Join us in creating a food forest while discovering surroundings of Paris, France

Details

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  Description

  We are a Dutch couple living in France, about one hour east of Paris. We have been here for many years and love the combination of rural life, nature and being able to share our home and our surroundings with others.
  
  We have recently started a small Food Forest close to our house. It is still very much a work in progress – which is exactly why we are looking for people who would enjoy joining us for a while and helping us turn our ideas into reality.
  
  There is always something to do: planting, weeding, mulching, watering, maintaining paths, taking care of young trees and plants, improving the soil, and gradually creating a place where nature can flourish and provide food. Some jobs are practical and physical, especially at the moment because we’re developing the forest. You don't need to be a Food Forest expert – enthusiasm, curiosity and a willingness to get your hands dirty are much more important!
  
  Sharing is an important part of what we do. We have a comfortable private room and a private bathroom for our Workawayers, and we can share our kitchen and meals. A private fridge is possible.
  
  We also have a large garden and plenty of space to relax, and we are surrounded by the French countryside. Good hills for bike rides! Paris is about an hour away by public transportation, so it is possible to combine rural life with a visit to the city. We are happy to share our knowledge of the area and help you discover some of the less touristy places around us.
  
  We are particularly interested in meeting people who like the idea of sustainable living, growing food, learning about nature or simply spending some time outdoors. You don't have to share all our interests – we also enjoy meeting people from different backgrounds and cultures and learning from each other.
  
  For us, Workaway is not simply about exchanging a few hours of work for a bed. It is about sharing: sharing skills, food, stories, everyday life and a little corner of France. If that sounds like something you would enjoy, we'd be happy to hear from you!

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Creative DIY projects

  Animal Care

  Help around the house
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  Interests

  

  Culture

  

  Farming

  

  Pets

  

  Politics / Social justice

  

  Sustainability

  

  Charity work

  

  Carpentry

  

  Architecture

  

  Writing

  

  Photography

  

  Gardening

  

  Languages

  

  History

  

  Books

  

  Art & design

  

  Animals

  

  Cycling

  

  Hiking

  

  Nature
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  What's this?
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  For us, cultural exchange is at the heart of hosting. We have always enjoyed welcoming people into our home and discovering the world through the people we meet. We actually got the idea of hosting from a HomeExchange host, and we have since discovered how much we enjoy sharing our home and everyday life with people from different backgrounds. We also use other hospitality and exchange platforms.
  
  Our motto is simple: “Partager, servir, remercier” – to share, to serve, and to be grateful.
  We enjoy cooking and eating together, having a drink or a conversation at the end of the day, and introducing our guests to French life and the local area. We can share our knowledge of gardening, growing food, living in the countryside and, of course, life in France after many years here. We are also happy to share our Dutch background and culture – including the occasional difference between Dutch and French ways of doing things!
  
  We have both worked for many years in international environments and have always enjoyed meeting people from different cultures. We speak several languages, so communication is usually part of the fun rather than a problem.
  
  And the exchange goes both ways. We are curious about how people live elsewhere, what they eat, what they value, how they see the world and what they can teach us.

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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

  Our project is still at the beginning, so there is a wide variety of things to do. Depending on the season, help might include cutting down trees, planting trees and shrubs, preparing the soil, mulching, weeding, watering, pruning, maintaining paths and looking after young plants.
  There are also bigger projects as we develop the food forest: creating planting areas, improving the soil, making simple structures, moving materials and keeping the forest and surrounding areas tidy.
  
  Some tasks can be physical at the moment!
  
  No previous experience with Food Forests is necessary. We are looking for people who are practical, curious, willing to learn and happy to work outdoors. If you have gardening, building, DIY, ecological or permaculture experience, that's a bonus – but enthusiasm is more important.
  And of course, there is always help needed with the everyday things that make a shared household work: cooking, preparing meals, taking care of the animals and keeping shared spaces pleasant.

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  Languages spoken

  German: Fluent
  English: Fluent
  French: Fluent
  Dutch: Fluent
  Italian: Intermediate
  Spanish: Beginner

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  Accommodation

  You will have your own private bedroom with a comfortable bed and a desk, as well as your own private bathroom. The room has direct access to the garden
  You will have access to our kitchen and are very welcome to cook for yourself, for us, or together. We enjoy sharing meals, but there is no obligation to eat together every day. You will also have your own fridge for your food if you want to.
  We don't have a TV, but we have a large living room with a cosy fireplace in winter, as well as a Dutch billiard table and other games. We have wifi.
  If you come by bicycle, there is a safe place to store it. There is also parking available if you come by car.
  
  We will provide you three meals every day of the week. We do not eat meat very often and we can do without. We can work out who cooks, if you want to share your chef's talents with us. If for any reason you do not want to share meals let us know and we'll work something out.
  
  Important: because we are working in a forest and share accomodation, it will not be possible for us to welcome smokers. Please understand.

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  What else ...

  There is plenty to do in your free time. Paris is about an hour away and can be reached by public transport, so you can easily spend a day exploring the city. There is also a lot to discover closer to home: small towns and villages, walks in the countryside, local markets, historical sites, gardens and forests. We are happy to give you ideas and help you find your way around.
  If you have a bicycle, there are plenty of opportunities to explore the surrounding countryside. A car can also be useful.
  As for house rules… we are pretty relaxed. We simply expect everyone to treat the house, the garden and each other with respect, and to clean up after themselves.
  And there is one very important rule to know:
  
  The animals rule!
  
  We have goats, sheep, chickens and our rather impressive but very communicative pig, Napoléon. They are an important part of our little world. You will see who is in charge!

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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

  Our place can work well for digital nomads. You will have your own private room with a desk, your own bathroom and access to the garden, so you can have your own space for working as well as relaxing. The help with our Food Forest can be fitted around online work. We are quite flexible about when the work is done, and we can usually organise the day so that you have uninterrupted time for calls or other work commitments. We simply ask that the agreed hours of help are respected. As the work is mainly outdoors, some flexibility is useful: we may make the most of good weather and change the timing when it rains or is particularly hot. We have Wi-Fi and you are welcome to work from your room.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  One

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  My animals / pets

  

  Napoleon

  

  Omaline

  

  Jessica

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