Help create an ecological oasis with permaculture gardening and eco projects in Penna San Giovanni, Italy

Infos

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  Description

  Hi - my name is Simon and I'm looking for help to create an eco-house and small holding in le Marche Italy. I am from the UK and have been living in Italy for just over a year.
  
  My amazing wife Stacy and I sold up in London last June and bought our dream home with a vision to create a space where people can come and hang out, be in nature, heal, make music and art, eat fresh food, and be in stillness in the gorgeous Italian countryside. We spend a lot of time visioning our ideal place with fruit trees, olive trees, and space to have animals and grow lots of our own food.
  
  We dreamt of somewhere that we could make an ecological oasis with the potential to live not quite off-grid but almost and to share the space and beautiful nature with our friends and the wider community and fill it with creativity, music, and vibrancy.
  
  We were lucky enough to find a place that was ideal in Le Marche - 30 kilometers from the Adriatic sea and 30 kilometers from the blue mountains at the foot of the Apennines. Our nearest town sits about a mile away on top of a hill with views that take your breath away.
  
  The house itself is perfectly liveable but with lots of potential to make it comfortable, warm, and with enough space for our friends and community to come and BE. There is even a downstairs store room that can be turned into a space for small gatherings, yoga, breathwork, art, music, meditation circles, and even courses and retreats.
  
  There is about an acre of land around the house with loads of space to grow food space for animals with mature fruit trees, olives that we produce our own oil from and a 40-metre barn again with masses of potential.
  
  I have installed solar and photovoltaic panels to provide hot water and electricity and there is even a well - although it would be a renovation project for someone.
  
  The dream was powerful and we followed our hearts we sold up everything in the UK and moved our lives to Italy. Stacy, a great cook, had visions of drying the fruit from our fruit trees, making compotes and pies, and having people over to cook, eat and share deep conscious conversations. While I worked the land, got the house fixed up, and did some furniture restoration projects while carrying on my international coaching practice online.
  
  Sadly, however a few weeks after we arrived, Stacy started to feel unwell. Her symptoms worsened and she was eventually diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She died of the illness in an Italian hospital this past August, aged 53. I got to be by Stacy’s side every day and she taught me so much about presence, love, and consciousness.
  
  So where does this leave the vision?
  
  I do not want to return to London. I do not want to give up on our dream. I want the realization of our vision to be a memorial to Stacy and her ability to create friendships and spread love and build communities. I want her dream to live on as her legacy and experience the house living and breathing just as we had imagined it.

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  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Aide avec des éco-projets

  Jardinage

  Bricolage et construction

  S’occuper des animaux

  Aide dans une ferme

  Entretien général
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  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  Travellers will get the chance to be part of creating this ecological oasis of course, but on top of this I am a professional life coach with more than 15 years' experience in supporting people in creating their own dreams and I would love travellers to share their dreams with me and I will help them through creative conversations to create a vision and start on the journey to making whatever makes their heart sing a reality. I am also a qualified teacher of English and speak fluent Italian - so if learning a language is an ambition of yours then this could be an amazing opportunity.

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  Aide

  I'd love people to bring their knowledge of permaculture, house maintenance and eco-living so we can take the property to the next level in terms of sustainable living. There are repair and renovation projects that need doing from small painting tasks to more substantial building projects. A willingness to take care of pets (dog and cats) and chickens is also really useful.
  
  The house is in good state or repair but needs some Tender Loving Care:
  Specific skills needed immediately:
  Preparing walls, doors and windows for painting, filling holes and cracks, decorating, and possibly plastering
  Grouting floor tiles, and caulking to prevent leaks and drafts.
  Renovating furniture - sanding, preparing wood, re-painting etc.
  Making curtains and using a sewing machine
  
  There are larger projects such as creating a space for activities such as yoga, breathwork, music, and dance. This would involve putting down a wooden floor, boxing pipes, door and window fixing, plastering and decorating, so if you have these skills that would be amazing.
  
  My greatest dream is to make the homestead as eco-friendly and sustainable as possible - hence I would love to host knowledgeable and skilled people who are passionate about permaculture and creating flourishing natural ecosystems.
  
  Specific projects include:
  Creating an "orto" (vegetable garden) - fencing to keep out wild animals, planning and planting and tending vegetable plants using regenerative approaches
  Pruning and tending fruit orchard - jarring and preserving produce
  Pruning and tending olive trees and harvesting in late November
  I would also love to host people who have knowledge of water conservation - rainwater capture and irrigation and alternative power sources - I have recently installed photovoltaics and solar-heated panels for hot water and would love to explore wind power, etc. There is even a well to renovate.
  
  There is so much potential - and a genuine opportunity to contribute to creating something very special that will serve travellers and guests into the future.

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  Langues

  Langues parlées
  Anglais: Courant
  Italien: Courant

  Cet hôte propose un échange linguistique
  I am a very experienced English Language teacher and would love to help travellers with their English. I am also fluent in Italian, but it is not my mother tongue.
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  Hébergement

  There is a mini apartment ideal for singles or couples with an en-suite shower room and independent access so you can come and go as you please - the cooking facilities would be shared and I envisage most meals being prepared and shared around the big kitchen table or outside on the terrace in the main house. In return for about 15 hours' help a week I would love to share food shopping and meal preparation but am not able to provide meals for travellers.

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  Autres infos...

  More to follow - but the house is about a mile from the nearest village, which you can walk up the hill to in about 40 minutes where there are places to eat, a supermarket, and a couple of bars to enjoy your Italian coffee. The property is situated between the mountains and the sea and the panorama is stunning and cycling is really popular. You would ideally need transport if you feel like visiting the beach, the mountain lakes, or some of the amazing villages and towns in the area. You are free to walk from the house down into the valley and along the river. Electric bikes can be hired from the agriturismo next door where there is also a fabulous restaurant during the summer months. The real appeal of the place is the quite, natural beauty of the place so slinging a hammock under the trees and reading or wring or painting might be the perfect way to spend your down time.

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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

  You would have your own space to work from and there is excellent Wifi in most of the house. I work online with my clients from all over the world without any problems.

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  Espace pour garer des vans

  Yes there is a perfect location to park your campervan with access to an independent bathroom.

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  Possibilité d'accueillir les animaux

  Well-behaved dogs are welcome

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  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Deux

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  Nombre d'heures attendues

  3 hours a day, 5 days a week

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