —for both the land itself and the people who care for it or spend time here. We farm, and live as self-sufficiently as possible. This is a labor of love: we want to enjoy a healthy, happy life in a peaceful place with plenty of sunshine, clean air, and fresh water. We also have two young daughters who are growing with us into a farming and nature life of exploration and learning. Weather and the seasons also often dictate our activities.
  
  The land is diverse in both landscape and vegetation. There’s an old olive orchard, remnants of a vineyard, and orange and fig trees as well as all we have planted in the past 10 years of managing this land. Old terraces with dry-stone walls—some up to two meters high—are testament to the work of generations past, and how this land was once used. Old agricultural wells dot the land, and a mixed forest of oak, pine, mimosa, and eucalyptus covers about a third of the area. The land is comprised of a valley and two ridges. Enough water flows through the valley to form a small stream during winter and early spring.
  
  Granite boulders and rocky outcrops make the land unsuitable for large-scale farming, but perfect for creating small growing plots with unique microclimates and sun traps.
  
  There are countless opportunities to tinker and get creative, make land-art, do ornamental planting or reforestation, and many other such projects. Furthermore, we have goats and aim to expand our crew of animal friends to better manage the land and make it productive and safe. Wildfires are common in Portugal, and our land is no less vulnerable, so we pay special attention to doing what we can to be prepared.
  
  What we’re looking for right now (please read carefully):
  
  We are looking for couples or duos of friends (and also single people traveling alone) who would like to stay and work with us for a while and help out with a great variety of projects on our land, which include, but are not limited to, gardening, animal care, harvests and general farm tasks. Self-sufficiency and permaculture principles guide our thinking and planning, and we also observe and listen, to sense what the land and the weather is telling us.
  
  It is ideal if you have your own camper-van, tent or vehicle, but we can also offer a small but fully-equipped guest house for you to stay in if it is not occupied by other visitors. We will cover food costs during your stay. Since we can’t commit to many evening hangouts at the moment, being young parents, this opportunity is ideal for someone—either solo or a couple—who also values their own space and enjoys independent time, especially in the evening, when we are unavailable to socialise.
  
  If this sounds interesting, please send us a message. We’re flexible with the arrangements and timing.
  
  Please note that the help we seek and experiences we offer are only related to our personal homestead and garden and Workawayers won't be helping with any business activity or receive any payment for their time.
  
  Regardless of whether you stay in our guesthouse or live in your own van or tent, it is helpful if you have your own vehicle, as there’s nothing much within walking distance except beautiful nature. We live a few km away from the nearest village. If you’re interested in a longer stay, we’d start with 1–2 weeks to get to know each other and make sure it’s a good fit for everyone.
  
  Thanks for reading, we look forward to hearing from you!
  Ben & Karo
  Juni & Ruby (our daughters - 4 and 1 years old)

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Language practice

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Babysitting and creative play

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet

  House sitting
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  Interests

  

  Politics / Social justice

  

  Technology

  

  Sustainability

  

  Vegetarian or vegan

  

  Self development

  

  Farming

  

  Art & design

  

  Architecture

  

  Animals

  

  Gardening

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Books

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  History

  

  Plant care

  

  Music

  

  Languages

  

  Photography

  

  Performing arts

  

  Drawing & painting

  

  Carpentry

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Nature

  

  Beach

  

  Dancing

  

  Mountain

  

  Water sports

  

  Hiking
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  During your stay, you’ll gain hands-on experience with eco-friendly practices and self-sufficient ways of life. You’ll learn practical skills such as organic gardening, animal care, using renewable energy, and natural building techniques. By working and living with us, you’ll be sharing meals, stories, and traditions while collaborating on meaningful projects. This experience will deepen your appreciation for nature and resourcefulness, and help you discover the importance of living in harmony with the environment. We are also very curious to get to know you and learn about your background and experiences.

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  Help

  We offer a wide variety of activities and types of tasks, and we look forward to sharing these experiences with you. We also enjoy spending time together—cooking, eating, and exchanging ideas and stories.
  
  Current plans include:
  
  Gardening
  Landscaping and forestry tasks
  Preparing garden beds
  Tree planting and fire safety measures
  Water management in arid climate
  Cooking (with a focus on a healthy diet)
  
  The tasks we do depend on the weather, the time of year, and your own interests and passions. We’re happy to discuss your preferences and can likely accommodate them, as there is such a wide range of things to do. We encourage you to take on tasks that you find enjoyable and fulfilling, so you can learn and grow in areas that interest you. The land here is incredibly diverse, with a rich variety of vegetation—the possibilities are endless.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  German: Fluent
  English: Fluent
  French: Intermediate
  Portuguese: Intermediate

  This host offers a language exchange
  Between us here we speak German and English fluently, our Portuguese is getting better now, and we speak a little French as well. We're happy to learn from you and also help you learn... in particular we would like to improve our Portuguese, so language exchange with a fluent Portuguese speaker would be great.
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  Accommodation

  At the moment, we can accommodate you either in a cozy cottage or in your own van or caravan or your own tent. If you bring a caravan, we provide electrical and water hookups for your convenience. And of course, you’ll have access to warm showers during your stay, as well as all our other facilities.

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  What else ...

  There are some lovely, quaint old villages nearby. Also some lakes and rivers for swimming and fishing. Backroads with amazing views over the rolling hills and old roman bridges and ruins. Spain is only 30 minutes away. Boom festival grounds are very close by as well.

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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

  We have a super-fast internet connection (Starlink) you can use.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  We very much welcome people bringing their own vehicles, and we can provide electrical and water hookups as well. Even if you bring your own campervan, you can still use our facilities here, warm showers, kitchen, internet, etc..

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  My animals / pets

  Goats

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