Profile information
Host rating
80 %
Last replied
15 May 2025
Feedback
12
Email verified
Badges (3)
Details
Description
We are looking for helpers to come and be with us throughout the year. Our land of 250 acres / 100 hectares is a mixture of natural wildflower meadows and woodland and is located in its own private valley. We are inspired by the teachings of Ramana Maharshi and the quest to remember the Heart in all things. The heart of our project is to create a home that is welcoming and a kind of sanctuary for all - humans and animals alike. We are blessed to live in a region that is incredibly biodiverse and rich in wildlife and it is our wish that all we do is for them as much as it is for us. We are motivated to make our home as self sufficient as possible with particular emphasis on vegetable production and land management.
HELPING ARRANGEMENT
We are currently looking for anyone who has experience with permaculture, carpentry for helping construct pergola frames and other features in the permaculture garden. Helpers with good practical skills for outdoor tasks involving gardening, permaculture would be very welcome indeed.
LIVING ARRANGEMENT
Helpers can be hosted in our house or hosted in a gite in the bottom of the valley. All meals, showers are provided and we ask for the normal 5 hours of help per day, 5 days a week. Weekends are always free although we are happy to be flexible and days off can be taken during the week. Food is always organic, as fresh as possible and vegan / veggie.
The land is in a very rural area with truly spectacular views of the Pyrenean mountain range. Yet we are also just a 25 minute car drive away from both L:imoux and Mirepoix, very beautiful little towns with medieval centres.
The departement of Aude is one of the poorest in France, yet in terms of culture, scenery, wildlife and a certain 'untouched feeling' it is one of the very richest of all.
Would also be perfect for people with their own camper van.
Please feel very free to contact us with any questions.
Love and warmest wishes
Dave, Diana, Gabi and Elie
Types of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
We really encourage helpers to become part of our family during their stay. We feel that our home provides an opportunity for travellers to really enter into a deep relaxation, slowing down enough to really be able to listen to their heart more clearly. For us this is vital in living a good, simple life and we take care to engage with our guests in a way that helps them feel a sense of safety and warmth. There are also many opportunities to learn about gardening methods that put the well being of the natural world before all other needs. Without nature we are nothing. When we care sensitively for nature, nature automatically takes care of us. This is the heartbeat of our home and project.
Projects involving children
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
Help
Help can include:
Chopping firewood for next winter;
Creating pathways through the forest;
Collecting wildflower seeds and identifying species;
Planting fruit trees;
Helping put up fences to protect gardens / orchards from wild boar;
Clearing meadows of small bushes so that flowers can grow more easily;
Helping in the vegetable garden;
We are very flexible with hours, days off to explore the area etc.
What we want most of all are enthusiastic people who love nature and who appreciate living in the Heart.
Our land is certified organic and we live as much as we possibly can an organic lifestyle.
Languages spoken
Catalan: Fluent
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
French: Intermediate
Accommodation
Space available in our house. Plenty of space during summer and warmer months for workawayers who like to camp and lots of room for camper vans or motorhomes.
We offer organic vegan / veggie food mostly home grown or sourced from the local area.
What else ...
The nearest town is Limoux about 20 minutes by car. Mirepoix is a beautiful medieval site with a fantastically atmospheric centre and is a 25 minute drive away.
The Pyrenees mountains are a 15 minute drive away, with many opportunities for hiking, trekking, skiing, snowboarding etc. The section of the mountain chain that runs through Aude [the Departement we are in] are known for their greenery and still-wild character.
Carcassonne, one of the most visited and well-preserved medieval cities in France is a 45 minute drive away and Toulouse is just over an hour.
The region surrounding our terrain is also rich in the history of the Cathars, a religious sect who shunned the attempted control of the Vatican and as a result were persecuted in the first wave of the Inquisition.
This is a very economically-poor area of France, with low populations and very little industrial development, yet in terms of biodiversity, incredible landscapes and equally charismatic rural characters and culture, it is one of the very richest.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
Digital nomads are welcome. We have decent internet connection in the house but not enough data for regular streaming. However, wifi connection for mobile phones is excellent and can be a very reliable source when toggled to a laptop / tablet etc.
Space for parking camper vans
We have large amounts of space for workawayers who are travelling in camper vans or motorhomes. Beautiful quiet locations, flat and easily accessible from a normal road.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Feedback (10)
I had the honor to be invited to cook for the being with cows retreat.
Most of the group was invited, we were about 10, two of us cooking. I feel like this time has gifted me more than I could give back. Was such a joy to be there, my sister could come to us, too, super spontaneously, and was not… read more
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(5.0)
I had the honor to be invited to cook for the being with cows retreat.
Most of the group was invited, we were about 10, two of us cooking. I feel like this time has gifted me more than I could give back. Was such a joy to be there, my sister could come to us, too, super spontaneously, and was not… read more
The way she organised the kitchen, the recipes and her clear but sympathetic communication with other helpers whilst preparing meals for guests was quite inspiring.
Her confidence was… read more
for having the trust in me to look after your farm.
Whow it's been quite an adventure. .......
I enjoyed taking care of all the animal's and being in contact with the cow's.
Even though it was an harder job and a bigger challenge than I've imagined.
Especially when one of the cows broke trough the fence and I was fixing… read more
I feel an incredible gratitude to have worked with him, for he has a genuine talent for finding very simple, practical solutions to some of the challenges faced in the… read more
The dishes they prepared were always super tasty, I… read more
Diana is just a really kind and gentle person and we both really enjoyed getting to know her over the weeks. David is very… read more
Writing this feedback even seems absurd since no words could describe how beautiful this experience was and how alive the memory of these few days is.
The location is breathtaking, it fills the mind and the heart with the simplest yet astonishing beauty of nature, which is truly celebrated there. There… read more
They've got a passion for both their land and mother nature, taking the usage of organic products quite seriously. As long as you don't bring a bottle of Round-up and a heap of antibiotics, I can't believe that you'll feel nothing but welcome in their company.
I… read more
