Italy
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My name is Milo and I'm in the middle of my new adventure.
I'm building a small self-sustainable farm in the Itria Valley (Apulia), very close to Cisternino, Ostuni, Martina Franca and Ceglie Messapica (four of the beautiful "white villages" that surround the valley).
After several years in London, I work now between Milan and Rome. I'm a former university teacher and currently work as a consultant in the media industry. Have two daughters (18 and 21yo). They are often here helping me with my project.
I love Apulia and spend part of the year countryside in our peaceful Trullo to develop my new project, quite faraway from the urban life and the digital media environment...
I need some help in the field and in the house (painting the wall, fixing stuff and organizing the house and etc.). I'm also creating an organic vegetable garden, refurbishing an old small stone house, building a wooden cabin etc. So I need some help for all these tasks. The land that surround the Trullo is almost two hectares and there is always something to do: picking up fruit, olive harvesting, plowing, pruning the trees etc.
You will help 5 hours a day / 5 days a week and I will choose the best task for you according to your skills and experience.
*** If you decide to apply, please consider that all the activities require manual and physical help. Gardening in a field of almost two hectares is not the same of gardening in the backyard.
You will have your own room but please consider that sometimes you will share your room with another workawayer. I will be happy to share my experience and knowledge in Italian culture and cuisine with you. I speak Italian, English, Spanish and a little bit of French.
The place is wonderful and if you like the "real" Mediterranean countryside this is a place where you can enjoy the Apulian culture.
But please keep in mind that the house is very simple, yet rustic. The bathroom is outside, just a few meters from the house and has been created in the former donkey's stable... We have WiFi. We do not have a TV but often project quality movies on the wall. If you want to get a better idea about the place just write "this is a trullo not a villa" and you will find more pictures of the house and the land.
Please before you apply consider that:
- during the winter months (December to March) temperature can be very low because the house is around 400 meters above the sea level;
- during the autumn / winter we have breakfast at 6:30 / 7:00 AM and we start working at 7:30 / 8:00AM;
- during the summer, temperatures can easily reach above 32°C degrees and for this reason we start working at 6:00 AM.
You can also use our mountain bikes to ride around and to visit some of the closest towns (Martina Franca, Cisternino, Ceglie Messapica, Locorotondo, Ostuni ) that are the five "white villages" of the Itria valley. There is also a bus service that connects 3 times per day our trulo to Martina Franca and Ostuni. If I go by car to Martina Franca or Ostuni or to other places, I will be very happy to give you a ride.
The house is located at a walking distance from the well known "Ciclovia dell'Acquedotto Pugliese ", a stunning 500 km wild trail built on top of the Apulian Acqueduct that connects Campania (Avellino) to Apulia. It is also a very beautiful bike trail for a few hours ride. From our house, in less than two hours, you can reach by bike Ceglie Messapica (going South on the Ciclovia) or Locorotondo (North). Going to Cisternino is around one hour bike ride.
A local shop / grocery shop / coffee shop and bakery with free WiFi is at a 10 minutes walking distance. You can buy almost everything there and have some delicious coffee and the greatest local food in the area. Their focaccia and panzerotti are something not to be missed.
Please consider that I have a cat, goats and several chickens. I also have a near domesticated fox. He comes for dinner almost every day. For this reasons, I'm sorry but I cannot host dogs.
Please remember that you will help five hours per day per five days. After your five days of help you will have two days off. Please consider also that the minimum stay is seven days but I'm always happy if the workawayers want to stay several weeks.
Please note that if you arrive after 12am this is not consider a day of stay and you will start helping the following day. About your departure: if you leave before 12am this is not consider a day of stay. Hope this will help you to better organize your travel.
Please consider also that often I host 2 or 3 (sometimes also 4) workawayers at the same time. It is very important for me that the workawayers start their days of help all together so they can also have the two days off all together. This means that is preferable for me that you arrive at my place early in the afternoon of the second day off. So I have the time to check you in, show the land, the house and the project and discuss with you our plans for the next helping week.
Please bring suitable shoes and clothing.
Many thanks for considering my project.
Milo
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Help around the house
General Maintenance
I'm really passionate about cooking. I prepare my sourdough bread, focaccia, pasta, yogurt, cheese and use wild herbs and other vegetables that I grow in the field. If we have time, I will be very happy to teach you something about Apulian and Italian cusine. But please consider that in general I don't allow workawayers who stay only one week to use the kitchen without me.
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Gardening, help in the house, painting, general maintenance, building, manual help, help with the animals
English: Fluent
Italian: Fluent
Spanish: Intermediate
French: Intermediate
The volunteer will have his / her room in our house. The bathroom is outside just a few meters from the house. In some periods of the years the volunteers will share a room with another workawayer.
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
More than two
Maximum 5 hours per day, 5 days a week
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