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Host rating
65 %
Last replied
1 Feb 2025
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Details
Description
Hi!
We are Maarja-Liis and Paul. We live in Lahemaa national park, in Estonia and we are wild food enthusiast, nature and peace lovers, also small organic farmers. We live simple life, work with our hands. We have aprox 0.7 ha farm, with lots of diversity of plants. Paul is a long time small organic farmer from Califonia, practicing dry farming and creating as much biodiversity as possible. In my eyes living example of Masanobu Fukuoka. Big part of our lives is foraging wild food.
I, Maarja-Liis run and organize different foraging trips and we supply some resturants with wild food (from early edible greens to berries and mushrooms).
We eat 99% organic whole food (plant based).
We live in a peaceful little village, with maybe 30 households around, less than 1 km from the sea. We have forest, bogs and beatiful meadows around us. Currently no animals, no pets.
In the summer the farm is beautiful with lots of flowers.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Farmstay help
Creating/ Cooking family meals
Help around the house
General Maintenance
UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
In our place I think you would experience Estonian culture mainly through food and learning about plants.
We are nature and plant lovers. In Estonia there is lot of wild edibe and medicinal plants and the heritage of picking and using wild food is still very alive.
In the mushroom season you see cars parked sometimes every 200m in the forest- people love to pick and eat mushrooms.
I have studied Estonian native medicine and I am happy to share my knowledge with you. I also run foraging trips and if one is happening when you are here, you are welcome to join! I often make tinctures, salves, soap and other herbal remedies. This is part of our homestead
If we are not on the filed farming, we are picking chaga, blueberries, mushrooms and such in the forest. Estonian culture is much about wild food.
Paul has a wealth of knowledge and experience in farming. If you are interested in this then you can learn a lot! We have farmed in California, Hawaii and Estonia. Last winter we spent in Ecuador- also helping people to farm. The winter before we were in Tanzania, connecting with the local farmers as much as possible.
I have lived in many places from Namibia to UK. I am probably more outgoing than an average Estonian! Haha. I am interested in getting to know people and making new friends.
Help
We need different help:
We need general homestead type of help, it varies depending when you arrive. Happy to discuss this over the email or whatsapp.
The basic line is that me and my husband have a working organic farm, doing two farmers markets every week. Through workaway guidelines you cannot help us with anything to do with farming (without getting paid), therefore you can help us with everything else thats to do with living in a rural homestead.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Estonian: Fluent
Spanish: IntermediateThis host offers a language exchange
English-Spanish Estonian-English Estonian-Spnish I would like to learn Portugese.
Accommodation
We offer a separate room on the second floor. The room is next to our bedroom and patio (which we use often), and does not have a door you can shut (basically a walk through room)
Currently we have a single bed only.
I will add some photos soon. Or ask me and I can send.
We have a two floor summer house, build in 1990s (imagine soviet type brick and wood building) We are currently in the process of renovating it.
We have a compost toilet outside (with no structure around it)
We have a hot shower and sauna. I the summer I like to swimming as often as possible.
We keep our place semi wild. So not too much short grass - we like the wild flowers bloom and see lot of birds around. Also, currently a lot of mess, as we are renovating.
Plenty of space for camping, and campervans. In the summer the farm is beautiful with lots of flowers, veggies, birds. We have lot of trees around. Its green, calm and quiet. We frequently see wild animals like deer, rabbit, fox. Close by live bear and links! (Only seen footsteps so far).
In the summer we are self-sufficient in terms of veggies (we do not grow grains, however enjoy a good sourdough bread from farmers market)
Food is more than a substance! At least its is like this still In Estonia- many people pick wild mushrooms, berries and medicinal plants and know how to use them for food and medicine. Me and Paul are both wild food enthusiast and love to share our passion with anyone who is interested in it. We are happy to share our knowledge, experience and day to day life in regards to food and therefore culture in general.
What else ...
We live in the national park, so surroundings are nice (we love it!). Sea is less than 1 km away. We have bikes, you can use and go explore. Also just leaving the property, you are in the forest in 5 minute walk.
Every Saturday we do a farmers market in Võsu (beach village) and you can come for the market and/or for a ride.
We are pretty crazy about mushrooms, so when mushroom season comes, we go to "our spots" in different areas of the park and you can alway join :)
We are also close by little town called Loksa, however there is really nothing to see or do!
Its easy to get to our place from the capital Tallinn by public transport. The closest bust stop is in Loksa, ahere we can pick you up!
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
We have a large property, we welcome vans and campervans.
Can possibly accept pets
Should be discussed before hand.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
