Intentamos hacer del mundo un lugar un poco mejor, en las montañas de Extremadura, cerca de Caceres, España

Detalles

• 

  Descripción

  Important
  * Only those persons who are really really interested in helping and learning about goats, agriculture or construction will be admited.
  ** The minimum stay are 4 weeks. The reason is that it takes a lot of work (and time) to explain the day-to-day processes to you, and for you to adapt to the daily routine. Normaly the 2 last weeks is the time when you beggin to understand and fully enjoy the farming action. But if you are a professional farmer or constructer then it is not a problem to be less weeks. Those persons who want to stay for more than a month to gain more knowledge and experience on the farm are the true profiles i am looking for.
  Visits are wellcomed as long as they are independent.
  
  Good morning, my name is Juan (1975). I am a Sheperd who studied Forestry Technician and Philosophy. Currently i run a rural experiential tourism school, and offer (for free) to volunteers what I offer to my clients, the difference is that in a weekend doing a course, you will never be able to learn and assimilate what you will get in a month living here. I also have extensive experience in many types of jobs, as a builder, cook, electrician, plumber... I've been working all my life with orchards, phytotherapy, medicinal plants, distillation of hydrosols, perfumes...
  This project beggan in March of 2012 when I found a piece of land to plant my seeds and raise some goats. The place that chosed me is full of ancient culture, but in the last 50 years it was abandoned. Now most of the ruins have been rebuild into stables, houses, orchards, and restoring the old fertilized places like the cultivation terraces (the place is similar to machu pichu :-)
  WHICH IS MY GOAL?
  'We are what we do, to change what we are'
  I came here to recover and expand the native forest and the fertility of the land, using traditional and innovative ways of working with animals, plants and buildings, having the greatest respect for nature and LEAVING BEHIND ME A FUTURE MORE FERTILE AND SEED THAN CONSUMED. I came here looking for a simpler life, moving away from excessive consumption, and valuing what is basic and important. My general philosophy is to plant trees that will feed the next generations, even if I never enjoy their shade (and their fruits). Already 500 fruit trees and more than 1000 native trees have been planted. Also various medicinal and aromatic plants. We practice Ethnobotany everyday, giving meaning to all the plants that grow around us. Respect for the land is the foundation, and the best reward we get is to see the fertility of the worked places increase. This is not an ecologic farm, is more a logic farm, because I want to do what has always been done, but now people call it 'eco-logic'. IT IS NOT A PROFESSIONAL FARM, I DO NOT LIVE FROM MY PRODUCTS. The animals are because the logical reason that closes the biological cycle in the area to be restored. Currently there are about 25-30 goats, dogs, chickens, pigeons and a donkey.
  
  The tools to close the biological cycle are water, plants and animals.
  1 We irrigate the pastures that feed the animals, increasing the biodiversity of the plants that provide health to the forest and the animals.
  2 The animals fertilize the entire mountain with their feces, feeding the pastures, the forest and the orchard.
  3 The forest extends its domain by giving moisture and humus to the pastures, and food to the animals.
  This circular system increases the fertility of the land each year and gives the best quality and flavor to milk and cheese.
  'Giving health to the forest gives us inner health in return'
  We also work in the old technics of 'growing water' increasing the quantity of water in the surroundings, and transforming the water into clouds.
  
  THE PLACE
  The place is very wild and located high up in the mountains, literally hanging from a hillside near the top and surrounded by different types of forests, valleys, mountains, streams, springs... The small path to get here is narrow and long. Difficult access for wide cars, although there is another way that is longer but more accessible for vans. The town is 4 km away. In front of our houses (south) the views extend to Portugal in the background. At the back of the houses, the mountain protects us from the north winds. To the East and West some streams are born in the valleys and forests that are within the property, so the water is pure, without contamination and good to drink.
  
  THE GOATS
  They eat outside on the mountain every day, cleaning and recovering the old paths that no one used for a long time. They will eat the best food that an animal can eat ... fresh plants in season in an environment without any contaminants, and for this reason we have one of the best milks you will Never find in a market.
  We are also in an experimental program at the university to study the impact of goats on vegetation to prevent fires.
  
  I remain entirely and eternally grateful to all the people who have passed through here, helping this project, and helping to make this world a slightly more fertile place.

• 

  Tipos de ayuda y oportunidades de aprendizaje

  Ayuda en proyectos ecológicos

  Jardinería

  Construcción y bricolaje

  Cuidado de animales

  Ayuda en una granja

  Cuidado de niños y juegos creativos

  Ayuda doméstica

  Mantenimiento general
• 

  Objetivos de sostenibilidad de las NU que intenta conseguir este anfitrión

  ×

  ...

  ...

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  ¿Que es esto?
• 

  Intercambio cultural y oportunidades de aprendizaje

  I am only looking for people who are very interested in learning about farming. I like working alongside people, and teaching how to learn. It seems important to me to explain everything I do so that the work has meaning and can be enjoyed. This Farm is a school of rural life, every day different disciplines that involve life on earth are worked on. The learning objective is that if you come to help for at least a month, you get an idea of ​​what basic family farming could be.
  
  Herding Goats is normally a slow learning process, it takes time until you connect with the goats. The first thing is to know the place around (ORIENTATION). Then you will learn the STRATEGY, for which I will give you information but the most important thing is TO practice. And lastly you will have to learn to feel the animals, that is, you will have to EMPATHIZE with the goats (goats and animals do it constantly). If you are interested in learning I will give you support, but you need patience and dedication. Normally it will take you 3 weeks to learn the 3 things (orientation, strategy and empathy) after the fourth week it should be to fully enjoy everything (goats and mountain) This is the main activity for volunteers.
  
  CHEESE MAKING You can learn the cheese process when you REALLY show an interest in these fields and of course when the goats have milk. The cheese starts when the goats graze well, the second process is to milk propely, and then you will be able to make cottage cheese, fresh, semi-cured and aged cheese, yogurt, kefir... But this is not counted as working hours, it depends on what each individual person wants to learn.
  
  Construction, dry stone, carpentry, DIY, plumbing, electricity, are fields that are worked on every day and I can teach many things. But I need to know what you want and how I can help you, and also see if I have something to fix in that moment, to show you practical examples.
  ***I am currently working on making a road that can give more accessibility to this farm, so I hope to start in 2023 and finish in 2025...
  
  Medicinal plants, edible plants, botany or ethnobotany are around, waiting to be learned, if you are really interested, you can make a herbarium (plant book) and their uses so your memory should not fail in the future.
  I can help you with the Spanish language when there is enough interest and effort (that is, when you dedicate time to study)
  I can also teach you to cook. I have been a cook for 10 years.
  If there is something else you might be interested in learning, I can help you, maybe I'll learn it myself at the same time.
  
  ***What I understand as learning, are the particular interests of some people, and my effort and time to transmit knowledge, ARE NOT the agreed help hours! I want to make this clear, because after spending your 5 hours with the goats (or in other jobs) you can do two things: rest or learn. It depends on you.

• 

  Proyectos con niños

  En este proyecto podría haber niños. Para obtener más información, consulta nuestras directrices y consejos aquí.

• 

  Ayuda

  I ask for 5 hours of help on the farm. The jobs are divided into two categories.
  1 The fixed day-to-day: Carrying the goats up the mountain and back to the farm. Feed dogs and chickens
  
  2 The necessary tasks of each day: they can be developed in the garden or in the construction, for which a time and objectives appropriate to the person and the tasks to be carried out will be established. It is not the same to remove weeds as to make dry walls. If the help is very physical, it will be less hours. When there are more volunteers, we organize ourselves to share the tasks, and that each person attends to what you most want to do.
  
  The days off for the week are chosen and negotiated on Sundays.
  
  Cooking, washing up and cleaning are not included in the 5 hours . Nor do the wood to make your fire.

• 

  Idiomas

  Idiomas hablados
  Inglés: Fluido
  Español: Fluido
  Alemán: Intermedio
  Francés: Principiante

  Este anfitrión ofrece intercambio de idiomas
  I can help with spanish language as long as I see theres an effort from the pupil
• 

  Alojamiento

  I have renovated 3 stone and wood cabins so that volunteers can enjoy more independence, cool in summer, and some with a stove for winter. There is also a common room and kitchen for your private use. You bring the firewood to heat the house from the forest, this implies physical effort. I can cut it with the chainsaw and the axe. I can lend you a sheet for the bed and blankets but it is necessary to bring your sleeping bag. There is good 4G internet coverage and a SIM card available for you in case you come from outside Europe. The electricity works at 12v just like the one we use in cars. Only mobile phones can be charged. In town I have the possibility to charge computers with 230v electricity or other devices. There is a place to wash clothes by hand. The bathroom is a dry toilet. There is a solar shower that only heats water when it is sunny. There is also a bathtub that heats the water to more than 40° with wood (see photo).
  
  MEALS You will probably have to cook many days on your own. I go on a lot of diets. But i love and enjoy cooking for you. I like to eat simple. In the kitchen you will find the basics for cooking (oil, rice, pasta, legumes...) the rest we eat in season and if possible from the garden. We wont eat tomatoes in winter or oranges in summer. When we have oranges, cherries, cauliflowers, zucchini, it is the fruit that we eat daily. If you don't know how to cook, I can leave the food cooked ready for you when you're going to be alone. I barely eat industrial sugar or chocolate, they are things that you will have to buy by yourself, although I can bring them from time to time, I don't like to buy plastic food. I prefer cakes with fruit.
  The general rule is: One cooks and the other cleans. Otherwise we all cook and we all clean.

• 

  Algo más...

  Normally there is more than one person helping up the mountain, but it is possible that at some specific moments you are alone with the animals.
  What you may need:
  1 Good boots for the mountain, if possible high to protect the ankles! Better to refrain from decathlon, they tend to break quickly!
  2 Wellingtons for rainy seasons and raincoat
  3 Headlamp
  4 sleeping bag
  5 Charger for the phone of the type used in the car We can borrow some of these things
  Tourism:
  There are many places to go on days off. These mountains are perfect for hiking. I live near the highest point. In 1.30 hours you reach the top where you can see Portugal. There are also many natural water pools throughout the mountain. This place has a lot of history and stories. The farm is surrounded by a large Roman road in good condition. There is also an abandoned convent in the middle of the forest that can be visited. Celtic culture is everywhere. The surrounding towns are connected by trails, roads with beautiful landscapes and connected in culture for thousands of years. Climate Summer is not very hot (less than 30°) and winter is not very cold (more than 10°) it rarely goes below 5°
  Transport: To get to this place it is better to go Madrid -Navalmoral de la Mata or Plasencia, there is a bus and train at 8.00am. Then there are 2 more buses. The information is very difficult to find on the internet. The bus is paid to the driver. After Navalmoral de la Mata, or Plasencia, you have to change the bus and go to Coria, and then another bus from Coria to Torre Don Miguel. You would arrive at 3:30 p.m. and I would pick you up where the bus leaves you. The Coria - Torre buses only travel from Monday to Friday! If you come on a weekend, I recommend you sleep in Plasencia, it's very pretty and cheap.

• 

  Un poco más de información

  • 

    Acceso a Internet

  • 

    Acceso a Internet limitado

  • 

    Tenemos animales

  • 

    Somos fumadores

  • 

    Puede alojar familias

• 

  Puede acoger a nómadas digitales

  I have a space and good conexion for those who have to work remotely. The conditions are not the same as the people who come to volunteer, and given the particularity of each person with their availability, the conditions will have to be agreed with each individual digital nomade. I can offer a Spanish SIM card to be used on behalf of whoever needs it.

• 

  ¿Cuántos voluntarios puedes hospedar?

  Más de dos

• 

  Horas esperadas

  Maximum. 5 hours, 5 days

Comentarios (60)