COME PLAY WITH MUD! 1st time Homesteaders need help with cob and sometimes our pets while we're away. RIo Rancho, NM, USA

Details

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  Description

  We're a couple living off-grid in the high-desert of NM not too far from Albuquerque and Santa Fe. We moved here from the East Coast 2 years ago to fulfill our dream of living off-grid in a cob house that we build with our own hands. Our goal is to live as sustainably as possible. We are plant-focused eaters.
  
  We live with our 2 dogs and 1 cat in a tiny house that my husband build for us to live in while we build our cob cabin.
  
  Our land is semi-rural and quite remote, with our nearest neighbor about 2 miles away. We often see ravens, vultures, hawks, jackrabbits, coyotes, and many other desert birds and animals.
  
  We are a straight shot down a road 20 minutes to the town of Rio Rancho where you'll find a big Walmart and Target and other grocers for supplies and 45 minutes to downtown Albuquerque for other things, culture, and nightlife.
  
  OUR PROJECT: We are trying to build our cob/pallet/strawbale hybrid living/working space on our own. We need help with many aspects of this project from stuffing straw into walls, to slapping cob onto walls, climbing ladders, putting plaster over cob, making natural paints, etc.
  
  This is our home we are talking about it is a very near and dear project to us. We commit fully to those who commit to us.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  General Maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  If you've ever wanted to test out living off-grid and tiny, this is the opportunity for you. In addition to learning off-grid sustainable homestead living, we offer the opportunity to practice Spanish, Korean, and Portuguese, as we are fluent speakers between the two of us. We can also give WorkAwayers an insider's view of the practice of a nature-based faith called Ifa. If time permits, we could possible even do a divination/reading for the WorkAwayer!
  
  We'd provide 2 heavy meals during work days (lunch and dinner) and a light continental breakfast (usually fruit, yogurt, nuts/muesli). Almost all meals will be plant-based.

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  Help

  Hello WorkAwayers!
  
  We need help with finishing our cob house. We need help about 20-24 hours per week, Monday through Thursday.
  
  From time to time (specifically Jan 16-22), we would need someone to petsit and care for our 2 dogs and 1 cat while we are away. Having someone here gives us peace of mind that our property and animals will be cared for. When you are petsitting, we'd leave you well stocked with not just the animals' food but food for yourself as well!
  
  The help would include making cob and plaster, putting cob on walls, putting plaster over cob, stuffing walls with straw. In addition, we'd need periodic help with handyman type projects (helping my husband with wiring, holding ladders, helping with drilling things together, etc) or just general help tidying the homestead now and again and cleaning up after meals when needed.
  
  WorkAwayers would be responsible for keeping their living quarters clean and emptying & cleaning their compost toilet buckets.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Fluent
  Portuguese: Fluent
  Korean: Intermediate

  This host offers a language exchange
  I (the wife) am a former language instructor and currently speak 4 languages fluently and am learning another. I'd love to be able to practice French, Italian, or Yoruba as well! My husband is bilingual and can dabble in French as well.
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  Accommodation

  We have a guest RV camper which has been fully reconstructed inside to become a cozy cabin. A full sized loft bed, an off-grid sawdust compost toilet, a shower indoors and outdoors, a small sink, a butane burner, a desk and chair, a front covered porch, a ceiling fan, a pull out loveseat sofa, propane heater, and a solar light and phone charger. Everything is OFF-GRID.
  
  For computers, etc, we can charge those in our tiny house for you.

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  What else ...

  UPDATE: We are cool folx who are looking for help from other cool folx. We are as committed to you as you would be to us. If your plans change, that's cool, but please don't reach out if you're the type to simply ghost on people. It's happened a few times on this platform and that's not cool :(
  
  
  During time off (Friday-Sunday), WorkAwayers are just between 2 and 4 hours to so many different beautiful New Mexico sites such as Carlsbad Caverns, White Sands National Park, Sante Fe National Forest, Sandia Mountain and cable car, the cities of Albuquerque and Santa Fe, the Georgia O'Keefe Museum, the hot springs in Jemez Springs, and even 4 hours to the Mexico border! We could take you to a car rental if you don't have a vehicle.
  
  We live rather remotely, so it's very quiet and quite peaceful where we are. We aren't entirely too far from the nearest town of Rio Rancho (about a 20 minute drive) to stock up on supplies, do some shopping, etc.
  
  You'd be on your own for meals on days off.
  
  We ask that you do not smoke in the camper. Please keep music to a minimum in the nighttime. Please do not invite guests without our permission.

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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

  Just FYI, we live rather remotely, so our signal isn't the strongest, especially if you don't have TMobile or Verizon wireless, but we do have a steady signal 90% of the time. We do frequent Zoom meetings without issue, but sometimes phone calls can drop, for example.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  There's PLENTY of parking for even up to 32 foot motorhomes or campers!! We wouldn't suggest folks with tiny vehicles try to navigate the 11 miles of dirt roads that you need to drive to access our property. 4x4 is only needed after rains or snows (both of which are rare here).

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  Can possibly accept pets

  You are welcome to bring your cat or small dog. One of our dogs is incredibly friendly, but the other is really not fond of other dogs. If you are here to help cob, you can bring a dog as well, we'd just take turns letting our dogs out. If you are here to help pet sit, we cannot accommodate other pets at all.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  Hours expected

  Maximum 5-6 hours a day, 4 days per week

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