Help out with a project for sustainable living in rural Normandy, France

France

updated Last minute

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Host rating
Feedback
33
Last activity
19/09/2019
Reply rate
57.6 %
Average reply time:
within 4 days
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This listing is a Last minute host. They have let us know that they are looking for help immediately as well as at other times of the year.

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Availability

2019

Min stay requested: at least 2 weeks

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Description
I have created an association here at my home in the Normandy countryside with the idea of sharing ideas and practices related to permaculture, veganism and sustainable living. The project is currently coordinated by myself with the help of friends and volunteers. I am a bilingual (English/French) English woman with qualifications and experience in plant based cooking, ecoconstruction, furniture making, organic/permaculture gardening, teaching and art and craft. The idea is to ultimately offer courses, informal apprenticeships and work experiences related to vegan cooking, permaculture and aspects of sustainable living.

Work so far has centred around renovating an old earth house with natural materials and creating an edible landscape on almost one hectare of land using many ideas and techniques of permaculture. This year we will continue to develop the food growing and vegan cooking aspects of the project. We grow wild plants, edible flowers, herbs, perennials and ancient variety seeds. There is a mandala garden, a fledgling forest garden, an apple orchard and many different kinds of beds (hugulbeds, raised beds) Depending on time, budget and help, we would also like to create an edible wildlife pond as well as work on designing a solar shower, a dry toilet block and solutions for low cost energy generation.

It is tranquil here. There is wifi but no television, plenty of books you can borrow on all aspects of ecological living and a couple of guitars and a eukoleli.
Type of help
Gardening
Building
General Maintenance
Cooking / shopping
Farmstay
Help with Eco project
Help in the house
Art project
Help with Computers / internet
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
In coming here you can learn about aspects of vegan cooking, eco-construction and/or permaculture gardening (I am qualified in all of these). I have a good number of books on many aspects of permaculture that you can borrow. I love to play the guitar and sing so always interested to exchange songs.
Help
This year (early April) we will be earth rendering a rammed earth tyre wall at the entrance of the land. Later in the year we will lime render it with mosaics and design and construct rustic gates. There are also some outside walls of the house that we will be lime rendering.

It would be great to have some longer term help with the garden food growing project. In an ideal world I would love to welcome someone who has at least some knowledge of food growing/horticulture/agriculture to help with developing this aspect (the vegan edible landscape) and who would be interested to stay for a longer period of time . I would like to develop the use of herbs, green manures, beans for protein and more edible perennials. We built a solar dryer last year and drying and storing more herbs would be great.

I will also be working on vegan cooking workshops (that we plan to run this year) - so people interested in vegan cooking and developing recipes (or even helping out with the workshops) are welcome. I would like to design and build a solar cooker.

If someone has Knowledge of plumbing, electricity, carpentry and/or building and the interest/motivation to do research; we could work on designing and possibly building a solar shower, low cost energy production systems, rocket mass stove and dry toilet block.

If you have IT skills I would love some help with developing a website and publicity/marketing for vegan cooking and permaculture courses that we would like to run this year - as well as how to use social media.
Languages spoken
French and English
Accommodation
Accommodation is in caravans and a camping car or camping if you have a tent. In the winter months and during some other months there is a room in the house available.
What else ...
We have a couple of cats that live here so this is not a good place for someone with a cat allergy!!

Mont Saint Michel is half an hours drive away and there are many interesting old towns and cities to visit like Fougeres (with its old castle) Granville, St Malo and Dinan. There are beautiful waterfalls not far from here and a busy weekly market at the nearest town - Saint Hilaire du Harcouet (6km away). You can borrow bicycles to get to town or to explore the local area. It is possible to cycle to the waterfalls and Mont Saint Michel from here. There are buses to different places that you can catch at Saint Hilaire du Harcouet. We are in the middle of the countryside so it would suit people who enjoy peace and quiet.
A little more information
- Internet access
- Limited internet access
- We have pets
- We are smokers
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
Hours expected
Maximum 5 hours a day, 5 days a week

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Feedback left by and about host (33)

09/01/2019

Left by Workawayer (Sarah) for host

I spent three great weeks at Liza's last September. The place is really beautiful - a cosy ecologically renovated house, different campers/a van to choose as your private space and an amazing garden with lots if edible weeds, ancient varieties of greens and veggies and a food forest. I learned a lot during my time there and Liza has a stunning… read more

(Excellent )

08/01/2019

Left by host for Workawayer (Sarah)

Sarah stayed with us for around a month. It was a pleasure to host her here. She is a very intelligent, knowledgeable and capable person. She is a very competent vegan cook and helped me to create some fabulous meals using produce from the land but she also taught me some new skills - like how to make water keffir and idli bread. She helped a lot… read more

(Excellent )

28/12/2018

Left by Workawayer (Isabella) for host

I spent almost 1 month at Liza's place from November-December. Liza is so nice, she has a lot of ideas (I think she said "process thinker"?) and a lot of experience in landscape design. I liked that she asked the volunteers what we wanted to do; inside/outside, physical/easy work etc. We had interesting talks about veganism, agriculture, the… read more

(Very good )

18/10/2018

Left by host for Workawayer (Susanne)

Suzanna came by for a couple of weeks this year. She was a pleasure to host. She is a very intelligent, well organised and highly competent person. She helped to weed the paths in our mandala garden, cleared brambles and did some great innovative vegan cooking. She is happy to work on her own or with others. She is interested in everything to do… read more

(Excellent )

31/07/2018

Left by Workawayer (Susanne) for host

I got to Liza's place with more than five months workawaying under my belt. Feeling rather exhausted, I couldn't take in all the info offered. Liza has a lot of ideas, idealism and ambition. The days haven't got enough hours to keep all the balls in the air.
We found a project for me that I could really hang into and work on independently:… read more

(Very good )

18/10/2018

Left by host for Workawayer (Nina & Elliott )

Nina and Eliot stayed for a couple of weeks this summer and were a pleasure to host. Two beautiful people inside and out looking for a more sane way to live. They helped with great enthusiasm with our rammed earth tyre retaining wall at the entrance of the land. Eliot is no stranger to the world of building and was able to suggest and improve on… read more

(Excellent )

14/08/2018

Left by Workawayer (Nina & Elliott ) for host

This was a fantastic work away! Liza was extremely welcoming and honestly one of the kindest, sweetest souls we have ever met. Her friend Kevin (who is there for about 6 months of the year supporting the project...and looking after the cats!!) is also an absolute angel!
We were put onto the task of building a tyre wall for the entrance to the… read more property; as this was something we had expressed interest in. It was a mammoth task (& I think we both underestimated the amount of earth we would need to pack into the tyres- ha ha) but it was so rewarding! We were offered other tasks to complete if it was too hot or we were tired, further demonstrating what kind and caring people Liza and Kevin are.
Accommodation was in our own caravan, which was basic but lovely. We would recommend sleeping bags and mozzie spray! Food was delicious and Liza is a great cook (especially the soups!!). We learned a great deal about permaculture, different herbs, how to be less wasteful and veganism.
I found Liza to be quite an inspiration, especially to me as a young woman. She has built an incredible property, with limited funds and resources, in a different country and surrounded by limitations and resistance from others. Whilst there is still a long way to go to get it to where she wants, her drive and determination is awe inspiring! She was never afraid to get her hands dirty; gave excellent and clear instructions when asking for a task to be done and continued to laugh and smile throughout!
A highlight for us was all going to the waterfalls and a music festival together one evening - it was nice to socialise outside of the house and lovely that Liza offered to take us all.
The only downside for us would be the distance to the town; whilst it was lovely being remote and having a break from the hustle and bustle of life (which we definitely needed)...an hour and a half walk to get snacks felt extreme (ha ha!) Liza does have bikes which can be borrowed, which was great.
We stayed for 2 weeks and would love to have stayed longer, but our circumstances meant we sadly couldn’t. A great experience, that we would highly recommend if you are looking for something a little remote, basic in terms of accommodation, but warm and welcoming. Great if you’re a vegan (or keen to learn more about veganism) and want to work hard during the day and relax in the afternoons/evenings.

(Excellent )

18/10/2018

Left by host for Workawayer (Melissa)

Thank you Milly so much for coming by and for helping us out during the busy harvest period. Milly is a lovely person - always ready to help and eager to learn new things. She happily undertook everything asked of her and always showed initiative. She helped to collect pears and apples and to transform them into chutney and compote. She collected… read more

(Excellent )

17/10/2018

Left by Workawayer (Melissa) for host

I was lucky enough to be accepted to help at Liza's little permaculture paradise very last minute. Unfortunately I could only stay 10 days, but that was enough to experience what a beautiful place this is. Liza as well as her friend Kevin are such lovely people!!
There was usually a variety of jobs to do each day, depending on the weather and how… read more

(Excellent )

10/06/2018

Left by Workawayer (Simone) for host

Loved it! I enjoyed every single day with Liza, Kevin, the other volunteers and the cats. :)
This is definitely a place to learn a lot about permaculture and vegan cooking. We also had serious conversations on self-sufficiency, environmental topics as well as a lot of laughter and singing while Liza was playing the guitar on my birthday. :) There… read more

(Excellent )

15/11/2017

Left by Workawayer (Helene) for host

Hello travelers,
If you like to explore, experiment, learn and garden Lizas project is a great choice! My time with Liza, Kevin and part of the time with other volunteers was full of interesting and intensive discussions about all kind of Eco topics, especially gardening, self sufficency and vegan lifestyle. I was so happy, that Liza knows a lot… read more

(Excellent )

27/10/2017

Left by host for Workawayer (Anndrea)

It was a real pleasure to host Andrea here. She is a lovely sensitive soul with a big heart. She was keen to get involved in everything ... she levelled and seeded the yoga lawn, sowed seeds, created compost, weeded the garden, helped with the vegan cooking, learned how to do lime rendering in the house and pointed part of the stone terrace. She… read more

(Excellent )

22/06/2017

Left by Workawayer (Anndrea) for host

I thoroughly enjoyed my 3 week stay at Liza's. I learned heaps, gained new skills, and new perspectives on life.
There was always a list of things to do, so I never got bored. The projects were fun and diverse. I transplanted various plants, rendered some walls with lime, built a teepee for the beans, made a path next to a garden bed, leveled the… read more

(Excellent )

26/10/2017

Left by host for Workawayer (Zoe)

Zoe was a wonderful volunteer. She was fun, extremely helpful and keen to learn. She did a great job earth rendering in the house - very meticulous and she helped out with the vegan cooking and gardening. We had interesting chats about all sorts of things, played a bit of guitar, had lots of laughs and I gave her a fabulous new haircut .... good… read more

(Excellent )

04/09/2017

Left by Workawayer (Zoe) for host

Thanks Liza! Had such a nice time at your place, I wanted to just leave a quick review, because you were AWESOME! I learned so much and we had so many great conversations. Hope to come back some day, youve got a great project. I was very grateful to be a part of it. Best of luck with it all. Hope to see you again some day!

(Excellent )

26/10/2017

Left by host for Workawayer (Alessandra)

Allesandra was a wonderful volunteer. She is a lovely person ... very intelligent and full of useful information about diet and healthy eating. She was always polite and helpful and was keen to learn and try new things. She enjoyed (and did a great job of) scything the apple orchard and using the hand mill to prepare mulch. She helped in the… read more

(Excellent )

04/09/2017

Left by Workawayer (Alessandra) for host

Staying with Liza is a very instructive experience, she is friendly and curious about different points of view, certainly always full of new ideas and willing to answer to questions about permaculture. Gardening is a big part of he project but she also helps people to understand how to reduce their impact on our environment in many different… read more

(Excellent )

20/08/2017

Left by host for Workawayer (Mary)

Daisy is a wonderful person. She was always helpful and good humoured and full of useful information. We had great chats, lots of laughs and she worked wonders in the kitchen and the garden.

(Excellent )

14/08/2017

Left by Workawayer (Mary) for host

I had a fantastic stay in Liza's beautiful home! The work was varied and interesting and I loved spending time around the garden. Cooking delicious, fresh food was a delight and we always had great chats. Thankyou so much for your hospitality Liza, your project was a truly inspiring!

(Excellent )

20/08/2017

Left by host for Workawayer (Cara)

Antoine and Cara were a pleasure to host. Cara turned out to have grown up next door to the father of permaculture - Bill Mollison himself - how cool is that. We had great chats and did lots of weeding and mulching in the garden. They are a very charming, helpful and capable couple.

(Excellent )

02/08/2017

Left by Workawayer (Cara) for host

The short, five day stay, with Liza was filled with great conversation, fresh from the garden - home cooked meals & enjoyable gardening. Thank you to Liza, and also Kevin (a friend of Liza), for your open minds & hospitality!!

(Excellent )

15/01/2017

Left by host for Workawayer (Rosie)

Rosie was a pleasure to host. She was always polite, considerate and willing to help with whatever needed doing. She was often proactive in offering ideas and solutions. Being a graduate in horticulture, she was able to offer invaluable help in the garden and was open to gardening à la permaculture ... using methods that she had not come… read more

(Excellent )

09/01/2017

Left by Workawayer (Rosie) for host

Liza was my first Workaway host and I couldn't have hoped for a better one. She was really welcoming and thoughtful. Liza was really keen to make sure we were doing tasks we enjoyed or developing new skills. She has an incredible amount of knowledge on all things sustainable. We had lots of fascinating conversations. She taught me so much and I… read more

(Excellent )

05/01/2017

Left by host for Workawayer (Adam)

Adam was a pleasure to host. He was always polite, calm and helpful and willing to lend a hand with whatever needed doing. He did a great job digging the terrace and helping in the kitchen and garden. Good luck Adam with your work and travels and hope to see you back here one day.

(Excellent )

04/01/2017

Left by Workawayer (Adam) for host

Had a lovely time staying here with Liza, Learned looooads about permaculture and self sustainable eco-living. Weed burgers is a recipe I won't forget! :D I hope the patio is coming on well or is even finished maybe. Hope to visit again one day :)

(Excellent )

25/11/2016

Left by host for Workawayer (Anna Katharina)

Anna was a great workaway volunteer. She stayed for a week and taught me how to say 'bobble hat' in German (bommelmutze). She is a highly intelligent, energetic and creative young woman - a great conversationalist, very open minded and great fun. She was happy to help with all sorts of tasks including cooking, gardening and building. She did… read more

(Excellent )

04/11/2016

Left by Workawayer (Anna Katharina) for host

Liza and her friend Kevin are both wonderful people, smart, open-minded, kind and they have a great sense of humour. I spent one week with them and enjoyed it very much! Liza's house is very cosy and I got a room on my own. The garden is huge and the food ... amazing! Work was varied and fun (weeding, building a patio, collecting apples and nuts,… read more

(Excellent )

25/11/2016

Left by host for Workawayer (Corinne)

Now it is me that is sorry not to have written a review until now - I thought I had - woops. Corinne was a wonderful workaway volunteer. She is a woman with an extraordinary wealth of knowledge on topics ranging from ecology and biology to pharmacology and gardening and has a rare insight into and understanding of the environmental challenges of… read more

(Excellent )

27/09/2016

Left by Workawayer (Corinne) for host

Sorry for the delay for this review:) For all of you interested in ecobuilding; permaculture, and voluntary simplicity, ‘Chez Liza’ is the place to be! Liza is a creative and intrepid woman who is living proof that, yes, it is possible to build your own home and create a self-sufficient food garden, all on a shoestring budget. She is very… read more

(Excellent )

13/08/2016

Left by host for Workawayer (Stephen)

Steve stayed for a week in July this year. Thank you Steve for everything you did during your short stay and for being so adaptable, good humoured and helpful.

Steve is a true Renaissance man - talented in many domains. He was able to successfully build a cabinet for the bathroom here using pallet wood with minimal supervision. He also… read more

(Excellent )

09/08/2016

Left by Workawayer (Stephen) for host

I had an amazing time staying with Liza. She was very friendly and took great care in making sure everyone was comfortable. She had great advice on things to do and see in the area. She even brought all the volunteers one day out to a nearby cascade. The property itself is absolutely beautiful and is just teeming with delicious plants. She has a… read more

(Excellent )

13/08/2016

Left by host for Workawayer (sissy)

Sissy stayed for almost three weeks this summer and she was a pleasure to host. Being a qualified and experienced carpenter she was able to take charge of furniture making projects using pallet wood and old wood from the property. She worked hard on the kitchen project here and made a fantastic cabinet and various shelving systems. She had lots… read more

(Excellent )

15/07/2016

Left by Workawayer (sissy) for host

absolutely great staying with Liza :)
she is super fun and her place offers so many possibilities to get into various fields, whatever your eco-friendly heart might be interested in. she accepted to host me on short notice and i was very grateful to her openness and general flexibility towards her volunteers.
the food was always delicious and… read more

(Excellent )

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Host ref number: 968511848691

Homestays, Volunteering & Working Holidays in France Homestays, Volunteering & Working Holidays in Europe Homestays, Volunteering & Working Holidays in Lower Normandy Individual France Sustainable project France Last minute Homestays, Volunteering & Working Holidays in France

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