Food forest project in the heart of Burgundy, France

Details

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  Description

  We are a family of three (and our Pyrenean shepherd dog, Scruffy) starting a new adventure of transforming a 4.5-hectare terrain into a food forest. Located in the heart of Burgundy, in a protected regional park of the Morvan, we are easily reachable by train from Paris, Dijon and Lyon. At the moment our time is split between renovating an old barn into our primary residence, building a forest garden and making ends meet by working from home on design projects. We would love to welcome curious, inspiring individuals to share their passions and help us realise the full potential of this beautiful place.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Farmstay help

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We are new to Workaway and still searching for the best way to exchange with our guests. We are hoping you will benefit from the beautiful surroundings and energy of this beautiful place. We are an English & French-speaking couple that loves the outdoors, cooking and soaking up the local culture.

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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

  We need help on several projects, and we hope to pair the right project with the skills and passions of the traveller. Our priority at the moment is renovating a barn into a low-energy sufficient home, for which some renovating skills will be very welcome!). Upcoming projects include tiling our floor with natural stone and plastering the walls with clay. Still, we also need help on many other projects like installing a chicken park, building a tool shed, all aspects of planning, building a forest garden (including planting, pruning, landscaping, infrastructure etc.), foraging and processing ingredients... to mention a few.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  Afrikaans: Fluent
  English: Fluent
  Spanish: Intermediate
  French: Intermediate

  This host offers a language exchange
  Although my partner is a native French speaker, I could do with improving my French. I'm fluent in English and happy to exchange in learning another language.
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  Accommodation

  Accommodation is a work in progress: a comfortable 18m2 wood cabin (see images in profile photos) furnished with a convertible double bed/couch, some shelves and a small table and chair. Around the back is a closed dry toilet (an outdoor shower is being planned for summer). The cabin is located on a quiet forest road at the entrance of our property next to a small pond. The infrastructure is in place to connect the cabin with running water, and internet but already has electricity. The cabin is equipped with underfloor thermal heating for cold nights and air conditioning for very hot days.
  
  In addition to connecting the cabin with water and internet access, future improvements include adding a kitchen to make the accommodation more self-sufficient; Building a terrace around the cabin, providing a place to rest overlooking the pond; Opening a glass sliding door to the pond side; Better insulation to make the cabin more energy-sufficient; and vegetating the roof. Ideally, we would like the cabin to be completely off-grid.. but we need help with that too (hint-hint).

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  What else ...

  Nature lovers will be surrounded by really breathtaking views, walking trails and cycle routes that pass by our entrance. Being in the heart of Burgundy makes it the ideal springboard to the best of French wines and food culture. Historically the location is rich, dating back to the pre-roman era when it used to be an important Gaul hub (Bibracte). We are a 30m car ride to a TGV train station that takes you to Paris in less than one and a half hours and Lyon in 45 minutes. A 12-minute car ride takes you to an intercity train station that goes to Dijon, Nevers etc.

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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 are both digital nomads working from home. We are working in the design industry working on creating memorable brands for our various clients. We have a fast (fibre) internet connection in the house that can be eventually extended to reach the traveller's accommodation (to be completed).

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  Can possibly accept pets

  We have a dog (a female Pyrenean shepherd), who is 2 years old and very social. She loves people and gets along with most other dogs with similar temperaments. If you think your dog fits this description it could work. Unfortunately, we don't allow cats. We have a rich wild bird population here which is incompatible with cats. Also, I'm allergic to most cats.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  Hours expected

  Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week

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