Family farm and cheesery in Laudona, Latvia

Details

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  Description

  We are registered here also as hosts and earlier we used to host many volunteers on our farm. Here is the link to our host account:
  
  Now we would like to have a change in our life - to see the world, meet new people and learn new things.
  We are international family.
  Steffen is german in middle of 40th, grown up in Germany, has been studying geology,lived in Norway, traveled a lot around Europe with his Landrover Defender, the last 15 years lives in Latvia with his family, having farm with goats and cheesery. Together with his wife Rūta used to have a farm with 150 milking goats and make cheese, where he is still the main cheese seller on the local markets. In his youth time he did work by a carpenter in Germany from where he has the most skills of building and with wood works. It was also very usefull on the farm in Latvia, where many things are his handswork. Away from all practical works and knowledge he is interested in old technics, motobikes, he likes traveling, meeting people, good food, interested in social topics, politics, history, nature, travels, life stories and many more.
  
  Rūta is Latvian in hers beginning of 40th, has an education of latvian sauna Master and SPA (massage) teraphist, but in a heart a farmer lady. She did grow up on the farm and since that never ever could imagine hers life away from nature and animals. Together with Steffen for nearly 15 years used to have farm with goats in deep country side of Latvia and make all kind of tape of cheese (semi hard cheese, camembert, Mozzarella, fresh cheese). She likes beeing in nature, cooking (good food), handcrafts, folkloric music and traditions, my family.
  We have 3 boys: our oldest one - Rūsiņš is nearly adult , he is 17, learning in gymnasium and music school, has a passion in music (playing cello, guitar, e-guitar, bass-guitar , at the moment learning saxophone), he likes reading books, interested in history and language learning/ practicing (latvian, english, german, frensh), can be also a proper men help, on the farm he use to do stable cleaning and firewood jobs. He loves pasta and oneday would like to get a cook.
  Jurģis is 9 years old, loves sport activities, bike riding, outdoor activities, lego building, drawing, interested about world and animals. He likes to give a hand, help and spend time with papa.
  Johannes is 6 years old and even in character very different from Jurģis, he follows and learns from his brother a lot. They both are good team and always use to do the things together. They all three speaks latvian, german and english.
  Since August 2024. we are happy family of having our daughter - Jasmīna on this world. She is sweet and nice and have to fit in our bussy, active dayly life.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Babysitting and creative play

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  What's this?
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  Projects involving children

  This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.

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  Help

  At the moment we have a permanent worker lady for cheessery, who is teached and does the most cheese making jobs. Since we are not working dayly in cheesery ourselfs anymore - WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO TEACH YOU CHEESE MAKING!!! Specially not in one or two weeks!
  
  As a volunteer you might be busy here with many other random things as some cleaning arround, small works in a garden, helping with construction building for Steffen or some painting jobs, firewood making, etc.
  
  We welcome cooking lovers as we do like to have diversity in our meals.
  We do expect you if not cooking sometimes, then helping with preparing meals and washing dishes.
  
  A company for our children would be amazing, they love chatting, playing table games and its always a good practise of languages.
  
  Some artistic talent is always very welcome for decorating some of our walls.
  
  In summer we have a lot of mosquitoes as we live so close by forest and some bog lands. It´s always just a question of how you are dressed and how much you are able to stand it :) Another thing is that we have here ticks, which you might pick up just in the close nature, so if you are not sure about - please contact your doctor for deciding about vaccine for tick encephalitis.
  
  You have to be aware that we are a working farm and not a pet shop: starting from amazing cute new life and lovely goats till also accepting that not always all animals we are able to keep...... It depends how is your personal attitude to the things: it can be a nice romantic fairytale over here or a hard shitty farm life. For us its definitely more the first :)
  
  We are also looking for the same minded people to share not only works together, but also some of the free time - with nice food, tea, chatting, changing experiences and having sometimes even a long philosophical evenings. At the end - we would like to build up something like a community, if someone would be interested to participate - there are many different ideas and possibilities for it.
  
  Families are welcome!

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  Languages spoken

  German: Fluent
  English: Fluent
  Latvian (Lettish): Fluent

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  Accommodation

  Your accomondation will be in one of the rooms in the second floor of the cheesery.
  You will get your own private room with a double size of comfortable bed, the common kitchen, WC and shower dowstairs in the first floor.
  
  We eat together 3 x a day.

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  What else ...

  Our farm is situated 170 km away from Riga (capital) to the east. There is plenty of nature, woods and peaceful country side around for a nice walk, wild berries or mushrooms picking in the woods. 3 km away from the farm is an amazing nice lake for swimming in summer time. We can offer you bike for a biger distances.
  
  We are sitting between two amazing nature reservations: the one is Teiču reservation - a huge 20.000ha swamp land and the other one - Krustkalnu reservation - a really wild forest.
  
  30 km away from the farm are two nice small towns - where is a bigger civilization:) - to the North - Madona, to the south - Jēkabpils. We would say - there is not much to see, but also this "not much" you might be able to see, because time to time we might go there anyhow for something.
  
  Each weekend we go to Riga for cheese selling. Even if we can not promise to you the possibility to come with us each weekend - RĪGA is a city definitely WORTH TO SEE. It has a very nice old town, art Nouveau area, ethnographical open air museum, interesting other kind of museums and activities for each taste, nice farmers and handcrafts markets - one of the most popular and nice one each saturday where we are selling our cheese - Kalnciema market.
  
  But basicly - LATVIA is NATURE. Still a lot of wild and rich nature.
  And if you are lucky and have possibility: Latvian sauna by sauna master - is something you have to experience one day! The same like latvian traditions - summer soltice and other soltice celebrations, latvian singing festival - these are things which you will remember forever!

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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

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

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  Space for parking camper vans

  This host can provide space for campervans.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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