Help create a self-sufficient homestead in the countryside of Duravel, France

Details

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  Description

  🌿 Welcome!
  
  Hello and welcome! I’m English and living in beautiful southwest France. I originally bought this “summer camp” because I fell in love with the area, the land, and all the potential it holds. Over time, it has grown into a wonderful ongoing project that combines my love for nature, animals, and sustainable living.
  
  My focus is on Regenerative Agriculture, permaculture, and sustainability, with a guiding principle of making everything as accessible for all as possible. The goal is to create a self-sufficient environment and a variety of sustainable living methods across the land.
  
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  🐾 Life on the Land
  
  The smallholding is home to a cheerful mix of animals:
  2 donkeys, 4 goats, beautiful Indian runner ducks, lots of chickens (and a few new arrivals now and then!), plus two dogs and four lovely cats.
  
  The garden focus is ecological. I’ve built a cob house for the chickens — a real labour of love — and a donkey shelter made from pallets, complete with a solar electric fence, water-harvesting systems, and land improvement. There’s also a walipini (an underground greenhouse) and plenty of permaculture beds in development.
  
  It’s an exciting, evolving project where new ideas are always welcome — I enjoy adapting and experimenting as I go.
  
  The work is not commercial and you would not be involved in any commercial ventures. The work would be entirely related to work around the home and private land.
  
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  🌱 Cultural Exchange & Learning Opportunities
  
  Each project here connects with the others, so you’ll have the chance to try a bit of everything and gain hands-on experience in sustainable living.
  
  The walipini vegetable garden is one of my favourite features — it’s an underground greenhouse with raised beds that allows me to grow food year-round.
  
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  💪 Help Needed
  
  The land covers 2.5 hectares, located near the Lot River close to Puy L’Évêque, about 1.5 hours north of Toulouse in southwest France.
  
  Daily life includes:
  • Taking care of the animals (feeding, watering, cleaning when needed, collecting eggs)
  • Planting, weeding, watering, and harvesting vegetables
  
  Ongoing and upcoming projects:
  • Water harvesting – monitoring and improving systems
  • Soil testing
  • Planting new species in lower agroforestry areas
  • Growing “superfood” plants in the walipini to eat and making the wallipini ready for winter.
  Securing the boundary fencing against animals coming in.
  
  Continuing to work with an ecological focus to improve the earth and help prevent climate change.
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  🏡 Accommodation & Food
  
  There are two bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, available for volunteers.
  There’s also plenty of space if you prefer to camp and be closer to nature.
  
  Meals are provided, with a vegetarian option always available, and vegan meals on request. I do take one day off from cooking each week.
  
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  🌸 The Area
  
  The local town, Puy L’Évêque, is absolutely beautiful — right on the River Lot and just 1.3 km from the house, so it’s easy to bike or walk into town. The river is about a 10-minute walk away and perfect for boating, fishing, or canoeing.
  
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  💬 Get in Touch
  
  If you have any questions or would like to know more about the projects, feel free to reach out — I’m always happy to chat.
  
  Looking forward to hearing from you and sharing this little corner of France with you!

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Light gardening

  Creative DIY projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Help around the house

  Light maintenance

  Help with Computers/ Internet
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  Interests

  

  Politics / Social justice

  

  Pets

  

  Sustainability

  

  Self development

  

  Farming

  

  Charity work

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Plant care

  

  Gardening

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Blogging

  

  Books

  

  Animals
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  These are interesting projects that all interwork so everyone will get an opportunity to have a try at everything.
  
  The Wallipini vegetable garden is effectively a underground greenhouse and has raised beds so it will be easy to manage
  
  The whole project is very inspiring and is an opportunity to build or maintain unusual projects from planning to the finished product.

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  Help

  I am currently looking for a group to come in November 2026 and February 2027. Putting the garden to bed for the winter and then preparing it for waking up for the spring. Mending animals houses after winter. Getting the land ready for spring. Getting ready fly traps across the land and general day to day tidying. Strimming. Making plans of both agroforestries to see which plants have died and replacing them and updating plans. Generally care of the land
  
  Planting the wallipini and vegetable garden
  
  Cutting wood and clearing undergrowth
  
  Improving water harvesting.
  
  Pruning fruit trees
  
  Tidying all the land
  
  On rainy days painting and maintaining the buildings inside.

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent
  French: Intermediate

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  Accommodation

  There are ensuite bedrooms.
  
  There is plenty of land if anyone prefers to camp. There will be 3 meals a day. Breakfast is help yourself and lunch and dinner catered and we are happy to cater for any special dietary needs where possible. There will always be a vegetarian option and, if requested, a vegan option. There will be one day off a week for me from cooking.

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  What else ...

  The local town is called Puy L'eveque. It is beautiful. Right on the river Lot. The river is about a 10 minute walk from the house and is huge. Boating, fishing, canoeing etc can be done. The town is about 1.3km so easy to bike in.
  
  We have 2 dogs and several cats at present but no doubt this will have expanded by next year.

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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 fibre connections so working from here has not been a problem for the nomads we have had

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  Space for parking camper vans

  Yes this is no problem.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  My animals / pets

  Mollie

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