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Need help with lambing and various other tasks for 2 weeks, Telemark, Norway

  • Favourited 371 times
  • Last activity: 28 Mar 2024

Availability

  2024 

 Min stay requested: No minimum

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    I am a single woman, 61, running a small organic farm in Ulefoss, Telemark. I have 40 sheep and some chickens, two cats and a dog.
    I need someone to come here in mid April, preferably around 11.04., to help with feeding the sheep and do some woodwork/ make firewood. Lambing here starts mid April, and then I'm in the barn 24/7. It's a fantastic enjoyable rewarding exhausting tiring time. The previous years I have had one or two workawayers here to help me do the routine tasks, like feeding, changing water buckets, maybe make dinner and so on.
    A typical day would start around eight or nine in the barn. We feed and water all the sheep. It takes a lot longer than normal, because I have all the new mums and their lambs in separate 'rooms', and they have to be fed individually. We check that all the lambs are ok and getting enough milk from their mum. Very often the sheep have triplets, and then we have to bottle feed them. A fun and cute job, but time consuming 🥰
    Breakfast feeding and everything around it takes maybe an hour and a half, but varies a lot.
    Then you do other tasks for an hour or two, before it's back to the barn in the evening again.


    Other tasks could be something like this, -
    Depending on the weather it might be possible to start a bit in the vegetable garden. Last year we had snow during lambing, but hopefully not this year.
    I am also trying to gather as much firewood as possible for next winter. I will take down some trees with the chain saw, and you drag/ carry the pieces down to where the tractor can get to. Not far to carry, maybe 100 meters.
    But again, the work with the sheep has priority number one. :-)


    I moved to this farm seven years ago, and I still have a lot of projects going on. I am a nurse working part time, mostly weekends. During lambing I am not working anywhere else, only on the farm.

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    Animal Care
    Farmstay help
    Creating/ Cooking family meals
    Help around the house
    General Maintenance
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    When you come here you will see how Norwegians live on a typical small farm. I try to make as much as possible from our vegetable-garden, and I conserve wild berrys during summer for the next year.
    You will learn a lot about sheep and how to take care of them.

  • Help

    Help

    I have an Englishman, Andy, living here in a kind of flat downstairs. He came three years ago as a workawayer. 60 years old, no Norwegian, nice man, but with certain disabilities. He is not able to feed my sheep or do much other work, but he is capable of answering questions and sometimes drive the tractor. He had a brain surgery one year ago, and has just sort of stranded here, with no other place to go.


    Normally I love to play boardgames and sit around and talk. I used to travel a lot before, but now with the farm that is more difficult. Now I have to invite the world to come to me instead. :-)
    I had a German workawayer here some years ago. He took his guitar to the barn and played for the sheep. I have a spare guitar here, unfortunately I don't play my self. So if you play the guitar, - yes, then you just have to come and stay. <3
    I said over here that 'Normally I love to play and talk...' During lambing things are a bit different. Very often we have lambings during the night, and the further in to lambing we get, the more tired I am. I sometimes try to sleep a bit during the day if the night has been busy, but then again the day might be busy too..



    Skien and Porsgrunn is half an hour away with bus, they have everything you need. Ulefoss is four kilometres away, or half an hours walk if you take the shortcuts. Not much there, but three grocery stores and a bit more.

    Ten minutes walk up the hill behind the farm is a small three- wall- shed/ shelter, biuvak. It's on my property, and it's possible to sleep there for the night. Millions of stars when it's clear. And only ten minutes back to the farm if you get too cold. :-)

    20 min walk down the road is Norsjø, a big lake and a part of Telemarkskanalen. April might be too early to go for a swim, but the place is still very nice.

  • Languages spoken

    English: Fluent
    Norwegian: Fluent

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    I have two spare bedrooms in the house, and soon one extra bathroom. Kitchen will be shared.
    Meals are not so regular, but we want to have at least dinner together. :-) It would be very nice if you could cook something from your country once or twice, but no stress.
    When it comes to other meals you are free to make and eat whatever you find in the house. Of course you clean what you have been using in the kitchen when you are finished.
    I don't smoke, and will appreciate if you don't either. I don't drink much, but I enjoy a glass or two of wine or beer when we play cards on the veranda. In winter we move inside and sit in front of the fireplace. I use almost only the woodburners in the house for heating, I really love the heat they give.

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    Ulefoss is a small place along the very famous canal of Telemark, Telemarkskanalen. It is said to be one of the most beautiful waterways in the world. When the canal was completed in 1892 it was called the eitght wonder by the British travellers that were here at that time. It connects the coast of Telemark with the inland through a number of locks. One can go there by one of the old passenger boats or rent a canoe and padle.
    The nearest bigger places are Skien and Porsgrunn, with all facilities, about 30 min by car. Buses every hour. There are numerous hiking options in the aerea, everything from 5 minutes to as long as you could possibly want. About half a mile from our farmhouse we have a kind of really basic three-wall shelter with a fireplace. Very nice to stay overnight there.
    We also have two bikes you can use whenever you like.

  • A little more information

    A little more information

    • Internet access

    • Limited internet access

      Limited internet access

    • We have pets

    • We are smokers

    • Can host families

  • Can host digital nomads

    Can host digital nomads

    This host has indicated that they love having digital nomads stay.

  • Space for parking camper vans

    Space for parking camper vans

    This host can provide space for campervans.

  • Can possibly accept pets

    Can possibly accept pets

    This host has said they are willing to accept those travelling with a pet.

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    More than two

  • ...

    Hours expected

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

Host ref number: 814928955551

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