Information du profil
Évaluation d'hôte
100 %
Taux de réponse
100.0 %
Usually responds ≤ 1 jour
Feedback
29
E-mail vérifié
Badges (2)
Infos
Description
Tom (41) is English. In early 2019 he decided to move permanently from his home in England to a 2.7 hectare (6 acre) plot in the foothills of the French Pyrenees; by car roughly an hour South of Toulouse and an hour North of Andorra.
He is working towards a self sufficient life, with the aim of organically growing food to feed a (future) family and ideally to produce enough energy to heat and light the home off-grid.
The plot is on the South facing side of a lush green valley overlooking snow capped mountains. There is a small ‘modern’ (1970s) house where Tom lives, with a separate building alongside it that they rent on Airbnb. The terrain is roughly 50% grass / paddock, and 50% woodland. Wild cherry, walnut and plum trees are dotted around and on clear days the sun hits the slope from dawn until dusk.
The land sits 100m below the pretty mountain village of Roquefixade. The village is well known for it’s ruined castle, (Château de Roquefixade) and steep limestone cliffs that protect it from the Northern weather. In season, the Gite d’Etape in the village serves as a good local restaurant / bar, and the two lovely towns of Lavalenet and Foix are 10km away with many shops, bars, restaurants etc. Both towns have weekly farmers markets selling fresh seasonal produce.
A young orchard has been planted and a 35ft polytunnel has been erected on a newly landscaped ex-paddock. Crops on two large growing terraces will be cultivated from Spring 2019.
Tom has a small tractor, chainsaw, mower and building tools; mains water, mains electricity & a good WiFi connection.
Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre
Aide avec des éco-projets
Jardinage
Bricolage et projets de construction
S’occuper des animaux
Aide dans une ferme
Aide à la maison
Entretien général
Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre
The Ariège is one of the least populated and most beautiful areas of France.
Volunteering at this smallholding offers the chance to spend time in a stunningly beautiful, tranquil space, to experience rural life in France, contribute to (and learn from) a project aiming at self-sufficiency.
Tom has two cats and a beautiful dog, Manu. Manu is a big fella, at 3 years old he is 50kg, and a total softy. Tom ran a business before the lifestyle change and now heads up the physical aspects of land management. Tom is fun and hardworking, and a fantastic vegetarian cook!
For lovers of the outdoors, The valley is a perfect place to be. Cyclists, walkers and historians regularly come to explore the area, to visit the castles and lakes, and hike along the valley to nearby Chateau de Montsegur.
The land is situated such that you are sure to find a private spot in the trees or the paddocks to relax, to read, enjoy a glass of wine or just work on your tan :)
Projets impliquant des enfants
Ce projet peut impliquer des enfants. Pour en savoir plus, consultez nos directives et conseils ici.
Aide
Tom is looking for autonomous, energetic, handy people who don’t mind very physical tasks, and are happy to get their hands dirty. You will have the chance to learn new skills and help with a variety of projects, including:
1. Renovation of the home inc. flooring, painting, tiling etc. (Skills preferred but not essential).
2. Fencing off areas of land to keep in the dog / chickens, using natural Acacia posts and wire mesh.
3. Basic forest management, including clearing woodland scrub, pruning / planting.
4. Planning & sowing of seeds in line with the planting schedule. Caring for & harvesting organic crops.
5. Daily watering of large vegetable patch / garden.
6. Strimming borders with a petrol powered machine.
7. Caring for bee hives.
8. Tending to chickens.
9. Design and build of a solar shower in one of the paddocks.
10. Building outdoor tent platforms in the paddock, and landscaping the area.
11. Building a rough wooden shelter from un-milled wood, for tool & machinery storage.
12. Fertilising and digging over soil in preparation for crops. Weeding & watering plants regularly.
13. Helping landscape a grass paddock and erect / decorate 5m bell-tents.
Langues parlées
Anglais: Courant
Français: Débutant
Hébergement
For a single volunteer (or couple) there is a private, clean & comfortable private double bedroom in the central heated house. There is also a comfortable, private second double bed on a mezzanine area above the living room.
Your own car, motorbike or bicycle are preferable to see the sights and go to the shops, but for those without Tom can sometimes collect from the airport and provide lifts to the nearby towns when they are going there. Volunteers should be self-reliant and happy to entertain themselves as outside of working hours / meal times as Tom likes his own space.
There are plenty of opportunities to relax, hike and explore locally on foot in this stunningly beautiful part of France.
All guests have access to the recently refurbished main house bathroom with a beautiful large ‘Italian-style’ hot shower, double basin and flush toilet.
You will be offered three vegetarian meals a day:
08:00-09:00 - A light French breakfast with bread, croissants, fresh coffee / tea etc.
14:00-15:00 - A hot or cold lunch.
19:30-20:30pm - A hot main evening meal with wine or beer.
Tom cooks with fresh, local produce, and values time spent sharing meals. Food is very important to him and guests can expect good quality ingredients prepared to a high standard.
Autres infos...
Tom has travelled the world extensively for many years exploring Europe, South America, Africa, the Middle East & Asia. In years gone by he has worked as a volunteer himself so knows what it’s like and hopes to be an excellent host because of that experience!
Tom is very sociable, but outside working hours appreciates his own space. On days off and in free afternoons volunteers with transport can canoe, swim or wakeboard at the nearby lakes & rivers. The nearest ski lift is less than 30 minutes drive where you can ski and snowboard during winter months. There are numerous trekking / hiking routes nearby, rock climbing and the beautiful town of Foix with great bars and restaurants is just a 15 minute drive from the plot. Barcelona is a 3 hour drive, and you can reach Andorra (for tax free shopping and great skiing) in around an hour.
Volunteers are asked to help for 25 hours p/week, Monday to Friday; typically starting after breakfast at 9:00am, and finishing before lunch at 2:00pm. Your afternoons will be for you to explore and enjoy the area.
Where possible volunteers are asked to bring a set of work clothes and suitable footwear for working outside, but Tom has some spare things for people of most sizes!
Tom still likes to travel, and enjoys an active social life. He also values his time alone. For this reason typically volunteers are accepted for an initial period of 1-2 weeks.
Informations complémentaires
Accès Internet
Accès Internet limité
Nous avons des animaux
Nous sommes fumeurs
Familles bienvenues
Possibilité d’accueillir les digital nomads
I have a decent wifi setup allowing access to data throughout the property and on the terrace. Digital nomads welcome!
Espace pour garer des vans
I have plenty of space for a camper van at the house, with the possibility for an extension lead to provide electricity & an outdoor tap / sink for water and a temporary outdoor kitchen for cooking.
Possibilité d'accueillir les animaux
We have a dog, two cats and chickens. All are very friendly and dogs often visit to play with Manu. Manu is super friendly with all dogs but he is big (50kg). If you have a pet that will fit with this dynamic then they are welcome.
Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?
Deux
Nombre d'heures attendues
5 hours a day, 5 days a week
Feedback (15)
During the stay we… read more
Feedback
Ce sont des évaluations supplémentaires en option lorsque les membres laissent un feedback. La note moyenne pour chaque option est affichée.
Exactitude du profil:
(5.0)
Échange culturel:
(4.9)
Communication:
(5.0)
During the stay we… read more
I had some great conversations with Tom overlooking the beautiful view and was introduced to some funky new music.
Tom is positive, open and very knowledgeable about travel locations around the… read more
A polite and friendly young man who is a great worker and also a fantastic musician & singer; but a little shy to admit it!
While Matthew was here we worked planting and moving Earth in the garden, building a large timber deck and laying laminate… read more
The stay with Tom was really great. As soon as I've entered his property, till the end of the two weeks, he began to make sure I've got everything I need and feel comfortable at his place, just like any old friend would do.
The food was great, the talks always fun and diverse and the weeks passed without any day of… read more
Jonas is also a very polite young man, and he has clearly been brought up well. He is helpful & clean & always willing to go the extra mile to finish off a task properly.
Over a 10 day… read more
Tom and Joanna are very friendly and welcoming… read more
We were doing a lot of very physical work in the garden and James gave it 100% every day. He took it spin himself to tend to the chickens and water the polytunnel every day and always had bright ideas about how to… read more
See you soon!
thank you for your warmth, for your kind nature and for your delicious meals! (Hugo doesn't stop talking about your cooking Joanna) especially the famous truffle oil! We are happy to have been able to put a little piece of us in your beautiful project and we are sure that this place will reflect your… read more
They are very kind, generous and joyful. Roquefixade is a nice isolated place, looks like a medieval village with the ruined castle which overlooks it. The tasks were various, they have many projects and we wish to stay in touch to see the… read more
They helped erect fencing, spreading wood chips, installing a hammock post and preparing beds for planting.
I can not recommend Elie and Leo highly enough. Very very nice guys. Thank… read more
Tom picked us up from the airport, what was really kind! Between us, it was a good harmony between giving and taking. Therefore my boyfriend and me worked with pleasure for Tom. We get also inspired for planting vegetables in the future.
Tom is a good take carer!… read more
Marcus and Karolina helped with fertilising and digging over vegetable growing beds in the polytunnel,… read more
