Live in orange and olive garden and share experiences in the countryside of Sicily, Italy

Infos

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  Description

  Looking for a place for spring? Write to us!
  
  📅 Minimum stay: 1 month
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  Hello! We're Jenny & Luca, a young couple who for the last years have been challenging themself to take care of a piece of land in Sicily and live a simple life.
  
  For us, being a host on Workaway is about sharing experiences, knowledge, and a way of life. We welcome people who are genuinely looking on live simpler; sharing a communal life; would like to explore transition according to natural farming, permaculture and agroecology principles; and designing creative solutions to provide water, energy and heating for a household. Please just write for us, if these ideas resonate with you.
  
  --To begin, a few words about the place that we live and will happily share with you:
  The garden is mainly populated by blood-orange and olives trees, together with other fruit trees and a few vegetable gardens. At first glance, we felt in love about the place due to its panorama. We're at the foot of the volcano Etna and near to the Simeto valley (the biggest river in Sicily!).
  
  --Check if this is a right place for you:
  For us to be a host on workaway doesn't strictly mean exchange a certain number of hours for food and stay. We are opening our house and sharing what we have learned over the years. We are looking for individuals who want to immerse themselves in this lifestyle, engage in cultural exchange, and contribute positively to our communal space.
  
  If your main goal is to travel cheaply, this might not be the right fit. Likewise, if you are on vacation and just looking for a place to stay, please consider whether you're fully committed to engaging with our way of life during your time here. It’s important to us that people are truly interested in participating in our lifestyle and values during their time here.
  
  So, what we are looking for? People who are pro-active and have initiative. People who rather have a good talk over a homemade meal than to be on their phones. People who are willing to leave the place better than their found it and take care of communal stuff as they were their own. People who would like to challenge the individual mindset to live a communal life and sharing common spaces. People who enjoy simple living, and who are looking to have their hands dirty and their bodies moving. People who are willing to adapt to a new daily routine. People who would to have nice conversations about sociology, philosophy, food, agriculture and so on. Please avoid applying if that doesn't translate the kind of experience that you want to live.
  
  That said, no specific experience is required—enthusiasm and a willingness to co-create this space are what matter most! Those with knowledge in farming, communal living, or ecological design are especially welcome to contribute ideas and co-create with us.
  
  We will be along the way sharing daily tasks, meals, and conversations as part of a communal rhythm. For us, hosting beyond sharing what we’ve learned—it’s also a way for us to grow. Sharing this place with others is a part of our dream to also increase human biodiversity in our project. We believe each person brings new perspectives, knowledge, and ways of seeing the world, which continually enrich our lives and challenge us to reflect on our own journey. We hope to create a space of mutual inspiration, where everyone feels valued and encouraged to contribute, learn, and connect deeply with nature and each other.
  
  Other than that, we share the tasks of cooking and household chores outside of helping hours, so a spirit of cooperation is important. Most days, we eat lunch and dinner together, but there may be times when you need to cook for yourself or with other guests. Flexibility and independence are appreciated.
  
  --Some brief information about us:
  Our story begins in São Paulo, Brazil, where Jenny (32) and Luca (34) met. Jenny is Brazilian and studied Nutrition and Sociology, with a focus on peasant social movements. Luca is from Palermo and studied Architecture and Philosophy, researching indigenous thought from the Amazon.
  We both realized that academic theory wasn’t enough—we wanted to live our values. That led us to Sicily, where we’ve been volunteers in a permaculture community before starting our own journey. After being host after almost 1-year, we found a place to call home. Since 2023, we’ve been hosting guests ourselves, and we’re happy to say that we had just amazing experiences and hope to expand on this experience with your presence here. Slowly, we're creating a community with people who love the outdoor and simple life from all over the world.
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  📍 Practical Info
  - The nearest town is 5km away.
  - Unfortunately, there is no public transportation from the land to the city.
  - We’ll arrange pick-up and drop-off at the nearest bus station for arrival/departure.
  - Important: there is no public transportation on Sundays, and we cannot pick up guests from Catania directly.
  - There is no Wi-Fi, and mobile signal may be limited.
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  ✉️ How to contact us
  When writing to us, please take a moment to introduce yourself. Let us know:
  - Why you’d like to come,
  - What skills, knowledge, or interests you’d bring,
  - If you’re working on a personal project or have something you'd like to share.
  - When you would like to come and how long you’re planning to stay (we strongly recommend at least 1 month, so you can truly settle in, learn, and enjoy the experience).
  
  To show us you’ve read the profile thoroughly, please title your message "Panda" (the name of one of our cats).
  
  Longer stays are also more than welcome, especially for those curious to explore what living in the countryside can really mean.
  
  Feel free to write in English, Italian, or Portuguese.
  
  Please be patient with our reply—since we work outdoors most of the time, we only check messages a few times a week. But we always respond.
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  💛 A final note
  We do our best to create a space where everyone feels at home. We do not tolerate any form of discrimination—based on gender, race, sexuality, background, and so on.
  
  People from Latin America hold a special place in our hearts. Sicilians and Italians are especially welcome too, as we hope to strengthen ties within our local community.
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  Excited to exchange experiences,
  Hope to see you soon.

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  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Projets artistiques

  Pratique d’une langue

  Aide avec des éco-projets

  Jardinage

  Bricolage et construction

  Aide dans une ferme

  Cuisine/repas pour la famille

  Aide à la maison

  Entretien général
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  Centres d’intérêt

  

  Ferme

  

  Films et télé

  

  Dev. personnel

  

  Culture

  

  Événements/vie sociale

  

  Dev. durable

  

  Soin des plantes

  

  Musique

  

  Bricolage / artisanat

  

  Art et design

  

  Livres

  

  Architecture

  

  Langues

  

  Jardinage

  

  Cuisine et alimentation

  

  Blogs

  

  Écriture

  

  Dessin et peinture

  

  Menuiserie

  

  Animaux

  

  Yoga / bien-être

  

  Nature

  

  Camping

  

  Montagne

  

  Activités en plein air

  

  Randonnée
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  Objectifs de développement durable de l’ONU que cet hôte essaie d'atteindre

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  Qu'est-ce que c'est ?
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  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  Simeto Valley is a special place that is home to the biggest river in Sicily, a tributary of the waters of Etna and the Nebrodi mountains, which holds a biodiversity of native animals and plants.
  
  For us, having workawayers around is also a way to increase human biodiversity in this place. We see it as an opportunity to co-create projects, exchange cultures, and share knowledge. Other than that, we’re part of a small community of neighbors who support each other and often share resources, meals, and meaningful conversations. Depending on the time of year, you might get the chance to connect with them too. We truly believe that sharing this experience with us is a unique opportunity to see Sicilian countryside life through different lenses.
  
  Our activities follow the rhythm of the seasons, changing based on available resources, personal energy, and the skills of those who join us. Here are some things we’re excited to explore:
  
  - Food harvesting & preservation – Collecting fruits and vegetables; experimenting with food-making processes like jams, liquors, bread, and pizza; sharing recipes!
  - Engage in ecological practices - Planting and caring for native and exotic trees, experimenting of small scale creative ways to enrich fertility and water in the land.
  - DIY and building projects – Exploring artisanal ways to craft with renewable or recycled materials, or either with natural materials that we’re able to locally harvest ourselves.
  - Seasonal gardening – Preparing and maintaining vegetable gardens for spring and winter; exchanging seeds and trying different ways to grow food.
  - Simple maintenance tasks and help around the house
  
  We love cooking and sharing meals, so the idea is that beyond the activity hours, we’ll take turns in the kitchen. We encourage a collaborative approach, usually preparing vegetarian meals with fresh ingredients from the garden. We love exchanging recipes and learning more about veggies, dishes, and cuisines from around the world. Jenny often makes Brazilian dishes, and Luca happily shares traditional Sicilian and Italian recipes. If you have any specific dietary needs, just let us know in advance.
  
  We come from different backgrounds, and if learning Italian or Portuguese is something you’re interested in, we’d be happy to teach you a bit of our native languages.

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  Aide

  How we organize our days:
  
  We usually do activities five days a week, with two days off (we can decide the details together once you arrive). Each day, we spend a few hours in the morning and afternoon on different projects—around five hours in total. For your days off, we’re happy to suggest some nice places to explore nearby.
  
  Since most of the activities happen outdoors, it’s important to feel comfortable in nature, including insects and all the little surprises that come with rural life. If you enjoy hands-on experiences and connecting with the land, you’ll probably find this lifestyle really fulfilling.
  
  Life here is community-based, which means that beyond specific tasks, everyone helps out with shared responsibilities. Simple things like doing the dishes and keeping shared spaces tidy are part of daily life, and we really appreciate when people take initiative instead of waiting to be asked.
  
  You might find yourself working on a project independently, paired with someone, or in a small group—depending on what feels right for each task.
  
  Besides outdoor activities, there’s also some general upkeep of the space, which is a key part of living together. Keeping things clean and organized is a shared responsibility, and we really appreciate when everyone takes care of the space—leaving it as good as, or even better than, they found it.

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  Langues parlées

  Anglais: Courant
  Italien: Courant
  Portugais: Courant

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  Hébergement

  We have a caravan with two beds available to host workawayers. It is likely that you share the caravan with another guest depending on the moment and requests, so if you're not up to sharing the space, please clarify this for us.
  Even though we are in Sicily, consider that during fall and winter temperatures drop at the night, and we don't have central heating, so please be aware about that (warm pijamas and sleeping bag could be valuable!). Other than that, we have a simple, but spacious shared kitchen/living room; an outhouse; and an outdoor shower inside a small greenhouse that we self-built.
  If you have your own camper, we'll be happy to host you as well.

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  Autres infos...

  We're 30-35 km from Catania, and you can arrive at the nearst town with public transportation.
  Once, we confirmed your stay we'll send you a file with further instructions of how to arrive and what could be useful to bring to enjoy your days with us and in our place.
  
  Ci vediamo presto! Nos vemos em breve!

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  Informations complémentaires

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    Accès Internet

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    Accès Internet limité

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    Nous avons des animaux

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    Nous sommes fumeurs

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    Familles bienvenues

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  Possibilité d’accueillir les digital nomads

  Cet hôte a indiqué qu’il aimait accueillir les digital nomads.

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  Espace pour garer des vans

  We will be happy to host you and your camper.

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  Possibilité d'accueillir les animaux

  Currently, we share the land with 4 cats - Panda, Cacau, Pandino & Mamma. We've hosted guests who have others cats and worked really okay. Write to us and we can discuss it.

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  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Plus de 2

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