Estonia
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Do you:
a) travel alone and want to perform mostly routine duties in small portions more/less alone during the day, having lots of free time for your own in between? Then visit us in February-May and help out with lambing and taking care of moms and lambs daily! We offer warm private room, food, wifi etc. We´re flexible!
b) travel alone and would like to work with others, doing different tasks daily, lots of fieldwork and no strict schedule? Like lots of discussions? Then visit us in Sept-Nov!
c) Want to experience Estonia´s countryside and farm life in its maximum cold, deep snow and unpleasantness? Then visit the farm in Dec-Jan and offer your company :)
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Welcome! Our family farm in South-Estonia looks very private thanks to the lovely hilly landscape where it is located, yet it is in the middle of a small village Assikvere, 50km from university town Tartu.
Farm's main activity is growing sheep (about 500 heads in summer 2019). At the moment we are using approx. 110ha of land. Additionally the potatoes and several other vegetables (garlic, strawberry, rootbeet, carrot, beans, green peas etc.) are growed and volunteers welcomed. Our family of 6 lives part-time in Tartu and part-time in this country farm (named Lauri farm).
Farm´s main living building was built in 1919 and is an example of Estonian country mansion architecture with its size, height, porch etc. It is unrenovated, though. Sheep growing in farm began at year 2008 so we are new in this and we are growing. 2 production buildings have been built since then and 3rd is under construction, as well as new log sauna. There is lots of different, also historic technics (6 tractors, mainly older etc. - even a working caterpillar tractor) - if you´re interested in such things, here is lots to see and probably help, too!
In town Tartu we have a town home (50 km from farm), where we spend time as well. Our oldest child studies in tartu.
Farm is self-sufficient as we have our own well from where comes water for us and our animals. It seems that our lifestyle in farm at the moment is more or less what was normal around here even 80 years ago, but nowadays is pretty much lost. (A´la growing and preserving your own vegetables, strawberries; picking mushrooms, berries, herbs; smoking meat and fish; using old-fashioned sauna and outhouse toilet; heating house with firewood; making firewood; during cold times cooking on the stove heated with firewood etc). More modern lifestyle we practice in town, so it is a nice balance for us. The Farmer aka Andres grew up in this neighborhood and therefore knows the local environment and the people to the details. Was away though many years, learning and working in totally different area. Also he still can speak local dialect (Kodavere), a memory from his childhood, which is rare now - practically died-out language.
Help here is needed on building (always something), making and repairing fences, forest works, hay-making, with sheep during the year, in vegetable garden, playing with kids in summer (!) etc.
Work usually means assisting and being a company to the Farmer (Andres) in whatever he is doing that day, depending on the season, weather, needs, mood and the people available. He likes to do all he can himself from building to shopping. He is interested in everything. So 95% you will work with him or at least start and finish with him!
We have both dedicated much time and energy on studying and working outside of home in our lives. Due to different reasons at the moment we have put these things aside (or on hold) and enjoy our lifestyle as it is, deciding more ourselves how to use our time. We do not like to be bored more than anybody else so we move around and switch actions a lot.
On Sundays we are in Tartu (ususally go there Saturday evening) with our family and we can easily take and host our volunteers with us there as well.
Guests are welcome to join us in our trips/activities. There always seems to be something which comes on the way of working :) Andres and kids participate in local village acting group, too.
I will point out that our household is located inside our 4,5 km long net sheep fence (one of them). So here is good opportunity to wander around in fields and forests and hills quite a bit without getting lost!
We personally don´t drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes. We have a big friendly (though barking) dog.
Jardinería
Proyectos de construcción y bricolaje
Cuidado de niños y juegos creativos
Cocinar para toda la familia
Mantenimiento general
Ayuda en una granja
Ayuda en proyectos ecológicos
Ayuda doméstica
Cuidado de animales
Trabajo de caridad
Práctica de idiomas
Proyectos artísticos
Ayuda con ordenadores/Internet
Enseñanza
This project could involve children. For more information see our guidelines and tips here.
After (or even more likely before :)) work we can take you to swimming, fishing (we can smoke fish or meat together), ice-fishing during colder months, have a barbecue, picking mushrooms, berries etc. from forest, also herbs. We have lots of wild strawberries for eating all around our house area in June/July. We have quite many different birds living/nesting in our house and yard area (best time to listen/observe them is in June). Fox, rabbit, deer are seen quite often, also storks are usual. Mushrooms everywhere for picking in Autumn.
Currently more or less on action or planning:
- building log sauna;
- finishing several buildings by details;
- making hay and silage rolls in Summer, taping the bird-made small holes on silage rolls, bringing rolls home by tractor;
- relocating and organizing wood material piles;
- cleaning animal buildings with us;
- taking care of animals and veggies with us;
- we could use architectural advise on how to fit modern toilet and washing room into 1919 building and also how to build out its 2nd floor and use better its arched field-stone basement;
- forest works;
- making and storage of firewood;
- repairing tractors etc.;
- IF YOU CAN/ARE WILLING TO DRIVE A TRACTOR we need you all year round!;
- ...
- we also appreciate company and playing with our children (born 2005, 2010, 2012, 2019).
Idiomas hablados
English: Fluido
Estonian: Fluido
Russian: Fluido
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A private room in new log sauna, tent, trailer (for two), hayloft. We provide food for volunteers, also vegetarian and vegan. We cook a lot of local fresh products like vegetables and mushrooms. I have to say that Andres cooks and eats a lot of meat.
Buses from Tartu twice a day come to Assikvere bus stop located 200 meters from our farm (and go back to Tartu, too). Food shop, post office, medical shop, library etc are 7 km away in Pala (we go there by car). 15 km away is Europe's 5th largest lake Peipsi (between Estonia and Russia). We swim there in Summer.
Closest airports are Tallinn and Riga.
We can pick you up from Tartu or Mustvee with car, if needed, too.
Acceso a Internet
Acceso a Internet limitado
Tenemos animales
Somos fumadores
Puede alojar familias
Este anfitrión ha indicado que le encanta acoger a nómadas digitales.
Este anfitrión puede proporcionar un sitio para autocaravanas.
Más de dos
Maximum 4-5 hours a day, 5 days a week
