Help out around our little homestead in Olympia, Washington, USA

Details

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  Description

  We are a unique blend of farm life and easy access to town and city as well as deep wilderness. We also stand out in the crowd of excellent Pacific Northwest WA hosts by not requiring long stays or many hours of work per day. We want to leave you time to explore all the wonderful Natural Beauty and fun cultural events that this gorgeous corner of the US has to offer.
  
  A creek borders our land and we share it with lots of wildlife, maintaining a green corridor for racoons, weasels, otter, beaver, foxes, coyotes, deer, bear, cougar, and a whole variety of bird life. Five kinds of fish still live in the creek and we steward our land to keep it clean and safe for them. Our homestead is on the traditional land of the Squaxin Tribe, at the outskirts of the capital city of Olympia, Washington State. We are less than 3 miles from a public beach, and an hour's drive from ski areas on majestic Mt. Rainier. We will make bicycles available to you to use, with extensive trail networks less than a mile away.
  
  Olympia is situated in close proximity to several breathtaking national parks. Olympic National Park is just a short drive away, boasting snow-capped peaks, lush rainforests, and miles of hiking trails. Mount Rainier National Park is another must-see destination, with its towering mountain peaks, crystal-clear lakes, and abundant wildlife. Additionally, North Cascades National Park, known for its rugged terrain and stunning vistas, is just a few hours' drive from Olympia. December to February also offer incredible opportunities for skiing with many ski resorts nearby. If you prefer something more urban you are covered as Seattle (an hour away by bus) is home to a thriving arts and culture scene. Enjoy exploring the Pacific Northwest from our beautiful home by bike or public transportation. We will make camping and bicycle touring equipment available to you, as well as our 50 years of local knowledge about camping, cycle-touring, mushroom hunting, kayaking, etc.
  
  We live on the family farm my parents bought 60 years ago. My husband and I care for my 93 year old mother and continue to work the huge garden she used to raise her 7 children. She is active and intelligent, and works in the garden as much as her aging body allows. I am a retired Sustainability Educator of Preschool through adult ages. We try to live as sustainably as possible using solar energy (active and passive), rainwater collection, conservation, reuse and repair, recycling, and composting. I am constantly making something from waste: everything from weaving baskets out of invasive plants to making paper from weeds or concocting natural dyes and pigments for my artwork on fabric and wood or paper. I also love to build from wood waste we salvage from a local window and door manufacturer, so I might have some opportunities for you to help with that. If you are interested, you can learn any of these skills from me. I have 30 years' experience teaching them and love to share.
  
  We are experienced global travelers ourselves, so we understand how it feels to be far from home. Our home has hosted people from all over the globe for over 40 years through other Peace and Social Justice platforms. We will treat you with respect and compassion, while meta-communicating clearly about expectations, tasks and boundaries. We will leave you alone in your own space and will expect you to ask for whatever you need that we may not have thought of.
  
  We will provide food from the garden year-round, and our own frozen and canned food when the garden is sparse.
  
  You will be expected to make your own food using the kitchette provided in your room (hotplate, oven, toaster, coffee maker, electric kettle, refrigerator.) You will have full access to food from the garden and fresh eggs. All other food you will need to buy for yourself at any of the many nearby shopping centers (1 -3 miles away). You will have access to the main house bathroom with shower during the day, and a composting toilet and outdoor shower at all hours. You can use all outdoor spaces: heated roofed deck with swing and dining table, outside fire kiva and lawn dining table, garden swing and firepit, BBQ and solar oven.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Farmstay help

  General Maintenance
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  You will learn first-hand how to live an environmentally-sustainable lifestyle while maintaining modern standards of convenience and mobility. You will learn skills needed to garden organically, mulch, compost, harvest and process food for later use. You will acquire or hone skills for land and building maintenance. You may choose to learn from us some of the following areas of our experience: medicinal herbs and their uses, how to make salves and tinctures, wine-making, basket weaving, paper making, natural dye making, eco-printing on fabric and paper, wood carving, glass fusing, glass etching, bee box building, birdhouse building, carpentry, quilting, spinning wool, felting wool, knitting, crochet, sewing, cordage making, mushroom and lichen identification and foraging, local cuisine, juggling, broom-making, and watercolor painting. In addition, you may learn English (Irene holds a Bachelors degree in the subject), and financial management specializing in crypto-currancy from Dave ( he holds a Certified Financial Accountant degree with many years of experience on Wall Street).

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  Help

  We would like 2 hours/day for 5 days/week of work for your room, utilities usage, and eggs and garden produce.
  
  The work is gardening (weeding, mulching, planting, harvesting), food preserving (drying, canning, freezing, making jam and wine), and general land maintenance (mowing our tiny lawn, weed whacking, brush pick up). We also usually have firewood to process year round that you can help with (cutting chopping, hauling with a wheelbarrow, and stacking). There are building projects and maintenance sometimes that you can help with (painting, gutter cleaning, raking, sweeping, walkway tile replacement, etc.) If we are building something new, you can help with that, too (cob construction of an art studio, shed building from reclaimed timber, small carpentry projects from recycled wood).

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  German: Fluent
  English: Fluent

  This host offers a language exchange
  I have a degree in English and experience teaching it. I learned German studying in Köln in college and love a chance to speak it to keep current.
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  Accommodation

  You will have a private room in a separate building from the main house. It is fully insulated and stays warm in winter and cool in summer. The room has a double bed that folds up into a futon couch, with a second single bed above it. There is memory foam on both beds and plenty of 100% cotton sheet sets and blankets. It has a wardrobe and dresser, as well as two nightstands and plenty of reading lights. There is a desk with an electrical outlet just above it and unlimited high speed internet.
  
  Your room has a kitchenette where you can prepare your meals, a mini-fridge for your perishables, and a composting bucket for food waste.
  
  There is a double sink that is not plumbed yet in the workshop just outside your room for washing up that you will share with the users of the workshop space, usually only Irene when she is building in the shop. You will carry water from the outdoor sink to use in the shop.
  
  The bedroom has a fun small door to the outside dining area, designed by one of our children. That is the exit in case of fire. There is a fire detector in the workshop as well as the bedroom, and fire extinguishers for both.
  
  You will have your own private dining area in a grape arbor just outside your mini-door. There is a composting toilet and a solar shower in summer also available should you desire them. The regular toilet and shower are available in the main house from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
  
  You will have full use of other outside areas, the BBQ, and solar oven.

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  What else ...

  The capitol city of Olympia is a short downhill bikeride of 4 miles away, with a beautiful waterfront boardwalk, numerous restaurants, bakeries and bars, micro-breweries and wine bars, as well as live theater, movies, and lots of unique shops. The capitol campus is also worth a visit, with lovely grounds and fountains, public art, and amazing marble in the domed capitol building that is open for self-guided tours. There is a thriving art and produce Farmers Market, with live music and a demonstration garden.
  
  On the way to downtown is Squaxin Park, named for the Native American Tribe that tradionally owned this land. It is a gorgeous old growth temperate rainforest, with draping moss on gigantic Big Leaf Maples, a beach, and miles of trails through the verdant forest for walking or jogging.
  
  Also in the area is The Evergreen State College, renowned for its environmental education and non-traditional approach to education. The campus is worth a visit, even off season, to enjoy the verdant setting, the miles of hiking trails, and the beach access. When school is in session, there is a free cooperative student-led bike repair and build shop, a student owned and run cooperative Café, indoor swimming pool open to the public, and lots of student activities and art/music shows open to anyone. There is also an indigenous education cultural exchange center and carving studio on campus.
  
  Capitol Forest is a short bike ride from campus and offers campgrounds and miles of trails for hiking or mountain bike riding.
  
  You will have a hybrid mountain/street bicycle and panniers for your use. We have a teen-sized bike and a bike trailer that holds two small children for families to use. We also have an all-terrain jogging stroller for use with an infant up to ages 5 or so.

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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 high speed internet in both the main house and the guest room in the workshop building. We are all retired, but do a lot online, so we're sympathetic to digital nomads' needs. The work hours here are flexible and can be compressed into fewer days per week.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  The driveway alongside the main house is available for rv parking. It is 40 feet long and paved. There is additional parking for one vehicle. There are no hookups available for water or sewer, but we can run a hose and an electric extention cord.

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  Can possibly accept pets

  We can have dogs but no cats in the guest room due to family allergies.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  Hours expected

  Maximum 2 hours a day, 5 days a week

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