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Description
I welcome people from all over the world, since I already lived several years in 3 continents - Africa (where I was born in 1958 at Maputo Mozambique), North America (where I took my Ph.D in 1987 at Columbia University, New York) and Europe (and 4 months in China, 2 months in Brazil, 2 months in Mexico). Currently our dreram is to start to create an eco-village.
Ours is an organic farm that operates under the principles of a self sustained old farm but using modern technologies like solar panels for energy production and automatic computer controlled irrigation systems.
We receive new persons on Sundays and they should stay with us at least 4 weeks.
We are looking for long term persons that want to form a community here.
Our minimum stay is 4 weeks and the maximum stay is 2 months. However you can stay longer if you want to be part of a special group of long term volunteers that form the kernel of this small community.
We expect that they help 25 hours per week in the farm projects in a flexible way – normally there are 2 days off per week but are not necessarily Saturdays or Sundays. Normally we concentrate the tasks in the mornings, specially in Summer, and the afternoons are free or for small tasks. The starting hour is also flexible – usually we start earlier in Summer due to the heat. Remenber, your contribution is LOVE IN ACTION - do your best.
However activities such as cleaning the toilettes you use, the spaces you use either for sleep or to eat, preparing communitarian food or meals or getting wood for fire places you use, ARE NOT PART of this time. When they leave they should clean the room used and clothes they borrow.
What we offer is a break in space and time in your life to find yourself so you can pursue an inner search. We aim to create an happy and light environment, so please abandon extreme self-damaging habits (drugs, alcohol ...) - as a volunteer said in a party here "Being a bit tipsy is ok, being drunk no".Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre
Projets artistiques
Pratique d’une langue
Aide avec des éco-projets
Enseignement
Jardinage
Bricolage et projets de construction
S’occuper des animaux
Aide dans une ferme
Cuisine/repas pour la famille
Aide à la maison
Entretien général
Aide informatique / avec Internet
Objectifs de développement durable de l’ONU que cet hôte essaie d'atteindre
Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre
We encourage travellers to share their stories in a communitarian environment. You you will learn to live a simple live in a self sustained place - we produce our energy, our water our heat and some of our food.
Aide
A NATURAL SELF-SUSTAINED HEALING PLACE WHERE YOU CAN HARMONIOUSLY SEEK INNER WISDOM, FREEDOM AND PEACE
First, let me explain the vision for our place. Our project is like a child that just started crawling, not a 20 year old mature project. Some years ago I try to get down its essence to a simple sentence: A NATURAL SELF-SUSTAINED HEALING PLACE.
“NATURAL” is strongly related to organic farming but aims to do more than that - consider the whole place in a harmonious way, such as including forest, animals, water, energy, etc… and PEOPLE. That's why I like the DEMETER approach very much - Rudolph Steiner´s ideas about agriculture and environment seem very obvious to me and similar to some homeopathic concepts that I cherish, believe and follow.
“SELF-SUSTAINED” does not mean totally independent - it is impossible to be completely independent from the outside world because we always need resources we cannot produce on the spot - we are all interdependent. But we can try to optimize the situation and, above all, achieve equilibrium between inputs and outputs. This will allow achieving resilience in the years ahead, where a world crisis is predictable. Anyway, I would like to produce on the spot all the indispensable resources (energy, heat, water, food ...) to minimize dependency and generate goods that allow us to barter things we still need from the outside world.
“HEALING” is perhaps the most difficult concept to understand, but to really appreciate it, you would have to come and feel the atmosphere of the place during a period of time. Many people reported they had more dreams and felt better here. And some friends that have psychic gifts told me very interesting things about this place. Healing goes beyond the body – it is a holistic concept that includes mind and soul.
During two years (2014 - 2016) I received over 150 volunteers coming from all over the World, most from Europe but some from distant places like Korea, Nepal, Afghanistan, New Zealand, Venezuela, Chile, and South Africa. I resume receiving volunteers in August 2021 and our goal is to have permanently a group of at least 10 persons - so far we are achieving this,
The cycle of building structures is almost completed.
In our 20 hectare place
- Our rooms can accommodate 4 short term volunteers, 9 long term volunteers (3 individuals and 3 couples) and 4 to 12 persons that want to become part of a permanent community.
- An irrigation system has been installed.
- Tools for agriculture and equipment maintenance are available, including two tractors.
- Thanks to our photo-voltaic system, we are off the grid.
- The heating system is based on firewood collected on the spot.
- We collect potable water from underground and irrigation water from two old wells.
And now I have 3 major goals for the future:
a) became almost self-sufficient in food,
b) start events in a more systematic way,
c) build a small community that can run the daily activities of the place without me.
The last one might seem a bit bizarre - "without me"; that doesn't mean that I won't be around, helping to define the vision, setting goals and solving problems, but I believe that if people on the spot have more freedom and initiative to develop projects, they will do a better job. To explain this we should read Tao Te Ching the old Chinese book of Wisdom:
"When the Master governs, the people are hardly aware that he exists.
Next best is a leader who is loved. next, one who is feared. The worst is one who is despised.
If you don't trust the people, you make them untrustworthy. The Master doesn't talk, he acts.
When his work is done, the people say, "Amazing: we did it, all by ourselves!"
We want to go further and beyond the initial basic idea: the time has come to create a community of good people that HARMONIOUSLY SEEKS INNER WISDOM, FREEDOM AND PEACE.
Our personal search is always inner and I would like to remember what is written in the ancient Temple of Delphi, 2500 years ago in Greece:
“I warn you, whoever you are...
Oh, you who wish to probe the arcanes of nature, if you do not find within yourself that which you seek, neither shall you be able to find it outside.
If you ignore the excellencies of your own house, how do you intend to find other excellencies?
In you is hidden the treasure of treasures.
Oh, man, KNOW THYSELF and thou shall know the Universe and the Gods!”
We try to learn from experiences of other places, but it aims to create a new way of community living where People are the center of our vision. We are not big but we want to be diverse. We don´t want to maximize profits - just achieve equilibrium.
Now is the time to build a team that will bring together experienced people, each in a different field, which will help in the pursuit of the next phase of the project and will continue to support it in subsequent years.
We can also receive volunteers for short and long periods. They will be more than merely volunteers. We will share results and dreams and, for those that have initiative, help them to set up their own projects that fit in our vision.Langues
Langues parlées
Anglais: Courant
Espagnol: Courant
Français: Courant
Portugais: CourantCet hôte propose un échange linguistique
I would love to know the basics of many languagges. Currently I a fluent in Portuguese, English, French and a good knowledge of SpanishHébergement
7 Rooms (1 for short visits and 6 for long term stays), 1 living room, a kitchen a dining room with a nice fireplace and 3 shared bathrooms. A good fireplace. And good meals - we hope we can exchange cooking knowledge with our guests. In Summer our irrigation tank becomes an organic swimming pool!
Autres infos...
Location - Vendas Novas, Alto-Alentejo region.
Nearest town - Vendas Novas - 12 km. One hour to Lisbon, by car, by train or by bus. One hour to the beach by car.
You can visit south of Portugal - Lisbon and Alentejo and Ribatejo regions - starting from here.
There are 5 daily trains from Lisbon (but just 3 at weekends) and we can pick you at Vendas Novas railway station.
PLEASE USE WORKAWAY to communicate. Usually I don´t use WhatsApp or other means of communication.Informations complémentaires
Accès Internet
Accès Internet limité
Nous avons des animaux
Nous sommes fumeurs
Familles bienvenues
Possibilité d’accueillir les digital nomads
Yes. We have the most advanced internet system in the world provided by STARLINK - very fast and unlimited. However the users must share the costs of the system.
Espace pour garer des vans
Yes, but the last two km of the access road are off road and that can be a problem. We are preparing a specific space for campervans.
Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?
Plus de 2
Nombre d'heures attendues
25 HOURS TO HELP ON THE PROJECTS FARM PER WEEK IN A FLEXIBLE BASIS. Cleaning the spaces you use, cooking and other community activities are not part of this time.
Feedback (55)
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Communication:
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From the moment I entered there, I knew it was going to be special. The place is amazing, in the middle of nothing but nature, and I really found some peace in my travel just living surrounded by that beauty. Fernando and Catherine, who's a lovely woman, were… read more
In the wonderfull landscape of Alentejo you really can slow down and unwind to find peace between Olive and Oaktrees.
I stayed for four weeks in total but time flew by so quickly collecting hundreds of beautiful memories.
We mostly did building and renovating jobs where I learend a lot, from laying floor to painting to upcycling old furniture… read more
I didn't believe to find so good people.
It is an amazing structure able to join great people with similiar interests and world vision.
It need needs to grow and a helping hand to do it.
The work is right and variable, from garden to construction.
You have… read more
The surrounding area is beautiful with lots to see, an amazing lake to swim in and hammocks to sit back and relax in as a group we had… read more
I think the most important aspect of our stay was experiencing community and being able to actively partake in cementing cohesion and friendships all throughout our stay, be it cooking, organising workshops… read more
They stayed with us several weeks in a difficult period since we had a COVID outbreak about 4 weeks ago - but everything went well and everybody helped each other.
Thank very much for coming here and I hope you will return again - you are very special persons.
Thank you for being a good volunteers!
Sofia and I stayed for 2 weeks in October/November, and it was our first Workaway. It was really great, we met new international friends, it was an amazing community vibe and the work (Olive picking, cleaning day and for me a lot of cooking ;) ) was really enjoyable.
I loved being in the kitchen Team… read more
The community Fernando has created is truly unforgettable - I highly recommend joining this project if given the opportunity.
The meals are yummy and the beds are comfortable, which in itself is really a gift haha. Even with 23+ people, there is also always space for time alone as well. The work varies daily and is only as difficult as one… read more
Thank you for your coming here!
We felt very welcomed by Fernando, Catherine, their daughter, Jeanne and the other volunteers. I hope you enjoyed our time there and that we can meet again for another Brazilian night.
Thanks for everything.
Thank you for your coming here!
Catherine and Fernando are so kind and amazing hosts who make you feel immediately comfortable.
I enjoyed a lot to be part of this big team and project as well but I also loved spending my time in the kitchen… read more
It is a project that is still at the beginning, but already in the days that I spent there I could see lots of improvements. The basic idea is to create a community with long and short term volountears, and you can really feel that you are really kind welcomed in the house from the beginning of your adventure.
Catherine… read more
You were very good volunteers that contributed for an atmosphere of harmony and hapiness.
Thank you Fernando, for making us feel… read more
Thank you Gradiva
An amazing and inspiring place to have a rest and find yourself. Lovely animals, specially Suzuki and Bugati * the guardians* and the farmer, of course. Fernando is a very nice host, intelligent and patient, always with a smile and with really interesting… read more
Something about Fernando. He is very handy , kind and interesting person. His knowledge is huge. He have gave us a lot of information. We felt there like part of big family . Hope we back someday.… read more
La casa es preciosa y tiene muchas comodidades. Nos hizo sentir como si estuviesemos en nuestra casa.
Las tareas fueron acordes a la descripción del perfil, trabajo en la mañana, y las tardes libres, se pasa… read more
Grtz Ruben
He is a genuine guy with a big heart.
The work is really relaxed and some tasks ask for selfresponsibility (like animal care, cooking & cleaning) what I like, because it gives freedom and space for no time-schedule.
Especially with other volunteers around it creats a community feeling.
The… read more
It's a beautiful, almost magical, place. It is hard to describe, I guess you have to go there to feel it.
Fernando is a great host and makes sure there is always more than enough food (and wine) around.
The best things about staying at Fernando's farm were the community feel, relaxed work environment… read more
The farm itself is a very peacefull place to work and the work is not strenuous. We learnt a lot about many different subjects as fernando has a lot of interesting… read more
The farm itself is a very peacefull place to work and the work is not strenuous. We learnt a lot about many different subjects as fernando has a lot of interesting… read more
Great workaway project, great experiences, great time and a beautiful place.
I think Fernandos farm is a good place for people who want some life experience.
Fernando takes good care about volunteers and has a lot of ideas for the future.
I learned a lot about plants, animals and irrigation… read more
I stayed on the farm for a month and I had a great experience!
Fernando is the most generous host in the world, a professor of life and a lovely person. I always felt wanted.
The house is cozy and large, and equipped with everything you need and even more.
It was fascinating to meet all these nice people from around the world, and I had a… read more
She was a hard worker and always with a smile. We had some philosophical talks at the fireplace. Yes ... sometimes there were hectic moments with many people coming from different places in the world, but that´s the way I like.