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Host rating
100 %
Last replied
25 Apr 2024
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100.0 %
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Details
Description
Hi, we’re Mario & Chris,
We have been involved in permaculture and regenerative agriculture for several years, gaining experience in different countries and projects worldwide. After having volunteered ourselves many times we've now finally launched our own permaculture project in one of the most beautiful parts of Calabria, Italy.
Besides creating a livelihood for ourselves through the concepts of self-sufficiency and food sovereignty, our main focus lies on soil regeneration and healing the land.
We have started a soil lab where we can experiment and carry out biological soil assessments to check the soil food web. Our objective is to have healthy soils that help to have healthy plants and therefore healthy people ;)
We love simplicity, to connect with nature and others and we’re looking for like-minded people from all over the world to help us in building up a regenerative agriculture centre / soil laboratory in Calabria.
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
Help with Computers/ Internet
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
You will get a chance to learn about permaculture ethics and systems in general, soil biology and regenerative practices in particular. For instance, we might show you how to produce a kick-ass high-quality compost!
Since we're still busy building up infrastructure it's likely that you'll gain more experience in topics such as woodworking, plastering, painting, etc. and general maintenance of the farm.
Help
We’re looking for self-responsible individuals who share our vision that healthy soils are the base of all life and who can assist us in various tasks, such as gardening (planting, weeding, tending, propagating, harvesting, pruning), implementing erosion control, earthworks (i.e. water retention systems, etc.), compost management, building structures, fencing, cooking, harvesting olives (seasonal) and a lot of other fun stuff. If you have special knowledge or skills in a specific area, we might want to learn that from you, too :-)
We offer regular volunteering (minimum three weeks!), in spring and fall
We’re eating mostly vegetarian meals (sometimes vegan), but nothing strict or dogmatic. If you have special dietary restrictions, please let us know in advance.
We’d like to have a video call with every volunteer before they arrive so we can get to know each other and/or better assess your strengths to make it a pleasurable experience for everybody.
Languages
Languages spoken
German: Fluent
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
French: Fluent
Italian: IntermediateThis host offers a language exchange
Our main communication language is english. However, we'll throw some italian in the mix from time to time as we also need to become better at it and we also like to encourage our volunteers to pick up some words in the local language.
Accommodation
Normally, we'll ask our volunteers to sleep in a tent (which we can provide if you don't have one). The same goes for pillows, sheets, duvets or sleeping bag. There is a fully equipped campsite where you can pitch a tent amongst our olive trees. You will use our wonderful composting toilets and outdoor showers (cold). We've recently integrated a communal outdoor kitchen with a gas stove, fridge and a spacious workspace that all volunteers share, manage and clean self-responsibly.
We usually have lunch together at the main house while breakfast and dinners take place at the outdoor kitchen (covered). There is also a large bench, some chairs, a table and a couch to share meals and free time.
We expect all volunteers to assist each other in keeping the campsite (especially kitchen!) clean at all times as there will be insects and other animals invading the space immediately if they find food scraps or trash openly lying around.
We also have a caravan that we usually sleep couples in, but it's a bit further away from the communal kitchen and it has no water (yet).
What else ...
We believe that Calabria is one of the most underrated regions in Europe in terms of natural beauty, biodiversity and quality of life. It's a perfect place to discover nature, connect with life and with yourself.
The enchanting town of Badolato (Superiore) is definitely worth a visit or two, not just for it’s incredibly good gelato or its pizza but also for its charming inhabitants and romantically narrow alleys (20min. by foot). Depending on the season, there is a small selection of shops (a little supermarket, a pharmacy, a bar) but if you need a bigger selection you'd typically need to go to Badolato Marina.
To reach Badolato Marina or the beaches you would need to take a local bus (runs ca. 4 times a day) or walk. If we run some errands, we might give you a ride, too.
We are lucky to have endless forests close by, so there are plenty of hiking / biking trails to be found. We can also point you to some beautiful waterfalls that you might want to explore on the weekends. Some of them are not easy to reach without a car but sometimes we visit these places ourselves and might take you with us.
We expect volunteers to book their travel arrangements so that they can arrive in Badolato by themselves. We will gladly pick you up at the train station or anywhere in town. If you arrive by plane in Lamezia, you would typically have to arrive at the airport in the morning to catch the last train to Badolato on the same day. If you arrive in the afternoon, there is also an affordable B&B near Lamezia train station that you can stay and continue travelling to Badolato the next day.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
Our internet usually is very reliable and it has a decent speed (4G). However, we normally don't prefer people who have work to do on the side as it tends to take away considerably from a fully immersed workaway experience.
Space for parking camper vans
We have a space for campervans. Contact us and we will let you know if it is available.
Can possibly accept pets
Contact us, it depends largely on your pet.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
Around 5 hours a day, 5 days a week / flexible
Feedback (9)
She has a good eye for things and completed all of the stone… read more
This is a perfect place to learn more about permaculture, meet lovely local… read more
Dear Lina, thank you so much for your… read more
Feedback
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She has a good eye for things and completed all of the stone… read more
This is a perfect place to learn more about permaculture, meet lovely local… read more
Dear Lina, thank you so much for your… read more
Thank you Lulu & Coco for all the hard work AND fun we had together!… read more
We have learnt a lot about wood construction, gardening, composting etc.
They really care about volunteers : sharing every meals, working together, listening to you, your preferences and feelings, and even making yoga session every… read more
There was a lot to do (especially harvesting… read more
Ben, we wish you only the best for your… read more
The campagna is a small paradise surrounded by mountains and amazing views of the sea with its magnificent sunsets and the picturesque village of badolato.
Mario and Chris… read more
We hope to see you next time you drop by… read more
Diego helped us with so many different tasks: Fixing stoves, boilers & toilets, painting the house, fixing cracks in the walls, laying & connecting water pipes, welding, flexing, woodworking and so… read more
