Help us bring our finca back to life in Selva, Spain

Detalhes

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  Descrição

  We, a husband (British) and wife (Hungarian) team, bought the finca around ten years ago.
  
  This is not a commercial farm. Our activity is not-for-profit. Any produce we harvest is for own-consumption. It has been a purely personal project which we have done alongside our regular jobs. The essence of it is that we are trying to bring life back to long abandoned and neglected land in a difficult climate and overall context using organic, traditional, small scale methods as two know-nothing, yet committed and enterprising partners.
  
  Our finca (farm/homestead ) is located in Mallorca, Spain in the foothills of the Tramuntana mountain range, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Cultured Landscaped category. We are close-by the village of Selva. The finca is around 1.5 hectares (3.7 acres) in size.
  
  The land was mostly abandoned for many decades and so was overgrown, dry and arid, strewn with dead almond trees and invasive undergrowth.
  
  We undertook to bring it back to life as best we could.
  
  We are not farmers. We have learned everything by trying things out, making mistakes and having lots of unforgetable experiences and learning so much along the way with our successes and failures.
  
  After cleaning up the land, including ploughing the soil and extracting dead trees, we concentrated on planting and cultivating olive, carob and almond trees.
  
  Our centre-piece is the olive grove, comprising in one part around fifty Greek Korineiki olive trees, grown from young plants and, in the other part, another fifty existing wild olive trees in a Garrigue grafting them with the local Picual olive. Within this area we developed a meadow area with fruit trees including caqui, fig and citrus trees.
  
  Aside these we have also planted fruit and nut trees and others such as cypresses and aromatic herbs like Rosemary and Lavender.
  
  Due to the dry, arid climate water resources are critically important and always challenging. This means that keeping the plants and trees going is tough going due to the summer heat and droughts as well as the poor soil.
  
  We have a deep well from which we draw water from around 100 meters underground. This water is used not only for irrigation, but also for the home. About half of the cultivated land is irrigated, the rest we do manually and try to optimize permaculture type techniques to optimize rainwater use.
  
  We use traditional methods and never use chemicals. After the initial clean up we have not ploughed in order to encourage grasses and flowers to grow and conserve the soil structure.
  
  We also have a flock of sheep that roam freely over most of our land.

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  Tipos de ajuda e oportunidades de aprendizado

  Prática de idiomas

  Jardinagem geral

  Ajuda em fazenda

  Manutenção geral
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  Interesses

  

  Cultura

  

  Fazenda

  

  Música

  

  Culinária e comida

  

  Jardinagem

  

  Idiomas

  

  Cuidar de plantas

  

  História

  

  Livros

  

  Yoga/bem-estar

  

  Naturaleza

  

  Caminhada
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  Objetivos de sustentabilidade da ONU que este anfitrião quer atingir

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  O que é isso?
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  Oportunidades de intercâmbio cultural e aprendizado

  We are a well travelled, cosmopolitan couple having lived and worked in various countries, British (Adam) and Hungarian (Andrea). Andrea is holistic therapist and yoga teacher and speaks fluent English. Adam, a entrepreneur and has a keen interest in literature, philosophy and history, is fluent in Spanish, French and Italian. We would like to use our project as a way of sharing with others an authentic experience of living with nature with its beauty as well as its challenges.
  
  At the heart of our project is a philosophy centred on natural conservation and traditional values. This experience will be for those who are seeking real engagement with nature as well as to meet with people from other backgrounds and cultures.
  
  As opposed to the high intensity tourism of Mallorca, we live quietly, consciously outside of the consumerism-driven mainstream. For example, we have no TV and our house rule is strictly no mobile phones at mealtimes or whilst working. Ours is a peaceful place to disconnect and re-discover life's natural rhythm perfect for walking, reading and general reflection, engaging in good conversation with others and being with nature.
  
  For longer stays yoga and therapies could be possible.

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  Projetos que envolvem crianças

  Este projeto pode envolver crianças. Para mais informações, veja aqui nossas diretrizes e dicas.

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  Ajuda

  We are looking for help during the months of August, September, October to work with us:
  
  In August and September, to prepare for and do the carob harvest which involves picking the carob pods using poles and nets (like for olives).
  
  Due to the heat we try to start around 8 a.m. and work up to noon, or earlier depending on the heat.
  
  The work is basically in three parts, firstly, the knocking down from the higher branches, secondly the same again but this time from the lower part of the canopy and, finally, the gathering from the net like fishermen, then we move on to the next tree. At the end we haul up the catch to the main collection point near the house. The harvest is spread over 2-3 weeks .
  
  Gloves, hats and sunglasses and suncream especially for the face are all that are needed ,but these are essential. A good physical condition is required, but not Olympian or anything of the sort. Other qualities needed are a good sense of humour, versatility, curiosity and a genuine interest in nature.
  
  Alongside this there is always things to do especially managing the irrigation and attending to jobs that may arise.
  
  In October to prepare for and do the olive harvest as well as help us plant some new trees and plants including a small Garrigue project with aromatic herbs, prepare the finca for the winter period, which means pruning and cutting back, cleaning up and replanting, adding fertilizer etc as well as doing whatever odd jobs are needed.
  
  There are always DIY type jobs around the house and the finca and not being practically practical any DIY proficiency help in this area would be much appreciated by us.
  
  This is the same as for the carobs in terms of the kit needed, though the olive harvest is done over a 2-3 day period. The rest of the jobs would be like gardening.
  
  We always work together with helpers, getting the jobs done and enjoying the working together and the beautiful surroundings. This is collaborative work.
  
  The work is physical without being either excessive or requiring strength. It is all about enjoying being physically active, being outside at one with nature and working with others in a friendly, co-operative environment where we all help each other out to get to the end result.

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  Idiomas

  Idiomas
  Inglês: Fluente
  Espanhol: Fluente
  Francês: Fluente
  Hungarian: Fluente
  Italiano: Fluente

  Este anfitrião oferece intercâmbio de idiomas
  Este anfitrião indicou que tem interesse em compartilhar seu idioma ou em aprender um novo.
  Entre em contato com ele para obter mais informações.
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  Acomodação

  Accommodation comprises an independent approx 18 m2 studio with two single beds, a fully equipped American kitchen with new fridge, electric cooker and rings and a separate bathroom with shower. The studio has its own terrace and retractable sun awning. Sheets and bedding will be provided as well as use of the house washing machine. We can accommodate either an individual or couples.
  
  Meals will comprise either a lunch or dinner together with us. For the breakfast and the other main meal we will provide the food stuffs and also offer the opportunity to shop with us in the local town and the village food markets. We are vegetarian (but not vegan, so do eat diary such as cheese and fish) based on organic, natural and, to the greatest extent possible, local produce. Consequently the meal with us will be always vegetarian (please note that we cannot provide for a vegan diet).

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  Algo mais...

  The finca is a stone's throw from the village of Moscari, about 500m by foot where there is a local shop and café. For amenities and shopping Inca, one of the larger towns on the island is only 5 kms away with a bus connection from Moscari village. We are located about 17 kms from the coast (Alcudia, Canpicafort) with delightful beaches and coves ideal for relaxing and walking excursions. Closer-by is the monastery of Lluc, some 7 kms away and plenty of walks in the Tramontana mountains. Own transport is otherwise needed. Possibilities for car and scooter rental are available and we would be happy to assist in addresses in this regard and taking to the places for pick-up and drop-off. Overall, this is a quiet, rural spot, far from the party areas for which Mallorca is well known. The opportunity is for those looking for some peace and quiet, certainly not for party-goers and night-life. We are active walkers and would be happy to accompany work-awayers on interesting walks. We would also propose to take participants to the local markets and other excursions if that is of interest to them.

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