Help a family permaculture project in Aldeia de Santa Margarida, Portugal

Details

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  Description

  🌿 About Us / Our Story
  
  We are a couple (35 & 36) from Israel. For the past 11 years we have been living, learning, and developing together — individually and as a family — through a deep connection to the land and to our life mission.
  
  I am (Shayi) a forest kindergarten teacher. Children are my best friends. I love telling stories, learning new games, and cooking food on the open fire and inside the house :)
  Nadav is a permaculture teacher and traditional tree-care practitioner. For the past five years he has been teaching and running courses in northern Israel, focused on permaculture and old tree-care traditions.
  
  Over the years, we built our own yurt with our own hands and lived for several years in an off-grid village, where we learned a lot about growing food, community living, and making things ourselves — including producing our own olive oil.
  Later, together with friends, we opened a small organic vegetable business that supplied food directly to the local community.
  
  After many years of searching for a place we could truly live in and afford in our home country — without success — our journey brought us to Portugal.
  After many visits and seeing more than 50 different pieces of land, we finally found the place that felt right.
  
  Now we are caretakers of 17 hectares of beautiful land, rich with water, wildlife, and deep forest silence. This is where we are slowly, step by step, making our dream real.
  
  Right now, the project is at the very beginning.
  
  Our priorities:
  
  First — building a home for ourselves (renovate a small part of the exist stone house)
  
  Next — growing our own food (vegetables and fruits)
  
  Caring for the many existing fruit trees, and planting more
  
  Establishing a forest kindergarten
  
  Keeping animals (chickens, and possibly a small herd in the future)
  
  The place is basic, raw, and alive. It is not finished — and that’s exactly the point.
  
  We have been volunteers ourselves, both in Israel and across Europe.
  We know how important it is to feel connected, respected, and appreciated, and this is the experience we want to offer here.
  
  When we are on the farm, we usually eat together.
  There may be days when you are on your own — then you cook for yourself.
  We value independence, communication, and mutual respect.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  General Maintenance
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  Interests

  

  Vegetarian or vegan

  

  Sustainability

  

  Pets

  

  Self development

  

  Farming

  

  Plant care

  

  Music

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Books

  

  Blogging

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Gardening

  

  Languages

  

  Photography

  

  Writing

  

  Carpentry

  

  Animals

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Nature

  

  Camping

  

  Dancing

  

  Mountain

  

  Hiking
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  The cultural exchange here is based on daily life, not on performances or organized activities.
  
  We share:
  
  Working together on the land and learning through practice
  
  Preparing and eating meals together when we are on the farm (at the moment we are house sitting a house of friends)
  
  Conversations around the fire, during work, or in quiet moments
  
  Stories, music, games, and traditions from different cultures
  
  We come from a background of community living, off-grid life, and land-based traditions. We are happy to share what we know about permaculture, traditional tree care, food growing, and living simply — and we are just as open to learning from you.

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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

  What we are working on right now:
  
  At this stage, most of the help is physical and practical.
  
  Current focus:
  
  Help with eco-construction and simple building (wood, stone, recycled materials)
  
  Preparation of an old farmhouse
  
  Basic infrastructure (paths, clearing, water-related work)
  
  Carrying materials, digging, cleaning, organizing
  
  This is hands-on work. Some days are slow and detailed, some days are physically demanding.
  
  You do not need to be an expert, but you need:
  
  
  Good physical condition
  
  Willingness to help outdoors
  
  Ability to follow guidance and work independently when needed
  
  Experience in construction, natural building, permaculture, or off-grid living is a big plus.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  Hebrew: Fluent
  Arabic: Intermediate
  Portuguese: Intermediate

  This host offers a language exchange
  This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
  You can contact them directly for more information.
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  Accommodation

  🛖 Living Conditions (Please Read Honestly)
  
  Accommodation is currently a camping tent under a shed OR a caravan - depenes on our process with renovating.
  
  the caravan is available only until the ending of February, after that we are about to move in ourselves...
  
  it has everything needed for winter, but it is still not a house. You need to decide for yourself if this suits you, especially in colder months.
  
  In spring and summer, the land becomes much easier and more comfortable for longer stays
  
  We also have space for vans, if you travel with your own
  
  When the caravan is occupied, we can provide a camping tent with fat mattress and blankets - under a roof.
  
  Infrastructure:
  
  Solar electricity
  
  Water from the land (not drinkable yet, pending lab results)
  
  A farmhouse we are about to renovate into a communal kitchen with a fireplace

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  What else ...

  🌍 Location & Access
  
  The village is 5 minutes by car / 25 minutes walking.
  It has a Café with Wi-Fi, Small grocery shop, and a Bus station
  
  ❤️ Who Will Feel Good Here ⚠️PLEASE READ BEFORE APPLYING
  
  This project is In a very early stage.
  If you’re looking for luxury or a retreat — this is not the place.
  
  It might not be suitable for people who:
  - Need constant guidance or entertainment
  - Are uncomfortable with uncertainty or change
  - Expect a finished farm, retreat, or social scene
  
  This place is suitable for people who:
  
  - Enjoy pioneering phases -
  - Like building something real from the ground up
  - Are okay with simplicity and learning by doing
  - Enjoy being close to nature and are OK with being alone in the farm

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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

  🚐 Campers / Motorhomes – Important Information We have space for campers and motorhomes on the land. Please note: Access to the interior of the land can be slippery when the land is wet There is safe parking at the entrance and a few other spots with easy access Volunteers with campers should be comfortable with uneven, natural terrain Facilities: No dedicated camper facilities No hookups or services Electricity is limited (solar) Water is available from the land but not drinkable at the moment This option suits people who are self-contained, flexible, and experienced with simple conditions

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  Can possibly accept pets

  Dogs have be on leash as there is sheeps next by. if travelling down the land no problem to walk freely. We have a male dog and a female cat.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  My animals / pets

  Chatul

  Shimi

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