Help us on an organic family farm while surrounding yourself with nature in Savegre de Aguierre, Costa Rica

Detalles

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  Descripción

  Hey there, we're Erez and Tali, an Israeli couple in our very early 40s, we’re husband and wife, best friends, and a superhero team along with our 2 dog-kids and 8 cat-kids lol. We're on an exciting journey to make Erez's dream come true – building a self-sustainable, organic, eco-conscious off-grid farm community in the beautiful village of Santo Domingo de Savegre in Costa Rica.
  
  Our farm spans 30 acres along the banks of the largest river of Costa Rica called the Savegre. It’s nestled on the fringes of a large wildlife conservation area called the Savegre Nature Reserve. We’re part of an old village that is slowly developing here. The village is called Santo Domingo de Savegre (to differentiate it from the other Santo Domingo villages which are not close to the Savegre river lol) and it’s about 45 minutes’ drive from the two closest cities, Quepos (to the North) and Dominical (to the South). You can reach our ranch in about 30 minutes’ drive from the Costanera highway, and don't worry about the road – it's mostly level and even paved in some parts, a 4x4 is not a must although a vehicle with higher clearance is ideal.
  
  We started about two years ago with a virgin plot of land that was mostly overgrown grass. And in the past two years we've been hard at work leveling the ground, building, developing, getting electricity and water, connecting to wifi, and planting, planting, planting, and just slowly restoring, recycling, reviving, cultivating and generally transforming the property from overgrown grassland into a cozy haven. Our living space is still a work in progress but at this point it includes a multipurpose warehouse/living area that’s mostly shared/open air style with an outdoor/indoor kitchen, gas amenities, a washing machine, a compostable bathroom, a hot shower, reliable Wi-Fi, and some trusty air fans to keep all of us comfortable when it gets hot out. We lovingly call it The Bodega. It is a spacious and comfy place, but we'll be honest – there's still much work to do and the accommodations are still in their primal stages as we continue to develop the place. Our farmland is also a work in progress. At this point it boasts a variety of features, including two vanilla plantations, two banana and plantain groves, a fruit orchard (still in very beginning stages), a unique greenhouse setup where we try to grow organic veggies in raised beds, a sizable free-range chicken coop, 2 man-made (well, Erez made) lagoons and rivulets that surround a beautiful Erez-made island (he calls it ‘Tali’s island of love’), and some exciting upcoming "smurf huts" that (are still only in our imaginations) that we’re hoping to build around the island with a view to the Savegre!
  
  Our ultimate goal is to produce as much of our own food as possible, all grown organically in a self-sustainable way. We aim to do this by regenerating the earth, reviving it, recycling and upcycling as much as possible, and then cultivating our rejuvenated land in an organic way so it's as healthy and happy as mother earth should be. However, right now it's just the two of us starting from zero out here and we’re working tirelessly like little ants. We’ve sure done a lot in the past two years but there’s still a lot more to be done. And the more we develop, the more we realize that extra helping hands, especially those with knowledge and expertise, would be a game-changer.
  
  This is exactly where YOU come in :)
  
  We are looking for special people with a Participant mindset. People that want to genuinely take part in building an organic ecovillage farm community. Farm life is very different in Costa Rica, and we are learning anew from everything we do as well as everything we don't do. We are looking for someone who wants to get down and dirty and learn together with us. We have been building this ecovillage for a little over 2 years now, we work at a relaxed pace, we have fun, and we make it as educational and immersive for our workawayers and ourselves as we can. We are still at the beginning, there is much to be done and learned. We provide an experience that is similar to an internship program, but feels more like a hands-on camping trip close to home.
  
  Currently we have 1 room that can accommodate 1 solo participant (no kids no pets, sorry). We chose 1 week as the hosting period because we think that is the longest and shortest time period for both you and us to gain the most out of our joint workaway experience. Also because we are rather remote from the main cities probably 1 week is the best time span. However if you're looking for a shorter or longer stay please let us know in advance and we will certainly consider it on a case by case basis.

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  Tipos de ayuda y oportunidades de aprendizaje

  Proyectos artísticos

  Ayuda en proyectos ecológicos

  Jardinería

  Construcción y bricolaje

  Ayuda en una granja

  Ayuda doméstica

  Mantenimiento general
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  Intercambio cultural y oportunidades de aprendizaje

  As we are Israelis, we absolutely cherish the art of opening our doors, gathering around the table, and exchanging ideas to learn from one another. During your time with us, you'll have the chance to explore a wide array of experiences, including managing a sizable ranch, tree planting, the art of crafting with upcycled and recycled materials, the ins and outs of vanilla planting and upkeep, raising truly free-range chickens, mastering the secrets of Mediterranean cuisine, the magic of baking without an oven, language lessons (covering Hebrew, Russian, English, and Spanish), and, if Erez is feeling especially generous, you might even pick up some acupressure and massage techniques!

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  Ayuda

  We think the perfect fit between our farm and you would be if you're a proactive, creative thinker/DIYer who thrives on collaborating and sharing ideas and believes in open and direct communication. This is what we call a Participant, (as opposed to a volunteer). If you have a genuine appreciation for embracing a somewhat secluded, nature-immersed setting and are excited by the prospect of creating something wonderful & useful from the ground up, then we're definitely on the same wavelength. (Think Captain Fantastic meets Costa Rica – the way of life portrayed in that movie is an inspiration to us). Our philosophy also revolves around the belief that nothing is ever truly garbage; everything has potential for reuse, recycling, or upcycling. We're committed to building our farm with as much upcycled and recycled material as we can get our hands on. If you resonate with this eco-conscious, innovative approach, we'd love to have you join our adventure! 🌿🌎♻️
  
  We want you to get the most out of your stay here. So we’ll discuss and plan out together what to do and when to do it and plan your time off so that you get the best possible stay based on what the weather permits and on your wishes. In an ideal scenario, we'll work on various projects together for a minimum of 5 hours a day. We always incorporate fun activities throughout the day because we work to live and not the other way around, so if you feel you'd like to join us in more working activities after these 5 hours are over we'd only love your participation very much. To give you an idea, here are some of the key things on our to-do list for the next few months:
  
  1. We've got 2 vanilla plantations that could use some TLC, whether it's maintenance, cleaning, or cultivation, or creating and planting cuttings. If you're here during flowering season we'll show you how to pollinate the plant and you'll participate in mass vanilla hand-pollination.
  
  2. Our chicken coop is home to around 50 chickens and a few quails. It needs TLC on a daily basis with feeding, cleaning, collecting eggs, and otherwise maintaining healthy and happy chickens. We'd love some decorating as well 😊
  
  3. Calling all artists! If you have a creative touch, we'd be thrilled to have your artwork adorn our space. Please share photos of your artistic style when you get in touch.
  
  4. Erez is a whiz at Mediterranean cuisine, but he's eager to explore new cooking ideas, especially when it comes to gluten-free, vegetarian, Thai, or vegan recipes. If you're a culinary innovator, come and inspire him with your expertise (oh, and we don't have an oven, but Erez has some tricks up his sleeve for "baking" bread in a pan!).
  
  5. In addition to all the other exciting things Erez does, he's also a certified acupuncturist and masseuse. However, he does have a bit of trouble with his back and could use some massages and acupuncture assistance for his own well-being. If you have these skills, we'd be incredibly grateful for your help in keeping Erez feeling his best.
  
  And finally, if you're simply seeking a place to stay for a little while we'd love to host you and in return your help with various household chores would be greatly appreciated.
  
  We're excited to have you join our wonderful adventure, and together, we'll make our haven even more extraordinary! 🌱🍽️🏠🐾

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  Idiomas

  Idiomas hablados
  Inglés: Fluido
  Hebrew: Fluido
  Ruso: Fluido
  Español: Intermedio

  Este anfitrión ofrece intercambio de idiomas
  Erez speaks fluent Hebrew and English; and I (Tali) speak fluent Hebrew, English, and Russian. We both have a beginner level of Spanish, we'd love to practice more.
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  Alojamiento

  About The Living Space:
  You'll be staying in our cool funky Bodega. Currently, the bodega offers two rooms – one is used by us and the other is for you. The remaining living spaces will be shared between you and us (and the only other person who may come by is our trusty worker since he’s literally building the space around us AS we live in it). Your room is an elevated galeron (a small sleeping room surrounded by mosquito netting), and it comes equipped with a couple-sized mattress, storage drawers, hanging hooks, and a ceiling fan. We'll provide a pillow, sheets, and blankets as well as a towel that you can use while you're here - these will be in the dresser drawer in your room.
  We don't have a cleaning lady, so before you leave please kindly return your room to the same tidy and clean condition in which it was given to you, pick all the used bedding and towels and give it to Tali to launder.
  We'll be honest, the space is very much a shared space, so although you will have your own private room, due to the heat we've made everything as open-air as possible so there isn't much sound proofing around here, and privacy is minimal, just to ready your expectations :)
  The wifi is pretty reliable as wifi systems in this part of the world go. Assuming you don't need any heavy downloads the wifi should serve you fine; if you do try to download a heavy bandwidth the wifi is automatically shut off.
  
  About Food & Drink:
  We provide basic meals. (If you'd like to complement with your own store-bought food you're welcome to do so, we only ask that you do not bring any pork, shellfish, nor alcohol products). Whenever possible we try to cook using our own produce that already grows in our garden and we supplement with store-bought items. We strive to eat freshly cooked meals for every meal, which means that we cook just enough for the meal itself and try our best Not to store food overnight. We are operating on a very limited budget and food in Costa Rica is extremely expensive since most of it needs to be imported, so cooking in this way serves a triple purpose of being economical, allowing us to have more healthy holistic food variety, and not having any leftovers to throw away prevents us from being wasteful.
  
  The kitchen is Erez's kingdom so he will be in charge of all cooking. You are welcome to give him a hand and, being Israeli, he's not shy about giving direct instructions :) (he also loves to teach so you have a great chance to learn a lot from him about the cooking).
  
  We mostly follow an organic vegetarian (no dairy) diet, with the occasional indulgence in meat. Where we can, we buy locally grown organic products to support fellow local farmers, or sometimes we barter with our neighbors.
  
  Given our Israeli background, we steer clear of all types of pork and shellfish products, so while our kitchen is not technically kosher, we kindly ask that you refrain from bringing these items into our shared space.
  
  As noted above, we like to have a mixed kitchen. If you have specific dietary needs or any food restrictions please write to us about this ahead of time so we can figure out if that is something we can accommodate or not.
  
  We do not consume alcohol, and we ask that you don't either.
  Our farm is entirely drug-free except for medicinal marijuana, we ask that you kindly keep it that way.
  
  About Laundry:
  Good news – after two years without a proper laundry setup, we finally have a reliable washing machine. Tali takes the lead in this department, ensuring the machine is operated correctly to prevent any mishaps, which can be common in these parts. Feel free to separate and prepare your laundry to hand it over to Tali for the washing, and when the cycle is done there are clothing lines where you can hang your freshly cleaned clothes to soak up the sun. If you have any allergies and you need a special detergent please take care to provide one for yourself (please make sure it's biodegradable).
  
  Getting Around:
  We are in a remote location (13 km from the main highway bus stop), so please coordinate your arrival with us. If you can, we recommend equipping yourself with a car as this will help you be self sufficient and feel more at home, but you're absolutely welcome to hop in with us whenever we head into town (which is typically once a week). Alternatively, you can also catch rides with the friendly locals or make use of taxis and buses, although this mode of transportation can be more expensive and does tend to take a much longer time in this area.

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  Algo más...

  The biggest attraction that is closest to home is the nature, there are lots of natural beauties to see and experience here. Part of the property is a small waterfall with a clear-water lagoon, we go there to 'chill' around midday when the sun gets way too hot. You can fish anywhere on the Savegre river, there are several access points from our ranch to the riverbed. Plenty of very beautiful hiking trails where you can bird-watch or night-watch (if you're brave - we do see an occasional puma and Ocelot around here, though they don't really come close to the living space due to our dogs). Our neighbor will be happy to arrange horse riding tours for you with his horses for a small payment. Our other neighbor may teach you the art of wooden flute making or guitar playing. Another friend in a nearby village has a gorgeous system of trails with 5 magestic waterfalls. Farther away in Quepos to the north has many attractions and shopping places, it's about 45 minutes drive away. Matapalo to the south is one of the most beautiful sunset beaches, and if you're here around tortoise season you may see some baby sea turtles (kindly guide them back to the ocean). Our friend on Matapalo provides some of the most unforgettable horse ride tours on this beach at either sunset or sunrise. A little more to the south is Dominical, a sweet surf town with plenty of great restaurants and pop shops. And more to the south (about an hour's drive from the ranch) is Uvita, with plenty of shopping, restaurants, beautiful beaches, waterfalls etc.
  
  Note: The weather here is tropical, it's ruled by pretty much one season all year round: Summer. What the locals call 'winter' is basically just hot summer with lots of rain. Normally the days are hot, noon is super hot, and afternoon is usually rainy. During October - January it rains very heavily. And the nights can get a little bit chilly sometimes (I love it, Erez thinks it's cold). So it's a good idea to bring a mix of clothes that'll fit very hot weather and very rainy/muddy weather as well.

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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 usually enough bandwidth to send emails/whatsapp messages and be on zoom calls. At times, especially during rainy season, there are electric outtages which means the wifi is out as well.

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  ¿Cuántos voluntarios puedes hospedar?

  Uno

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  Horas esperadas

  4-5 hours per day, 5 days a week

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