Vegan regenerative smallholding in a peaceful mountain location in Oleiros, Portugal

Details

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  Description

  We are a family from the UK recently who settled in the mountains of Central Portugal in 2022. Phen, Victoria, our daughter Aurelia and our recently adopted dog, Maxi. We are compassionate vegans and life long learners with a passion for travel, adventure and connection with all life has to offer. We are renovating stone buildings and regenerating one hectare of terraced pine forest. The aims are; to leave a legacy of trees and healthy soil; to provide a space where everybody can co-create, share, enjoy and connect; to grow a small vegan homestay business offering bespoke stays in our beautiful valley; to run a sourdough bakery and offer baking / cookery classes and to provide our daughter and the children of the future with the chance to experience life in rural Portugal.
  
  Our skills and interests include professional cookery (wild food foraging, fermentation, sourdough baking, food innovation); veganic permaculture (methods of soil cultivation, regenerative perspective, a desire to meet the more than human world); alternative education and coaching (Steiner Waldorf, unschooling, outdoor and democratic learning spaces); D.I.Y. (bodging and troubleshooting a myriad of challenges using skills as yet unknown to us... e.g. carpentry, plumbing, stone masonry, tiling, rendering, natural building etc); TEFL; Arts and Crafts (painting techniques, natural dyeing, sewing, knitting, storytelling, poetry); life values (philosophy, ethics, spirituality, roots).
  
  Victoria has volunteered in a number of projects ranging from social and political to ecological over the years, the value of which has contributed massively to her world view and life journey. We welcome the chance to share our skills and space as an exchange for the help we need to realise our legacy.
  
  PLEASE NOTE: we do not ask volunteers to assist with activities related to setting up or running a business. We do not offer paid work at this point. Volunteering with us involves help with land based projects such as constructing garden shades or composting areas, developing and maintaining a sustainable garden (watering, caring for beds, soil development, planting out) childcare (games and crafts with our daughter), help around the home (washing up, hanging out the washing etc) and forest care, (clearing and cleaning the small area of forest around our property). Volunteers are welcome to get involved with the projects and communities that we connect with if appropriate.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Art Projects

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Babysitting and creative play

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  Skill share (see list in the description above).
  Insight into rural Portuguese life.
  Opportunity to spend time living a simple life in a remote and unpopulated area surrounded by mountains, rivers and trees.
  Connection to local activities (markets, hiking, cycling, canoeing, rock climbing).
  Seasonal fruit and olive harvesting, preservation methods.
  Learn more about compassionate vegan living.

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  Help

  1. Clearing and maintaining our land so that it is fire safe and to invest in the development of a regenerative approach. This could include moving forest material around, strimming, mulching, creating new soil beds, planting out, watering etc.
  2. Supporting building / renovation projects. This could include helping to move materials around, sharing relevant skills, help troubleshooting.
  3. Carpentry.
  4. Fun child projects.
  Other types of help depend upon your interests and skillset!

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Intermediate
  German: Beginner
  Indonesian: Beginner
  Portuguese: Beginner

  This host offers a language exchange
  Victoria is a qualified TEFL teacher with several years of experience teaching. We enjoy learning new languages, especially of course Portuguese.
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  Accommodation

  A simple but cosy off-grid, self built campervan. A double bed, ample storage, fridge, hob and oven, compost loo, shower. Amazing views!
  All food is provided (breakfast items in the van, other meals communally).

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  What else ...

  Our home and land is a vegan and conscious space, free from the use of animal products, smoking, alcohol or recreational drug consumption. We ask all visitors to honour this, please check with us if you have any questions about exactly what this means for your stay. We would love to welcome people who have already chosen a similar path, or people who are interested to experience life through this lens. If vegan teetotal life sounds too intense / limiting this may not be the right kind of experience for you... if it sounds daunting but interesting, we'd love to support you.
  We have an off grid water supply meaning that water usage is at a premium and visitors must be conscious of this at all times.
  We welcome open and honest communication, a positive attitude and an appropriate approach towards children. We are happy to negotiate terms and to support visitors to experience a slice of our life.

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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 access to 4G network and use an unlimited connection via Vodaphone to create a WiFi hotspot. I have used this effectively to make Zoom calls etc but of course this might not be suitable for someone who needs greater reliability, speed or bandwidth.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  We have a 'flat zone' which could be suitable for a campervan, maximum long wheelbase. A motorhome might be too large and a caravan would not work.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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