Help a family permaculture project in Aldeia de Santa Margarida, Portugal

Infos

• 

  Description

  🌿 About Us / Our Story
  
  We are a couple (35 & 36) from Israel. For the past 11 years we have been living, learning, and developing together — individually and as a family — through a deep connection to the land and to our life mission.
  
  I am a forest kindergarten teacher. Children are my best friends. I love telling stories, learning new games, and cooking good food.
  Nadav is a permaculture teacher and traditional tree-care practitioner. For the past five years he has been teaching and running courses in northern Israel, focused on permaculture and old tree-care traditions.
  
  Over the years, we built our own yurt with our own hands and lived for several years in an off-grid village, where we learned a lot about growing food, community living, and making things ourselves — including producing our own olive oil.
  Later, together with friends, we opened a small organic vegetable business that supplied food directly to the local community.
  
  After many years of searching for a place we could truly live in and afford in our home country — without success — our journey brought us to Portugal.
  After many visits and seeing more than 50 different pieces of land, we finally found the place that felt right.
  
  Now we are caretakers of 17 hectares of beautiful land, rich with water, wildlife, and deep forest silence. This is where we are slowly, step by step, making our dream real.
  
  Right now, the project is at the very beginning.
  
  Our priorities:
  
  First — building a home for ourselves
  
  Next — growing our own food (vegetables and fruits)
  
  Caring for the many existing fruit trees, and planting more
  
  Establishing a forest kindergarten
  
  Keeping animals (chickens, and possibly a small herd in the future)
  
  The place is basic, raw, and alive. It is not finished — and that’s exactly the point.
  
  We have been volunteers ourselves, both in Israel and across Europe.
  We know how important it is to feel connected, respected, and appreciated, and this is the experience we want to offer here.
  
  When we are on the farm, we usually eat together.
  There may be days when you are on your own — then you cook for yourself.
  We value independence, communication, and mutual respect.

• 

  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
• 

  Centres d’intérêt

  

  Végétarien ou végan

  

  Dev. durable

  

  Animaux de compagnie

  

  Dev. personnel

  

  Ferme

  

  Soin des plantes

  

  Musique

  

  Bricolage / artisanat

  

  Livres

  

  Blogs

  

  Cuisine et alimentation

  

  Jardinage

  

  Langues

  

  Photographie

  

  Écriture

  

  Menuiserie

  

  Animaux

  

  Yoga / bien-être

  

  Nature

  

  Camping

  

  Danse

  

  Montagne

  

  Randonnée
• 

  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  The cultural exchange here is based on daily life, not on performances or organized activities.
  
  We share:
  
  Working together on the land and learning through practice
  
  Preparing and eating meals together when we are on the farm
  
  Conversations around the fire, during work, or in quiet moments
  
  Stories, music, games, and traditions from different cultures
  
  As a family, we come from a background of community living, off-grid life, and land-based traditions. We are happy to share what we know about permaculture, traditional tree care, food growing, and living simply — and we are just as open to learning from you.

• 

  Projets impliquant des enfants

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

• 

  Aide

  What we are working on right now
  
  At this stage, most of the help is physical and practical.
  
  Current focus:
  
  Help with eco-construction and simple building (wood, stone, recycled materials)
  
  Preparation of an old farmhouse
  
  Basic infrastructure (paths, clearing, water-related work)
  
  Carrying materials, digging, cleaning, organizing
  
  This is hands-on work. Some days are slow and detailed, some days are physically demanding.
  
  You do not need to be an expert, but you need:
  :
  
  Good physical condition
  
  Willingness to help outdoors
  
  Ability to follow guidance and work independently when needed
  
  Experience in construction, natural building, permaculture, or off-grid living is a big plus.

• 

  Langues

  Langues parlées
  Anglais: Courant
  Hebrew: Courant
  Arabe: Intermédiaire
  Portugais: Intermédiaire

  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.
• 

  Hébergement

  🛖 Living Conditions (Please Read Honestly)
  
  Accommodation is currently a caravan (we lived in it ourselves)
  
  It has everything needed for winter, but it is still not a house
  
  You need to decide for yourself if this suits you, especially in colder months
  
  In spring and summer, the land becomes much easier and more comfortable for longer stays
  
  We also have space for vans, if you travel with your own
  
  Infrastructure:
  
  Solar electricity
  
  Water from the land (not drinkable yet, pending lab results)
  
  A farmhouse we are about to renovate into a communal kitchen with a fireplace

• 

  Autres infos...

  🌍 Location & Access
  
  Village is 5 minutes by car / 15 minutes walking
  
  Café with Wi-Fi
  
  Small grocery shop
  
  Bus station nearby
  ❤️ Who Will Feel Good Here
  
  This place is for people who:
  
  Are comfortable with simple, early-stage conditions
  
  Enjoy being close to nature
  
  Like learning by doing
  
  Respect family life, children, and animals
  
  Understand that this is a process, not a finished project
  
  If you’re looking for luxury or a retreat — this is not the place.
  If you’re looking for meaning, connection, and real life on the land — you might feel at home.
  ⚠️ IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ BEFORE APPLYING (FILTER)
  
  This project is:
  
  In a very early stage
  
  Basic, not comfortable or polished
  
  Sometimes muddy, sometimes tiring
  
  Sometimes beautiful, quiet, and deeply satisfying
  
  We are a family home, not a volunteer camp.
  
  This place is not suitable for people who:
  Need constant guidance or entertainment
  
  Are uncomfortable with uncertainty or change
  
  Expect a finished farm, retreat, or social scene
  
  Are not comfortable around children
  
  This place is suitable for people who:
  
  Enjoy pioneering phases
  
  Like building something real from the ground up
  
  Respect family rhythm and quiet
  
  Are okay with simplicity and learning as we go

• 

  Informations complémentaires

  • 

    Accès Internet

  • 

    Accès Internet limité

  • 

    Nous avons des animaux

  • 

    Nous sommes fumeurs

  • 

    Familles bienvenues

• 

  Possibilité d’accueillir les digital nomads

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

• 

  Espace pour garer des vans

  🚐 Campers / Motorhomes – Important Information We have space for campers and motorhomes on the land. Please note: Access to the interior of the land can be slippery when the land is wet There is safe parking at the entrance and a few other spots with easy access Volunteers with campers should be comfortable with uneven, natural terrain Facilities: No dedicated camper facilities No hookups or services Electricity is limited (solar) Water is available from the land but not drinkable at the moment This option suits people who are self-contained, flexible, and experienced with simple conditions

• 

  Possibilité d'accueillir les animaux

  dogs have be on leash as there is sheeps next by. if travelling down the land no problem to walk freely

• 

  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Plus de 2

• 

  Mes animaux

  Chatul

  Shimi

Sécurité du site