Visit our habitat in the North Carolina foothills, USA

Infos

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  Description

  Our family of six (ages 40, 39, 38, 16, 16, 11) live in two tiny cabins on 30 acres in the North Carolina foothills near Chimney Rock (we see the back of Chimney Rock Mountain from our house). The land is mostly wooded, with a creek cutting through it and a small, picturesque brook feeding into the creek. The air is clean, with hardly any light or noise pollution (still a good bit of nature noise) and stellar views day and night.
  
  Our intention is to provide ways for folks to visit, learn about the natural world, practice a simple lifestyle, and hopefully experience a bit of the good life. We aim to maintain a community of people who care for the world and can take care of ourselves. We want to foster beautiful experiences, whatever forms they take. Right now we are working towards a long-term goal of creating a self-sufficient community.
  
  While somewhat secluded, we are 50 minutes from Asheville, NC, 75 minutes from Charlotte, NC, 60 minutes from Greenville, SC and 45 minutes from Spartanburg, SC.
  
  We do live in the country and do not have WiFi. The only phone carrier with reliable data access is Verizon. We can provide a hotspot in urgent cases, but our data is limited. A library is 10 minutes away that has computer and internet access.
  
  This is natural wilderness, with all the critters that live here - if you are afraid of spiders, snakes, lizards, or other harmless creatures, you should probably look elsewhere. The land is safe enough for us to let the kids explore for hours without worry, but if you have phobias, you will probably not be comfortable here.
  
  We are vegan and only cook and serve vegan food (except for local honey and eggs from our own chickens). We have been vegan for a while and have gotten pretty good at creating tasty meals. We have a medium-sized dog, 5 cats, 2 goats, 2 running ducks, 2 turkeys, and 30 chickens. We feel that kindness, compassion, and respect for all living things should be embraced by everyone and expect visitors to strive to uphold these values while staying with us. This is a beautiful place, and we hope all visitors will help us maintain and improve on its beauty (i.e. pick up any trash one finds, even if you did not put it there, and do not destroy trees or other plants for fun).

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  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Projets artistiques

  Compagnie pour pers. âgée

  Enseignement

  Jardinage

  Bricolage et projets de construction

  S’occuper des animaux

  Entretien général
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  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  "Beware the burden of a busy life" is taken seriously here. We live relatively simple, slow-paced lives filled with music, conversation, and a variety of beautiful experiences. While there is always more work that can be done, we try to find ways to grow through what we do instead of rushing to finish. The three adults out here are trained in philosophy and forestry, so there are ample opportunities to learn how to nature walk intentionally, converse about the big questions of life, and share stories, music and vegan marshmallows by a campfire. There is also the ability to introspect and reflect on the world while sitting alone on a rock by a beautiful creek or in a hammock by a babbling brook. Come experience the great outdoors of the Blue Ridge Mountains!

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  Projets impliquant des enfants

  Ce projet peut impliquer des enfants. Pour en savoir plus, consultez nos directives et conseils ici.

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  Aide

  From March through October we need help tending gardens, harvesting produce, and processing/canning hot sauce, tomatoes, and pickles. We also need help with maintaining trails. We eat pretty great this time of year because of all the fresh produce.
  
  We have numerous projects on which we can use help, from clearing new trails, to setting up additional gardens and other small construction projects. A second or third set of hands helps us immensely in completing projects, and if you have carpentry, electrical, or plumbing experience, that can help too. Most tasks will be alongside one of us, so we can always teach you how to do things if necessary. It helps if you have some basic knowledge in some of these areas, but being able to hold a piece of plywood on a ceiling can be just as valuable, depending on the project.
  
  Our current projects include the following, but this list is not exhaustive:
  
  1. We need to finish building a greenhouse.
  
  2. We are all wanting to learn to play music. If you can teach bass, violin, mandolin, ukulele, and/or drums, come show us the ropes!
  
  3. Trails and campsites have been cut on the side of the creek we currently live on. We bought the property on the other side of the creek recently and need to cut trails and clear recreation spaces over there. Trailbuilding primarily involves cutting or digging out underbrush and small trees.
  
  4. Some of our buildings (outdoor bathroom) need to be finished, even though they are currently functional. This includes installing interior paneling walls and insulation and possibly some painting.
  
  5. If an artist came to stay, there are many possibilities for painting murals and other creative endeavors.
  
  6. We are going to build a "Walden" house and a lean-to down by the creek. You can help us build one and then stay in it yourself!
  
  7. We are working to complete an outdoor kitchen.
  
  8. We are rebuilding a shed into a weight room.
  
  The above list is not exhaustive, but it gives an idea of some of the work we will be doing out here in the coming months.

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  Langues

  Langues parlées
  Anglais: Courant

  Cet hôte propose un échange linguistique
  Cet hôte a indiqué qu’il souhaitait faire partager sa propre langue ou en apprendre une nouvelle.
  Contactez-le pour en savoir plus.
  
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  Hébergement

  Visitors can choose to tent camp by the creek or on the edge of the land next to an apple orchard with a panoramic view of the mountains. There is also a small travel trailer available with a bed, dresser, and small refrigerator (we built it ourselves, inspired by Whoville houses) next to our cabins. We also have a 30 amp hookup for vanlifers and RVers. We have a small, climate controlled common-space music room that will be available in bad weather as well. There is a shower, laundry and bathhouse attached to one of the cabins that is available for guests, which is not climate controlled. We cook most meals and are happy to include you in all facets of meal preparations and consumption. We can provide all your meals during your stay.

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  Autres infos...

  We regularly go hiking and attend cultural events in surrounding areas. There is a lot to see and do nearby, and we can give advice and/or bring you along on our own trips. It is ideal if you have your own vehicle, so that you can come and go as you please. We are particularly fond of taking folks out to a nearby brewery right on the Broad River. Beer and beauty!

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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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  Espace pour garer des vans

  We have a 30amp hookup.

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  Possibilité d'accueillir les animaux

  Unfortunately, we have had multiple negative experiences with medium and large dogs in the last year. Because of this, we cannot accommodate any dogs other than smaller breeds that pose little threat to our many furry and feathery friends.

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  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Plus de 2

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  Nombre d'heures attendues

  At least 10 hours a week (Max 5 hours a day, 5 days a week)

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