Establishing a small eco-friendly and self sufficient farm in Gamleby, Sweden

Details

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  Description

  Hello!
  
  Welcome to our home; a small, peaceful farm close to the coast and surrounded by forest in south-eastern Sweden. We live in a rural area near several nature reserves, offering a calm and grounded everyday life that we enjoy sharing with others.
  
  We are Jan and Angéla, a civil engineer and a sustainability consultant, 55 and 53 years old. We live here with a mix of part-time children and adult children who visit regularly, along with our animals: cats, sheep, chickens, ducks and cows. Just outside the farm you’ll often see wildlife such as deer, foxes, hares, owls and cranes.
  
  Alongside farm life, we both have regular jobs, which means there will be times when you work independently or together with other Workawayers. Over the past three years, hosting Workawayers has become an important and appreciated part of our life here, and we truly enjoy the exchange, shared work and conversations.
  
  Our vision is to create a welcoming, down-to-earth place where people can contribute, learn, and live close to nature for a while – with shared responsibility, simple living and mutual respect.
  
  Plans for this year
  This year we mainly plan to host Workawayers during two periods, with a possible shorter stay in autumn:
  
  Late April / early May (around two weeks)
  Focus on building fences, painting barns, preparing the garden and getting the land ready for the growing season.
  
  Late June / early July (around two weeks)
  We host a group of Workawayers and work together on renovating an old wooden house from the 1700s. This is a social and collaborative period. Accommodation will be simpler, with outdoor living in larger tents.
  
  Autumn (optional, shorter stay)
  If possible, we may also host a shorter period focused on harvest and food preparation.
  We usually host up to four people per period and welcome families, couples, friends or solo travelers (we try to combine groups in a good way).
  
  Daily life & routines (important to read)
  Life here is simple, rural and close to nature. To make sure this is a good match, here are some important aspects of our everyday routines:
  • Water is limited, especially in summer. We use water carefully and usually shower every few days. Instead, we often swim in a nearby lake for bathing and refreshment.
  • Bathroom and kitchen facilities are shared, and we expect everyone to be mindful and respectful of shared spaces.
  • We plan the weekly schedule together with our Workawayers. Tasks such as cooking, cleaning and daily farm chores are shared and clearly distributed so everyone knows what to expect.
  • Most work is outdoors (building, gardening, animal care), combined with some indoor tasks such as cleaning and cooking.
  • The farm is located in the countryside with only a few neighbors. At times, you may be alone on the farm with other guests, so it’s important that you feel comfortable working independently.
  • The nearest small town is about 7 km away, and the closest city is 30 km away. Public transport exists but is limited. You may borrow a bicycle, and occasionally our second car if you have a driver’s license.
  • During some periods (especially summer), we may host retreats or have more people on the farm, which means a more lively atmosphere.
  This is a place for people who appreciate simple living, cooperation, nature, flexibility and shared responsibility.
  
  Who we are looking for
  Life here suits those who enjoy peace, nature, outdoor work, shared responsibility and a slower rhythm, rather than constant activity or convenience.
  
  You don’t need previous farm experience, but an interest in rural life, sustainability and practical work is important. What matters most to us is a respectful attitude, reliability, and a willingness to take part in everyday life as it is – not as a holiday resort, but as a shared home and adventure.
  
  Why Join Us?
  With a rich history of travel behind us, our eagerness to meet new people and build meaningful connections is a big part of why we turn to Workaway. Our home provides a unique setting for collaboration, inspiration, and growth. Joining us is not just about helping with tasks and projects; it's about contributing to a lifestyle rooted in community, and connection with nature.
  
  We extend this invitation with open hearts and hope you will join us on this journey. Together, we can create something truly special.
  
  We look forward to hearing from you.
  Warmly welcome,
  Jan & Angéla

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  Interests

  

  Water sports

  

  Mountain

  

  Pets

  

  Self development

  

  Charity work

  

  Farming

  

  Sustainability

  

  Politics / Social justice

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Gardening

  

  Carpentry

  

  Animals

  

  Nature

  

  Camping

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Hiking

  

  Cycling
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  What's this?
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Natural building. Permaculture. Food forest design. Re-wilding in Nature. Perennial garden design.
  We hope that we will have visitors from abroad so that we can learn both languages and cultural ways from each other. We do believe that some weeks by us would offer both swedish culture and language, knowledge in perma culture, perennial garden, animal care and traditional renovating and log-tasks/painting and animal care.

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  Help

  Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
  
  Natural building, painting, Permaculture. Food forest design. Re-wilding in Nature. Perennial garden design. Wild swimming. Helping and shared laughter is our vibe, and afternoon relaxing in the sunshine.
  
  Our home - the small farm holds three log-barns and some extra log-buildings that are in need of restauration. During the summer of 2024 we will renovate and together learn more about how to renovate in traditional way.
  Both Jan and I have experience from living in the countryside and renovating old building but no-one of us is an expert and want to learn more together with you.
  During the summer of 2024 we will take our first steps towards being self-sufficient. When this will be - we are not sure. During this summer we are going to start preparations to build a large a green house and establish a new garden. As for now the pigs are preparing the ground. As ou can hear there is a lot to do and much joy and laughter to share at our place.
  
  Vegetarian happily accommodated.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  Danish: Intermediate
  English: Intermediate
  Norwegian: Intermediate
  German: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
  You can contact them directly for more information.
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  Accommodation

  At moment the accomodation will be in the main house where we have two extra double rooms and one single room.
  The rooms are nice decorated and with good sleeping amedities. Bathroom and kitchen will be shared. We will normally cook our food together, sometimes in the house and sometimes in the open.
  There is also room for your own camper van, caravan at our place or tent or hammock during beautiful summer nights if that is what you prefer.

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  What else ...

  We are close to cultural areas as the Glasriket where you can visit and take part in creating your own glass objects. Just 50 min away is Astrid Lindgrens birthhouse and also the amusement park "The world of Astrid Lindgrens värld" where all the stories are played as live theater in the summer time. There is also only a short bike ride to the coast where you can enjoy the Swedish east coast and vast archipelago of Tjust, St Annas and Gryt. There is also a lot of nature reserves for hiking and biking close by.
  There is bikes and a car that is possible to use from time to time. Look further & ask us for the link for more information.

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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 good internet access, a room with two extra screens that are available part-time.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  Normal size campervan can be parked at our farm.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  My animals / pets

  

  Hens & Rooster

  

  Ducks & Anki

  

  Björn, Astrid & Pompe

  

  Luna & Aska

  

  Rut, Rune, Ines and 5 kittens

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