Free range pig farm and vegtable garden

Details

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  Description

  We are a family of 3, previously office based from a sea side town in South east England. Now taking on the challenge of free range pig farming in rural France.
  
  We are a small farm trying to find our way and hoping to be as self sufficient as possible, farm respectfully with animal welfare and environmental land usage at heart.
  
  We breed and grow our own pigs, Simon now does the butchering and we have both learnt french charcuterie. We cook and we sell direct at our local markets and events. Our business has been built with alot of hard work and sheer determination and is constantly evolving. This year our pig feed cost doubled, so we are in transition mode, trying out a new systems of pasturalism, planting and moving the pigs around.
  
  This year's volunteer work can be varied from helping with chickens, goats and piglets. Feeding, cleaning out, milking etc, building new fences and helping move the animals around. I have also started a new vegtable garden as I'm keen to grow as much of our own food as possible. So looking after and planting vegtables and making upcycled garden ideas would defiantly be welcomed.
  
  We have a yurt and a room in our house for our work away volunteers. We are also keen to build more outside facilities such as a dry toilet and kitchen area.
  
  Obvouiosly being a farm the work can be quite physically demanding and is always outside based , so we are open to both short and long term volunteers to share our experience with and learn from. We have so many great ideas we want to achieve, but we are definitely in need of a boost of fresh energy to give is a helping hand.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  We live in a very unique area in France with a new emerging community of young like minded people, who are passionate about the environment and local community. We want to grow, learn and pass on to others, ideas and experiences to create an animal/crop rotation system that has minimal impact on the land and animals.

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  Help

  The help required will range from, feeding chickens, goats and piglets, fencing, helping with wood, creating a vegetable garden, polytunnel system, organising the old buildings and land management, or some help in the house and cooking meals. Last year we have put up our yurt and want to create an outdoor living/ kitchen area which could fun.

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  English: Fluent
  French: Intermediate

  This host offers a language exchange
  This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
  You can contact them directly for more information.
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  Accommodation

  At the moment, we can only offer accommodation within our home, in the yurt and command tent. We live basic but comfortably, our house is insulated with hemp, has solar panels and reed bed fosse system. The kitchen will be open for you to help your self, we will always have a good healthy dinner, we eat a lot of pork and locally sourced veg.

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  What else ...

  We live within the Millevaches national park, and close to 2 lakes, lac de Vassiviere and Viam with many swimming beaches, which is the perfect way to cool off in the summer months. We are quite high, 700m above sea level, lots of places to walk, hike and and explore. Plus in Spring and autumn the forest is fantastic for looking for mushrooms and foraging.

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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

  This host has indicated that they love having digital nomads stay.

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  Space for parking camper vans

  This host can provide space for campervans.

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  More than two

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  Hours expected

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

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