Help out with garden and DIY projects while eating amazing paella in the mountains of southern Spain

Detalles

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  Descripción

  I'm Sarah, and I am excited to welcome you to come stay on my land in the middle of the Alpujarras mountain range in the south of Spain. My little piece of paradise consists of about 9 hectares with 2 small casitas set on a beautiful spot just above the village of Cadiar. Since buying the finca in 2021, I have managed to get quite a few improvements completed or at least well underway. I planted about 150 fruit and nut trees of every variety I could get my hands on (including apricot, peach, nectarine, lemon, orange, fig, pomegranate, cherry, apple, pear, almond, walnut, pistachio, chestnut). I've renovated the two casitas with upgraded facilities, I've cleared some land and moved a lot of dirt around, and I have transformed an old chimney grill into a focal point of outdoor cooking and communal eating. Might be my favorite project yet! (You'll see "before" and "after" versions in the photos section of my profile.)
  
  There is lots more I'd like to do, and I am looking for motivated and strong helpers to work on any of the following projects:
  -planting and weeding a vegetable and herb garden
  -building a better chicken coop
  -creating a real compost bin
  -finish the fencing around the fruit trees so the wild boars and neighboring sheep don't decimate them
  -planting flowers and natural adornments to make the place pretty
  -laying out more irrigation lines
  -building and plumbing a shower next to the soon-to-be outdoor sauna
  -varnishing a new solid wood closet (aka cupboard in the UK)
  -any other DIY project that you want to propose!
  
  I am learning a lot as I go, and also happy to learn from you, as well as hear your ideas and opinions.
  
  A bit more about me: I lived in the United States before moving to Spain five years ago. I used to be a reporter and editor, writing for newspapers and editing a national cooking magazine. I left the world of journalism to focus on my passion, which is paella and Spanish food and cooking. And yes, if you come to stay here, a delicious benefit is that you get to enjoy amazing and authentic paellas prepared by me.
  
  I don't have any dogs or cats at the moment, but I do have 19 chickens which free-range around the property, and besides providing a steady supply of fresh eggs, they also offer a fair amount of entertainment. One project on my list is to build a proper coop and chicken run, so if this is in your wheelhouse, let me know.
  
  The projects we will be working on are to help me fulfill my vision of turning this diamond-in-the-rough into a mostly self-sufficient private homestead. Regarding my schedule, I have a paella pan import/export business which occupies my attention in the late afternoons and evenings, but the rest of the time I am helping and guiding on whatever your task of the day is. Or else I'll be cooking us up a delicious midday meal to keep us nourished and happy. Also, I divide my time between my land in Cadiar and a town in Jaen about 3 hours away, which you are welcome to accompany me on a visit there as well, as it is a charming medieval pueblo smack dab in the middle of olive tree country.
  
  I am looking for people who have energy and initiative, who like working outdoors, and who want to experience a taste of life in rural Andalucia. I am pretty easygoing (if you know of Dr. Joe Dispenza, I do his meditations) and am just grateful to have some helping hands as I slowly but surely -- or perhaps quickly and surprisingly -- bring my vision into reality. I hope you come along for some of the ride!
  
  No minimum or maximum visit, and last minute workawayers welcome!

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  Tipos de ayuda y oportunidades de aprendizaje

  Jardinería

  Construcción y bricolaje

  Ayuda doméstica

  Mantenimiento general
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  Intercambio cultural y oportunidades de aprendizaje

  I have traveled a lot and I love getting to know people and have an exchange ideas. When I was in my 20's, I traveled throughout Europe and Eastern Europe through a host-traveler program called Servas, where I stayed in people's homes and got a real taste of each country I visited through the eyes of people who lived there. It was the absolute best part of my 9 month nomadic adventure. I see the Workaway concept as very related to my Servas travel and homestay experience, offering people from different countries and cultures a chance to know each other at a personal and maybe even spiritual level.
  
  I'll also note that although I spent most of my life living in the US (New York City and New England), I am not your typical American by any means. In fact, ever since living in Spain as a college student, and in the years following when I married a Spanish artist and had my two daughters, I have felt more affinity with the Spanish culture and lifestyle than to the US. Since I'm no longer married and my daughters are at university, I'm doing this thing on my own for the most part, which is both thrilling and terrifying -- but mostly thrilling. As far as cooking, my style ranges across many cuisines and countries, but what I cook these days is mainly Spanish food. So if you come here, you'll definitely get to experience a good dose of Spanish culture plus a little expat American thrown in for good measure!

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  Ayuda

  If you have any of the following skills, do let me know! And if you don't, no worries because my neighbors have a wealth of knowledge and we can figure it out together:
  -gardening know-how
  -carpentry
  -iron or metalwork
  -construction
  -knowledge of irrigation systems
  -landscaping experience
  -pruning tree knowledge
  -collecting olives and almonds
  -any kind of indoor or outdoor painting
  -cutting firewood
  -generally being good at fixing things or problem-solving
  -and if nothing else, a positive attitude and can-do spirit

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  Idiomas

  Idiomas hablados
  Inglés: Fluido
  Español: Fluido

  Este anfitrión ofrece intercambio de idiomas
  I am a native English speaker and former writing tutor and am happy to teach or help with English. I speak Spanish well enough -- not really fluent as I use "creative" grammar at times and I have an American accent. But pretty good Spanish overall. I speak a bit of French, a bit of Chinese, and there's google translate for the rest!
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  Alojamiento

  Camper vans of any size are welcome, or you can set up a tent if you want. For more creature comfort, I can also offer a room in the casita, with a shared bathroom with bathtub, shared kitchen, and 3 bedrooms. There is also good wifi in the casita and within reach of a camper van (depending on how far away you park).
  
  The working schedule is about 5 hours/day and 5 days/week.
  
  And what about meals? I provide provisions for a self-service breakfast and light dinner on working days. For the main midday meal, it can vary. I might cook up something delicious for all of us, or we might cook together. Or if there are several Workawayers, we will rotate the cooking (and cleanup) schedule so it doesn't fall on any one person (me!) every day.
  
  The town of Cadiar is a 6 minute drive down the hill if you want to check out our local Carrefour supermarket and other shops.

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  Algo más...

  The town is about 2 kilometers down the hill from my land, which is about 6 minutes by car and walkable in about 35 minutes (on the way back up, it takes about 45 minutes). The town of Cadiar has all the essential types of shops -- supermarket, fruit store, pharmacy, health food store, hardware store, and a bodega that sells local wines, including their own. If you come without a car, you would have use of a car to get to and from town more efficiently.

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  Un poco más de información

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    Acceso a Internet

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    Acceso a Internet limitado

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    Tenemos animales

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    Somos fumadores

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    Puede alojar familias

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  Puede acoger a nómadas digitales

  There is space to work inside. The casitas receive a good signal from most cell phone companies in Spain. You can also use the wifi network.

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  Espacio para aparcar autocaravanas

  There is a large open space in front of the casitas for any size camper van. If you wan to pitch a tent, you're welcome to do that as well. Or you can stay in one of the casitas.

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  Podría aceptar mascotas

  Although I have no pets (except the chickens), I am open to you bringing your dog or cat.

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  ¿Cuántos voluntarios puedes hospedar?

  Más de dos

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  Horas esperadas

  5 hours a day, 5 days a week

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