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Description
Welcome to help us with building projects and enjoy life on a small farm. Here you can learn about gardening, permaculture, honey bees, chickens and sustainable living.
We are a family of four living on a small organic farm 20 km north of Örebro. On our farm we grow many different vegetables, berries and fruits by using organic and permaculture principles. We have two cats, chickens and honey bees and try to live as sustainable as possible, not using more resources from earth than needed. We also believe that locally produced food is a good way to live more sustainable and contribute to our local ecosystem. Our farm is quite small and all food we grow and produce is consumed by us and friends.
Oh and we - that is Katharina (38), Erik (39) and our kids (8 and 10). We adults both work part-time within IT in the public sector. Instead of working full-time we spend time taking care of our animals and vegetable garden, which provides food, joy and quality time close to nature. We do not earn money by doing this, but spend less than we would otherwise and meanwhile having a more fulfilling life.
Welcome to join us at our beautiful place!
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
UN sustainablity goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We are happy to share our knowledge with you, for example: sustainable living, growing food, beekeeping, chickens, brewing kombucha, baking sourdough bread. We also practice yoga and enjoy board game nights with friends.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
From March to May 2023 we are especially looking for help with building projects (more info regarding other tasks below). One is continuing the greenhouse project, we are converting an old building to a greenhouse. As we use recycled materials as much as possible in an old building there are no standard sizes and solutions, we design and build as we go on and try to make the best of what we have. All major structure-related parts have been finished during 2022. Next up is putting up wooden boards on the walls inside, renovating windows, painting the walls, fixing the floor, install a fireplace and lots more.
Another high-priority project is building a room for our chickens inside another building.
We also have a lot of wood that needs to be chopped (using an axe). Previous experience is required for your own safety.
Other tasks could be:
-cleaning the polytunnel greenhouse when the chickens move out (they live in there during winter)
- various gardening tasks, for example weeding, mulching, watering
- taking care of seedlings and plants
- chopping and stacking firewood
- felling small trees
- harvesting & preserving vegetables, fruits and berries
- producing biochar
- taking care of the chickens (cleaning the hen house, refilling food and water, fencing).
- beekeeping. If you have knowledge in beekeeping you can help us with the bees or if you lack knowledge but are interested, you can learn about beekeeping by assisting at the hives and also harvesting honey.
- The pond-project: we want to create a (rather big) pond to increase biodiversity and as a water reservoir to increase our resilience. Digging and moving stones will be involved.
- Cooking. If you like cooking you are very very welcome to do that (we are vegetarians)
- Painting. There is always something that needs some new paint.
We are looking for someone who is able to work self-driven and take responsibility.
From time to time we try to plan for working days together but generally you need to be able to work on your own (or together if you are two). There is always at least one of us at home available for questions and of course we will share our vision and provide instructions.
You will often have the possibility to choose from different tasks and decide at what time of the day you want to work. However certain tasks require planning, preparations and working at specific times or weather conditions.
Languages
Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
Swedish: FluentThis host offers a language exchange
We'd love to meet german speakers as our kids need to practice their german (Katharina has German roots). We are happy to help you practice swedish.
Accommodation
You will live in a tiny house that is 10m2. It is suitable for two people who are comfortable with living together in a small place, a child might fit as well depending on age and how much comfort you need :)
There is a small living area with two beds (extra mattress on the floor can be arranged), chairs, table and some storage and a small but well equipped kitchen area with a fridge, sink, two cooking plates, toaster, kettle.
There is electricity and internet connection in the tiny house, but no running water or sewer. You can get fresh water in our house at any time to refill the water tank in the tiny house. The used water goes into a tank that needs to be emptied regularly. There is a small urine separating composting toilet in the tiny house, mostly for night time use (you will have to empty it daily). There is another urine separating compost toilet in a building nearby that does not require daily emptying).
Note that there is no shower in the tiny house.
You are welcome to use the shower and washing machine in our house but not during night time and because we have our own well, we all need to be conservative with our water consumption (no extensive showers).
Normally you will arrange your own breakfast. We often will have dinner together on the working days (or maybe all days, depends on what we all are up to). Lunch will vary, usually you will arrange lunch on your own. We supply the groceries for all meals at our place and depending on season there will be different homegrown vegetables to enjoy, as well as eggs from our chickens and plenty of honey.
We are ovo-lakto vegetarians.
It is possible to go to stores by bus (20 min walk + 15 minutes by bus one way) if you want to buy snacks or anything else.
We don't accept excessive alcohol consumption, although moderate consumption is acceptable. We are non-smokers.
What else ...
Time usually flies in our lifes and every day life with the kids, our jobs and taking care of the farm can be demanding. We enjoy meeting new people, having nice conversations and playing board games and are happy to invite you to our life but how much time we spend together depends on what kind of chemistry develops between us - which is hard to predict in advance :)
Also after intense days we adults often are quite tired in the evenings and we will need to spend some family time on our own - so you need to be able to spend your free time on your own as well.
There is plenty to do and see. We live in the countryside, the closest neighbours are a few hundred meters away. It is close to the forrest and nice walking areas. Beautiful view over Kilsbergen, a mountain range a few kilometers from us, with forrest, hiking (Bergslagsleden) and mountain bike trails, national park areas. A nice river suitable for swimming is close by. There are lots of animals you might spot here: birds (and even cranes), deers, foxes, elks.
There are two bus stops within walking distance from our place (1 km/1.8km). From there you can easily get to the biggest city nearby - the regional capital Örebro, but also other nice places to see, i.e Nora and Lindesberg. From Örebro there are good connections by bus and train to Stockholm (2 hours by train), Gothenburg (3 hours) and Oslo (five hours).
In Örebro there are restaurants, cinemas, museums, pharmacies, hospital, university, libraries, a castle, shops, gyms, swimming pools etc.
Please send us some information about yourself, what you like to do, your experiences and skills, why you want to come here and anything else you think we should know about you.
We are looking forward to hear from you!
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
There is Wi-Fi available in the tiny house
Space for parking camper vans
There is plenty of space for campervans.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
Hours expected
4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
Feedback (8)
During my stay I learned a lot… read more
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During my stay I learned a lot… read more
We learned about beekeeping, house… read more
If you have the opportunity to stay there, you can look forward to kind hosts, game nights, living in a tiny house,… read more
Both of them really made an effort to make… read more
Katharina, Eric and the girls were so kind, caring and open to share their knowledge about the landscape, the touristic attractions, their animals, their plants... I did harvesting, painting and… read more
