Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
6 Oct 2025
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 2 days
Feedback
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Details
Description
Tom (44) is English, and Elena (37) is French. In early 2019 Tom decided to move permanently from his home in England to a 2.7 hectare (6 acre) plot in the foothills of the French Pyrenees; by car roughly an hour South of Toulouse and an hour North of Andorra.
The couple are working towards a self sufficient life, with the aim of organically growing food for a small family and ideally to produce enough energy to heat and light the home off-grid.
The plot is on the South facing side of a lush green valley overlooking snow capped mountains. There is a fully refurbished 3-bedroom house where Tom & Elena live, with a separate building alongside it that is rented to tourists. The terrain is roughly 50% grass / paddock, and 50% woodland. Wild cherry, walnut and plum trees are dotted around and on clear days the sun hits the slope from dawn until dusk.
The land sits 100m below the pretty mountain village of Roquefixade. The village is well known for it’s ruined castle, (Château de Roquefixade) and steep limestone cliffs that protect it from the Northern weather. In season, the Gite d’Etape in the village serves as a good local restaurant / bar, and the two lovely towns of Lavalenet and Foix are 10km away with many shops, bars, restaurants etc. Both towns have weekly farmers markets selling fresh seasonal produce.
A young orchard has been planted and a 35ft polytunnel has been erected on a landscaped ex-paddock. Crops on two large growing terraces have been cultivated since Spring 2019.
Tom has all the necessary equipment inc. mower and extensive building tools; mains water, mains electricity & a good WiFi connection.
Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco Projects
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Animal Care
Farmstay help
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Interests
Beach
Camping
Fitness
Sustainability
Self development
Pets
Farming
Culture
Charity work
Plant care
Music
Gardening
DIY & crafts
Books
Animals
Cooking & food
Carpentry
Yoga / Wellness
Winter sports
Nature
Mountain
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
The Ariège is one of the least populated and most beautiful areas of France.
Volunteering at this smallholding offers the chance to spend time in a stunningly beautiful, tranquil space, to experience rural life in France, contribute to (and learn from) a project aiming at self-sufficiency.
Tom & Elena have a cat each and both have free rein in the house. Tom ran a successful business in the uk before the lifestyle change, and now lives and works on the land. He is spiritual, fun, hardworking and a fantastic cook!
Elena is a Spanish teacher / translator. She loves the chance to speak Spanish & Italian in particular, having spent many years living in Argentina and Rome.
For lovers of the outdoors, The valley is a perfect place to be. Tourists, cyclists, walkers and historians regularly come to explore the area, to visit the castles and lakes, and hike along the valley to nearby Chateau de Montsegur.
The land is situated such that you are sure to find a private spot in the trees or the paddocks to relax, to read, paint or just work on your tan :)
Help
Tom is looking for autonomous, energetic, handy people who don’t mind very physical tasks, and are happy to get their hands dirty. You will have the chance to learn new skills and help with a variety of projects, including:
1. Fertilising and digging over soil in preparation for crops. Weeding & watering plants regularly.
2. Helping with the preparation of a woodworking workshop.
3. Basic garden management, including clearing woodland scrub, pruning, planting etc.
4. Planning & sowing of seeds and seedlings in line with the planting schedule. Caring for & harvesting organic crops.
5. Daily watering of large vegetable patch / garden.
6. Strimming borders and trimming hedges with petrol powered machinery.
7. Painting internal / external walls.
8. Tending to chickens.
9. Building an outdoor composting toilet.
10. Maintaining outdoor decks in the paddock.
11. Helping build a rough wooden shelter from un-milled wood, for tool & machinery storage.
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: IntermediateThis host offers a language exchange
Tom speaks excellent English with no strong accent, perfect to learn from, and he’s anlways interested in improving his French! Elena speaks fluent French, Italian, Spanish and English!
Accommodation
For a single volunteer (or couple) there are two clean & comfortable private double bedrooms in the central heated house. If required, there is also a study with a single bed.
Your own car, motorbike or bicycle are preferable to see the sights and go to the shops. For those without, Tom can collect and drop off at the local train station in Foix, and provide lifts to nearby towns when he goes there. However, volunteers should be self-reliant and happy to entertain themselves outside of working hours / meal times as Tom & Elena have an active social life and appreciate their own space.
There are plenty of opportunities to relax, hike and explore locally on foot in this stunningly beautiful part of France.
All guests have access to the recently refurbished main house bathroom with a beautiful large ‘Italian-style’ hot shower, double basin and flush toilet. There is a second toilet located in the workshop.
You will be offered three meals a day:
08:00-09:00 - A French breakfast with bread, croissants, yoghurt, fruit, jam, fresh coffee / tea etc.
14:00-15:00 - A large hot or cold lunch.
19:30-20:30 - A large, hot main evening meal with wine or beer.
Tom cooks with fresh, local produce, and values time spent sharing meals. Food is very important at the house and guests can expect great quality ingredients prepared to a very high standard (see reviews).
What else ...
Tom has travelled the world extensively for many years exploring Europe, South America, Africa, the Middle East & Asia. In years gone by he has worked as a volunteer himself so knows what it’s like and hopes to be an excellent host because of that experience!
Tom and Elena are very upbeat and sociable. On days off and in free afternoons volunteers with transport can canoe, swim or wakeboard at the nearby lakes & rivers. The nearest ski lift is 30 minutes drive where you can ski and snowboard during winter months.
There are numerous trekking / hiking routes nearby, rock climbing and the beautiful town of Foix with great bars and restaurants is just a 15 minute drive from the plot. Barcelona is a 3 hour drive, and you can reach Andorra (for tax free shopping and great skiing) in around an hour.
Volunteers are asked to help for 25 hours p/week, Monday to Friday; typically starting after breakfast at 9:00am, and finishing before lunch at 2:00pm. Your afternoons will be for you to explore and enjoy the area.
Where possible volunteers are asked to bring a set of work clothes and suitable footwear for working outside, but Tom has some spare things for people of most sizes!
Tom & Elena still like to travel, and enjoy an active social life. They also value their time alone. For this reason typically volunteers are accepted for an initial period of 1-2 weeks, with longer stays possible if the fit is good for everyone.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
There is a decent Starlink wifi setup allowing access to data throughout the property and on the terrace. Digital nomads welcome!
Space for parking camper vans
There is plenty of space for a camper van at the house, with the possibility for an extension lead to provide electricity & an outdoor tap / sink for water and a temporary outdoor kitchen for cooking.
Can possibly accept pets
We have 2 cats and chickens. The cats are very much at home and new pets disturb them. For this reason we don’t accept volunteers with pets.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
My animals / pets
Tao
If Buddha and Hitler had a child, and that child was a cat, that cat would be Tao.
Very affectionate and zen but also a stone cold killer.
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback (29)
Tom is super straight forward with everything and as long as you're honest and… read more
We were at their place from October 12-23, 2025. His property is absolutely stunning this time of year, over the duration of our stay we really enjoyed watching all the leaves… read more
First off, Tom is a gregarious, fun host full of great stories and ideas. His communication skills are very clear and he goes out of his way to get to know you so he can make your stay joyful.
We are a married couple that enjoys gardening and woodworking, so our skills were put to work in… read more
Jana & Tom were with me for 2 weeks in April, to help planting the garden and building a solar shower. They are both very respectful, clean and tidy. They are very friendly, kind and interesting, and they both brought a wealth of skills and knowledge to share.
Jana is a plant expert and garden design specialist.… read more
Photos
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback
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Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
Tom is super straight forward with everything and as long as you're honest and… read more
We were at their place from October 12-23, 2025. His property is absolutely stunning this time of year, over the duration of our stay we really enjoyed watching all the leaves… read more
First off, Tom is a gregarious, fun host full of great stories and ideas. His communication skills are very clear and he goes out of his way to get to know you so he can make your stay joyful.
We are a married couple that enjoys gardening and woodworking, so our skills were put to work in… read more
Jana & Tom were with me for 2 weeks in April, to help planting the garden and building a solar shower. They are both very respectful, clean and tidy. They are very friendly, kind and interesting, and they both brought a wealth of skills and knowledge to share.
Jana is a plant expert and garden design specialist.… read more
The location is truly picturesque, offering a peaceful and inspiring… read more
He gave clear instructions on what to do and tasty food, if he ever has dal and pizza on the table at the same time you should try them together it was a very good combo!
Tom was a great host and I had such a good time I might have to come back… read more
Tom has a wonderful farm in the franchise Pyrenees. Besides the stunning location, Tom offers great accommodation - a privet room in his own warm and plaisent house.
During the stay, Tom took care about the meals - which were generous and tasty.
Tom made us feel at home while give us… read more
Tom is really available and convinient. The instructions were really clear. The food was really tasty.
We had a great time helping him and enjoying the incredible place.
Hope too see the asparagus in Spring !
Yolen helped mainly in the garden, weeding, preparing the ground and finally covering the vegetable garden with plastic in readiness for winter. She also helped in the house, cleaning windows and frames and she did a great job with everything… read more
It was just unbelievably good. The work was very varied and fun. We did something different every day and it never got boring. Even the work didn't feel like work and the time went by very quickly. We learnt a lot from Tom. Every day was… read more
He is kind and caring, asking what food I wanted and went shopping. I felt more like a guest than a worker.
I helped painting shutters, helped around the house and in the garden. I also had a lot of time just to enjoy. Evenings often with his lovely cat next to me. His… read more
Work wasn't very hard, so I had time to hike around, pick-up mushrooms, chill and even partiing (on weekend Tom invited me to his friends… read more
Tom is a wonderful person and has qualities of a great leader. His organizational skills and clarity in communication helped us to get a lot done with few words of explanation. I experienced great sense of maturity and open hearted giving while maintaining the boundaries and emotionally groundedness. He… read more
During the stay we… read more
I had some great conversations with Tom overlooking the beautiful view and was introduced to some funky new music.
Tom is positive, open and very knowledgeable about travel locations around the… read more
A polite and friendly young man who is a great worker and also a fantastic musician & singer; but a little shy to admit it!
While Matthew was here we worked planting and moving Earth in the garden, building a large timber deck and laying laminate… read more
The stay with Tom was really great. As soon as I've entered his property, till the end of the two weeks, he began to make sure I've got everything I need and feel comfortable at his place, just like any old friend would do.
The food was great, the talks always fun and diverse and the weeks passed without any day of… read more
Jonas is also a very polite young man, and he has clearly been brought up well. He is helpful & clean & always willing to go the extra mile to finish off a task properly.
Over a 10 day… read more
Tom and Joanna are very friendly and welcoming… read more
We were doing a lot of very physical work in the garden and James gave it 100% every day. He took it spin himself to tend to the chickens and water the polytunnel every day and always had bright ideas about how to… read more
See you soon!
thank you for your warmth, for your kind nature and for your delicious meals! (Hugo doesn't stop talking about your cooking Joanna) especially the famous truffle oil! We are happy to have been able to put a little piece of us in your beautiful project and we are sure that this place will reflect your… read more
They are very kind, generous and joyful. Roquefixade is a nice isolated place, looks like a medieval village with the ruined castle which overlooks it. The tasks were various, they have many projects and we wish to stay in touch to see the… read more
They helped erect fencing, spreading wood chips, installing a hammock post and preparing beds for planting.
I can not recommend Elie and Leo highly enough. Very very nice guys. Thank… read more
Tom picked us up from the airport, what was really kind! Between us, it was a good harmony between giving and taking. Therefore my boyfriend and me worked with pleasure for Tom. We get also inspired for planting vegetables in the future.
Tom is a good take carer!… read more
Marcus and Karolina helped with fertilising and digging over vegetable growing beds in the polytunnel,… read more
