A woman wearing glasses smiles for a selfie with a man sitting beside her outdoors. The background shows an out-of-focus urban street scene during daylight.
The image depicts a collection of nuts, likely from a tree, arranged in a neat and organized manner, showcasing their brown color and distinctive shape. The nuts are neatly arranged in rows.
The image depicts a living room with a table and chairs, featuring a large window and a fireplace, with a bookshelf and a plant adding to the room\'s aesthetic.
The image depicts a serene outdoor setting, featuring a pergola with a wooden frame, surrounded by a lush green lawn and trees, evoking a sense of tranquility and natural beauty.
The image depicts a garden with rows of plants, featuring a mix of greenery and a pathway, set against a backdrop of a fence and a clear sky. The scene exudes a sense of growth and vitality.
The image depicts a serene landscape featuring a house with a large yard, surrounded by trees and bushes, with a clear sky and a body of water in the background.
The image shows a collection of small plants in pots, with a few plants in the background, all in front of a light-colored background. The plants are likely seedlings.
A person is standing in front of a table with a bowl of food, holding a utensil, and appears to be eating. The background is a table with a bowl of food.
A person is standing on a ladder, picking olives from a tree, with a large basket underneath. The scene is set against a natural backdrop, with trees and greenery surrounding the area.
The image depicts a collection of olives, likely from a tree, arranged in a neat pile. The olives are brown and appear to be dry, with no visible leaves or branches.
The image depicts a table with a variety of food items, including bread, vegetables, and meat, arranged neatly and neatly, with a clean and organized appearance. The background is a light-colored surface.
The image depicts a room with a bed and a table, featuring a white wall and a window, with a gray floor and a gray ceiling, providing a neutral and simple background.
The image shows a selfie of a man and woman in front of a tree, with the woman on the left and the man on the right, both wearing red shirts.
updated  

Help on our organic smallholding in Ostuni, southern Italy

  • Italy
  • Last activity : 14 Sep 2025

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  • Last replied

    Last replied

    14 Sep 2025

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    Reply rate

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Availability

  2025 

 Min stay requested: at least a week

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What's this?

Details

  • Description

    Description

    (Looking for help with this year's olive harvest, in late October/early November, as well as seeding, transplanting and other autumn tasks)

    My name is Patrizio. I'm a semi-retired Brit, who realised a long-held dream to move to the Italian countryside in July 2015. I live on my one and a half acre smallholding, for roughly half the year, while my wife, Susan, spends one to two months a year with me in Italy. We are both former journalists, who have left the high pressure world of television news behind. Together we are trying to create an eco-friendly place to live, as well as to host friends and family. We are both native English speakers. Between us we can get by pretty well in French (me) and Malay (Susan), and have a basic knowledge of Spanish (me), Italian (me) and Cantonese (Susan).

    The house has been dragged into the 21st century, with new plumbing, electrics and solar water heating. Outside, the land has 25 olive trees, as well as dozens of other fruit and nut trees. Both myself and Susan are keen edible gardeners, committed to organic, sustainable cultivation. Lack of water, heavy clay soil, and extremes of temperature, between baking hot summers, and sub-zero winters, makes farming without chemicals or mechanical tools a real challenge.

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Language practice
    Help with Eco Projects
    Gardening
    Animal Care
    Creating/ Cooking family meals
    General Maintenance
  • Interests

    Interests

    Vegetarian or vegan
    Sustainability
    Pets
    Movies & TV
    Farming
    Plant care
    Writing
    Photography
    History
    Gardening
    Cooking & food
    Books
    Architecture
    Animals
    Nature
    Mountain
    Cycling
    Beach
  • UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

    UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

    Icon

    ...

    ...

    UN goals
    No poverty
    Zero hunger
    Good health and well-being
    Quality education
    Gender equality
    Clean water and sanitation
    Affordable and clean energy
    Decent work and economic growth
    Industries, innovation and infrastructure
    Reduce inequality
    Sustainable cities and communities
    Responsible consumption and production
    Climate action
    Life below water
    Life on land
    Peace, justice and strong institutions
    Partnerships for the goals
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    We hope vulunteers will not only learn practical skills, particularly in terms of growing organic produce, but also an appreciation of the challenges and rewards of living on a rural property, with as light an environmental footprint as possible. I love cooking, so eating communal (vegetarian) meals, will form an important part of the experience of staying here. All help in the kitchen would be appreciated. We very much hope that staying here will be a rewarding experience for volunteers. And for us too.

  • Help

    Help

    (Looking for help with this year's olive harvest, in late October/early November, as well as seeding, transplanting and other autumn tasks)

    We need help mostly outside the house on the land. This could be anything from seasonal tasks, such as helping to create new vegetable beds, to harvesting olives, our most important crop. Seeding, transplanting, watering and weeding, are year-round activities. Volunteers must have an interest in sustainable edible gardening. Enthusiasm is far more important than past experience. We have two cats, Bella and KitKat, who have access to the house, apart from the guest bedroom.

  • Languages spoken

    English: Fluent
    French: Intermediate
    Malay: Intermediate
    Spanish: Beginner
    Chinese (Cantonese): Beginner

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    The main house has two bedrooms, a large living room, breakfast room, well-equipped kitchen, and modern bathroom. The guest bedroom has twin beds, which are usually pushed together to make a king size bed. Please bear in mind that this is a rustic country house. The electricity capacity is low compared to what most city dwellers are used too. For this reason all appliances are low energy, while the hot water is provided by solar power.

    Water is a scarce resource in Puglia; we have to get it delivered by a water truck, as well as collecting rain water from the roof. Any sewerage goes into a basic septic tank on the land, meaning that all cleaning products, and preferably toiletries too, should be eco-friendly. Living as sustainably as possible is a requirement for any volunteers. The house has good internet, but it is not suitable for streaming, downloading or online gaming.

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    Puglia is a beautiful region of Italy, with fantastic beaches, historic towns and cities galore, superb food, and a climate which tends towards the dry and sunny for much of the year. Public transport is reliable and cheap. The house itself is served by a very useful bus service from Brindisi, the most convenient airport for visitors. And the nearest town, Ostuni, is a pleasant thirty minute walk away along country lanes. Both Ostuni and Brindisi are on the main railway line from Rome. I am happy to go into much greater detail with prospective volunteers.

  • A little more information

    A little more information

    • Internet access

    • Limited internet access

      Limited internet access

    • We have pets

    • We are smokers

    • Can host families

  • Space for parking camper vans

    Space for parking camper vans

    Secure parking for campervan. No space for motorhome, but could park on the lane behind house.

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    Two

  • My animals / pets

    My animals / pets

    Profile photo of KitKat

    KitKat

    Profile photo of Bella

    Bella

Host ref number: 918572464424

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Photos

A woman wearing glasses smiles for a selfie with a man sitting beside her outdoors. The background shows an out-of-focus urban street scene during daylight.
The image depicts a collection of nuts, likely from a tree, arranged in a neat and organized manner, showcasing their brown color and distinctive shape. The nuts are neatly arranged in rows.
The image depicts a living room with a table and chairs, featuring a large window and a fireplace, with a bookshelf and a plant adding to the room\'s aesthetic.
The image depicts a serene outdoor setting, featuring a pergola with a wooden frame, surrounded by a lush green lawn and trees, evoking a sense of tranquility and natural beauty.
The image depicts a garden with rows of plants, featuring a mix of greenery and a pathway, set against a backdrop of a fence and a clear sky. The scene exudes a sense of growth and vitality.
The image depicts a serene landscape featuring a house with a large yard, surrounded by trees and bushes, with a clear sky and a body of water in the background.
The image shows a collection of small plants in pots, with a few plants in the background, all in front of a light-colored background. The plants are likely seedlings.
A person is standing in front of a table with a bowl of food, holding a utensil, and appears to be eating. The background is a table with a bowl of food.
 Show all photos
A person is standing on a ladder, picking olives from a tree, with a large basket underneath. The scene is set against a natural backdrop, with trees and greenery surrounding the area.
The image depicts a collection of olives, likely from a tree, arranged in a neat pile. The olives are brown and appear to be dry, with no visible leaves or branches.
The image depicts a table with a variety of food items, including bread, vegetables, and meat, arranged neatly and neatly, with a clean and organized appearance. The background is a light-colored surface.
The image depicts a room with a bed and a table, featuring a white wall and a window, with a gray floor and a gray ceiling, providing a neutral and simple background.
The image shows a selfie of a man and woman in front of a tree, with the woman on the left and the man on the right, both wearing red shirts.

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