Profile information
-
Host rating
Not yet rated
-
Feedback
-
-
Email verified
Country info
Badges (1)
Find your perfect host
Details
-
Description
Hi! I'm Amma Elyssa, a permaculture and homesteading enthusiast, nature and animal lover, and foodie living on the north coast of Sicily in Gioiosa Marea (the Joyful Tide). I recently bought a home here with a spectacular view of the sea and mountains, and over 25 types of fruit and nut trees... pear, apple, plum, avocado, sapote, kiwi, grape, carruba, walnut, hazelnut, orange, lemon, grapefruit, fig, corbezzolo, sorbo... and a 100-tree olive orchard. These trees give so much... now it's time to more deeply nourish the soil, and share the harvest! This Fall, we're bringing online a small-scale biogas and biochar system... preparing for a natural building project... and tending a vegetable garden. If you're excited about participating in a hands-on permaculture project, and living close to forests, mountains and sea, come on by. Three friendly medium-sized collies live here, a mother-father-daughter family, so additional animals are not usually welcome. Super friendly neighbors and cultural centers nearby. Local friends are starting to talk about forming an eco-village, so this could be a good time to check out the area. I would love for this project to expand and become a cooperative and community!
-
Types of help and learning opportunities
Art Projects
Language practice
Help with Eco Projects
Light gardening
Creative DIY projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
Light maintenance
-
Interests
Technology
Culture
Sustainability
Pets
Self development
Farming
Writing
Performing arts
Plant care
Music
Languages
History
Gardening
Drawing & painting
Carpentry
DIY & crafts
Cooking & food
Art & design
Architecture
Animals
Yoga / Wellness
Team sports
Nature
Camping
Sailing / Boating
Mountain
Dancing
Beach
Outdoor activities -
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
-
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
This is a peaceful home where joy and kindness, hard work and knowledge, simple pleasures and surprises are exchanged! I love hosting guests, and have worked at eco-villages and forest/mountain retreat centers for many years. I appreciate dancing and music and also quiet time. Families with children are 100% welcome. This is a wonderful place if you want to be in nature and learn hands-on permaculture practices. I have worked on and led permaculture projects in Costa Rica, Canada, the U.S. and Italy , and am a retired forest guide and nature mentor. I absolutely love sharing what I've learned along the way... and also learning from guests and students!
Here you will eat well, work in a collaborative team with steadiness and intention, and have plenty of free time. We are located about 15 minutes from beach of Gioiosa Marea, which is on the train line between Palermo and Messina. In this area there is frequent live music, and here at home I play the organetto and lira... musicians always welcome! I speak English, Italian and Spanish, and neighbors speak Sicilian. We're about 30 min from Tindari, and a little less than an hour from Milazzo, the port to the Eolian Islands. Local wine is shared here on occasion, but this is not a place for heavy drinking or substance use.
I love hosting people because of the joy of seeing things through other people's eyes, and sharing the natural abundance of this land. I love working as a team, and how work become light with many hands. I love sharing time in the kitchen and learning recipes from other cultures.
And yeah, I'm super passionate about permaculture, ecological restoration and regenerative land care... these practices give me so much hope for the world... and practical ways to contribute. So I'm excited to share with people who are into this! -
Help
Hands-on help with land-based Permaculture projects! I've been a permaculture teacher for 20+ years, and am also part of the Agroecology and Natural Farming movements here in Sicily. This is a wonderful piece of land that was well-loved for decades by the previous family who lived here... they planted a diverse food forest with fruits and nuts to harvest every month, they shaped a cascade of terraces on the hillside, and installed water infrastructure alongside a natural stream. The olive and fruit harvests are used for home consumption, and the enjoyment of guests. At this moment, the soil needs attention. So, we'll be going around and learning how to build crescent-shaped mini-swales downhill from each tree to trap water and nutrients. In each swale, we'll add activated biochar, compost and straw. Over the land in between the trees, we'll be seeding a mix of "sovescio" / green manure... i.e. native plants that nourish the soil and provide ground cover.
We'll also be installing a biodigester! I'm part of an international collaborative for small-scale biogas implementation. We'll be installing the tank and pipes, inocculating to start it up, and bringing the system online this Fall. Our biogas will be used for cooking.
There is a space in the top floor of the house that I have my eye on to finish off with natural clay and wood (bioedilizia)... so some time will be spent prepping this area.
These are the big projects. In addition, you may be asked to do little things like helping to carry precut firewood closer to the house, or help in the vegetable garden, or help process the harvest. I'm into home fermentation (kombucha, kraut, kimchi, dosas) and handcrafting in general, so if there's something specific you'd like to try, let me know. If you come during the olive harvest, you're in for a real treat! -
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Italian: Fluent
Spanish: Intermediate
Hungarian: BeginnerThis host offers a language exchange
Language immersion is the best way to learn! So, if you want your experience to be in Italian or English, I'm happy to oblidge. I understand Spanish very well and speak okay, too. -
Accommodation
Guest apartment with 1-2 bedrooms (as needed), full bathroom and private entrance. The guest apartment is on the ground floor of the house, and contains one large bedroom (bed space for 1-3 people), one small bedroom (bed space for 1-2 people), a full bath and a small refrigerator. The apartment opens out onto a terrace with views of the mountains, sea, food forest and sunset. If you prefer camping, there are a nice spots in the open terrace near the house or under the forest in the terraces below. Bedding and towels are provided. Wifi on site.
Volunteers are guaranteed 2 meals a day for each day you contribute for 4-5 hours. You are welcome to use the mini-fridge and tea/coffee station in the guest apartment at other times. -
What else ...
Happy to occassionally transport folks to the beach or train station, or out to live music or dinner as naturally happens. September and October are a lovely time of year for the beach, as the water is still warm but the sun is more mild. (I don't usually go to town every day, so if that's something you want, I'll ask you to contribute for gas.)
As I said earlier, the house has a relaxed and peaceful vibe. Musicians, animal lovers, nature lovers, and kids are totally welcome :) An occassional beer or glass is wine is fine. Heavy drinking and substance use are not welcome.
I ask for folks to clean up after themselves... be attentive during work tasks... ask questions if you're not sure about something... tell me if you have a problem... be open to feedback... and hopefully find humor and learning in cultural exchange! -
A little more information
-
Internet access
-
Limited internet access
-
We have pets
-
We are smokers
-
Can host families
-
-
Can host digital nomads
Digital nomads - In general, we work in the mornings starting at 7 or 7:30am and stop at lunchtime, but it's helpful (but not mandatory) if you can be flexible with the weather (rain and wind). Sometimes, there will be indoor work we can do.
-
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
-
My animals / pets
Cardella
1.5 year old farm collie, born in Sicily to Buena and Obi
Obi (7 years)
7 year old farm collie
Buena (9 years)
9 year old farm collie
Photos
