Help around our old farm in the Ardèche mountains, France

Details

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  Description

  We are Florent and Astree, a French couple living in the Ardèche Mountains with our baby girl Luna, born in november 2024.
  We have been renovating an old farm since november 2020, but still have some work to do on it. We also pick and transform apples and sweet chestnuts from our land (end of september to mid November).
  
  At home we have a small guest room for one or two people, not very big but at least you have your privacy, and the rest of the house is very big we can share all this space with you, watching a film some evenings on our projector, playing board games, and sharing good moments, as well as eating meals together (all homemade and organic food).
  
  WHAT IS GOING ON HERE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR:
  -January, February, March : rebuild stone walls in the gardens (warmer days), renovations inside the house, cooking together, starting to work on the garden, cut of old branches and bushes…
  -April to August : Start and care of the vegetable garden, project 2026 to build a green house (we already have lots of old windows for this) and to finish a rooftop terrace (fence and stairs).
  -October to December : picking of the chestnuts and apples, sorting and then preserving them into juice and jam at home.
  
  These are exemples of what we do here all year round (with or without volunteers). But of course you are free to have preferences depending on your skills and physical abilities. Every tasks will be done with us and you will be taught how to do. Perfect for people willing to learn ancient knowledge (like traditional drystone wall building, woodwork, vegetable gardening, fruits hand picking and conserves…). Very physical activities are kept below 2-3hours a day to not be exhausted (hours left would then be more relaxed activities).
  
  We ask for your help 5 hours a day and 5 days a week. You could also do longer days and have more free days to go and visit places if you prefer. In exchange of small but cosy accommodation and all the meals provided. We would like to welcome you to stay from 1 week to 2 weeks here with us.
  
  About our bigger building jobs and renovations, it’s already all done by local professionals and ourselves (I have to point this out as workaway team wrote me that they were afraid we were avoiding paying builders to have free volunteers instead… but we would never ask you to do a job on your own that requires professionnal skills!)
  
  We have two cats living inside the house.
  
  We both speak English as we spent 5 years in the UK where Flo was learning instrument making.
  
  Hope to meet you soon in our beautiful mountains !

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Language practice

  Help with Eco Projects

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  Animal Care

  Farmstay help

  Babysitting and creative play

  Creating/ Cooking family meals

  Help around the house

  General Maintenance
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  Interests

  

  Farming

  

  Culture

  

  Charity work

  

  Writing

  

  Plant care

  

  Photography

  

  Performing arts

  

  Music

  

  Languages

  

  Hitchhiking

  

  Gardening

  

  DIY & crafts

  

  Cooking & food

  

  Carpentry

  

  Books

  

  Astronomy

  

  Animals

  

  Yoga / Wellness

  

  Winter sports

  

  Water sports

  

  Sailing / Boating

  

  Outdoor activities

  

  Nature

  

  Mountain

  

  Hiking

  

  Dancing

  

  Cycling

  

  Camping

  

  Beach

  

  Adventure sports
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  UN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve

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  What's this?
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  You will be immersed in a very wild and preserved part of France in the mountains with beautiful lanscapes. You can go cycling, running, hiking, rock climbing, and all river sports also around here. In the summer we can bath in the beautiful river (fresh but absolutely pure from the mountain). We can speak French with you if you want to practice. We will cook nice meals for you and would love to also try your cooking (we love trying different types of cooking). We want you to feel like you’re home !

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  Help

  we will ask for 5 hours of help per day, 5 days a week (you could also do longer days and have more free days to go and visit places if you prefer). In exchange of small but cosy accommodation and all the meals provided. 1 week minimum would be great for you to stay.
  Depends on when you come throughout the year and what you feel comfortable with. Picking apples and making apple juice, picking chestnuts, helping with house eco renovating, gardening…

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  Languages

  Languages spoken
  French: Fluent
  English: 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

  Private accommodation with access to shared bathroom. All meals shared with us unless you want to go away for some full days to visit around. Also if we are away (once a week max) you could prepare your food with our ingredients

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  What else ...

  Very nice places and activities to explore around, see in the description.
  Transport is a little difficult here without a car but hitchhiking works very well. Also if you take a train then a bus to Aubenas we can pick you up there at the bus station

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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

  A desk with internet in your bedroom

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  Space for parking camper vans

  We don’t have a huge parking though

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  My animals / pets

  Minoushka

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