Share life on a non-profit family farm sanctuary filled with animals, flower near the Oregon coast, USA

Detalhes

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  Descrição

  Nestled in a peaceful valley near Oregon's wild and beautiful central coast, this is a family-run country sanctuary filled with animals, flowers, woodlands, forest trails, and community.
  
  What began as a small family farm has gradually grown into a place where people can slow down, reconnect with nature, learn new things, build friendships, and experience the simple joys of country life.
  
  Over the years, our family has slowly shaped this property - one garden, one trail, one animal, and one small project at a time. We believe beautiful things don't have to be expensive. Many of our favorite places on the farm were created through creativity, hard work, resourcefulness, and the helping hands of family, friends, and helpers who became part of the story of this land.
  
  Today, the property includes numerous flower and vegetable gardens, a large seasonal pond with an island, pastures, gathering spaces, and almost 5 km of trails winding through moss-covered coastal forests. Towering evergreens, seasonal wetlands, wildlife, and quiet places for reflection make this a peaceful retreat from the busy pace of modern life.
  We share our home with a wonderfully diverse collection of animals including Nigerian dairy goats, rare Valais Blacknose sheep, alpacas, horses, a llama, Kunekune pigs, giant rabbits, livestock guardian dogs, barn cats, chickens, ducks, turkeys, and a few oversized farm Pomeranians. Every animal has its own personality, and many quickly become favorites among our visitors and helpers.
  
  We have become somewhat known for the farm's "cuteness factor," and we must admit, the animals work very hard to maintain that reputation.
  
  Many guests arrive expecting a farm stay and leave surprised by how many different things this place has become—a botanical garden, forest sanctuary, animal haven, gathering place, and family home all woven together.
  
  Why We Love Hosting
  
  One of the greatest gifts Workaway has brought into our lives is the opportunity to welcome the world onto our farm and into our home.
  
  Because our animals and responsibilities keep us closely tied to the farm, hosting allows us to experience cultures, traditions, recipes, perspectives, and friendships we would never encounter otherwise. Over the years, helpers have shared favorite family recipes, taught us new card games, introduced us to unfamiliar slang, and broadened our understanding of the world. Some of our favorite memories began with someone saying, "In my country, we do it this way..."
  
  One thing that matters deeply to us is helping people feel welcome and genuinely cared for. We want our helpers to know they are more than just extra hands helping on a farm. Whether someone stays for a month or a year, we hope they leave knowing they were genuinely cared about, deeply appreciated, and valued for who they are.
  
  Our three long-term helpers first arrived as Workawayers and simply became part of the family. The friendships formed through Workaway have been one of the greatest blessings in our lives. Many former helpers continue to stay in touch long after returning home, and we are always touched when people return to visit and help—sometimes year after year, even from other countries.
  
  We hope people leave this place with new skills, wonderful memories, meaningful friendships, and perhaps a renewed appreciation for nature, community, and the simple things in life.
  
  Our farm is home to a small non-profit community project that reflects our desire to share the blessings we've been given with others.
  
  From spring through fall, we host free Open Farm Days where everyone is invited to enjoy flowers, meet animals, explore nature, learn something new, and simply spend time together in a peaceful setting. We also participate in library programs, educational events, and other opportunities that connect people with animals, nature, and one another.
  What makes these events special isn't their size—it's the atmosphere. Visitors often tell us they feel welcomed, encouraged, and at peace here. We work hard to create experiences that help people slow down, enjoy the beauty around them, and remember that they matter.
  
  Depending on the season, helpers may enjoy participating in community activities such as preparing flowers, creating educational displays, helping with children's activities, photography, and other projects that contribute to a welcoming community experience. We also encourage helpers to share their own ideas, talents, and creativity.
  
  Many of our helpers especially enjoy seeing the excitement of children meeting animals for the first time, creating bouquets from freshly harvested flowers, and watching families explore the trails and discover hidden corners of the farm.
  Our goal isn't to create bigger events. We simply hope to make each experience a little more meaningful, a little more beautiful, and a little more encouraging than the last.
  
  We believe people matter. Whether someone visits for an afternoon or stays as a helper for several months, we hope they leave feeling encouraged and knowing they matter.
  
  The People Who Call This Place Home
  
  This is very much a family effort. Over the years, countless projects, gardens, trails, events, and animal adventures have come together through the efforts of family members, friends, and helpers who have become part of the story of this place.
  
  Anna and Cameron have been married for almost 36 years and have both now hit 60-years-young. Anna is an enthusiastic morning person who rarely seems to run out of ideas, energy, or projects. She loves people, animals, flowers, photography, forest trails, and finding creative ways to turn simple ideas into meaningful experiences. Cameron is the steady and practical counterpart to Anna's endless stream of ideas. A mechanical engineer by profession, he is a natural problem solver who can often be found fixing, building, maintaining, or quietly helping bring projects to life. Together they share a deep Christian faith, a love of nature and animals, and a desire to create a place where people feel welcome, encouraged, and at home.
  
  Their daughter Shantelle plays an important role on the farm as well. A talented photographer, website manager, flower grower, and all-around problem solver, she is equally comfortable working with animals, trimming goat hooves, clearing trails, trapping moles, or tackling projects that many people might consider "guy jobs." While Anna is an enthusiastic early riser, Shantelle tends to do some of her best work long after everyone else has gone to bed.
  
  Anna and Cameron also have two sons who grew up on the farm and have since gone on to careers in engineering. Although they no longer live here, they remain an important part of the family and the story of this place. We are also proud grandparents and look forward to creating many of the same special memories with the next generation.
  
  Our long-term helpers have also become an important part of daily life. Eric helps care for the vegetable garden and enjoys tackling practical projects around the property. Nickolas enjoys working in the woods and helping care for the trail system.
  Brandon helps care for the animals and assists with many day-to-day tasks around the farm.
  
  Together we care for animals, tend the gardens and forests, share meals, tackle projects, celebrate birthdays, welcome visitors, and occasionally laugh at the fact that what started as a small family farm somehow grew into all of this.

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  Tipos de ajuda e oportunidades de aprendizado

  Trabalho beneficente

  Ajuda em projetos ambientais

  Jardinagem geral

  Projetos DIY criativos

  Cuidar de animais

  Ajuda em fazenda

  Criar/cozinhar refeições caseiras

  Ajuda a cuidar da casa

  Manutenção geral

  Ajuda com computadores/internet
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  Interesses

  

  Camping

  

  Naturaleza

  

  Caminhada

  

  Atividades ao ar livre

  

  Mascotes

  

  Sustentabilidade

  

  Eventos e social

  

  Fazenda

  

  Cuidar de plantas

  

  Culinária e comida

  

  Fotografia

  

  Animais

  

  Jardinagem
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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

  What You May Learn and Experience Here
  
  Every stay is different because every helper brings different interests, talents, cultures, and life experiences. Some visitors arrive with years of farm experience, while others have never collected an egg or met a goat before. Both fit in wonderfully here.
  
  Depending on the season and your interests, you may have opportunities to learn about flower growing and bouquet making, goat milking and dairy products, animal behavior, nature photography, gardening, cooking, food preservation, forest ecology, wildlife, event preparation, and nonprofit community outreach.
  
  Goats have been part of Anna's life since she was six years old, and it would be difficult to imagine the place without them. Twenty-eight years ago, when our children were young, we switched to Nigerian dairy goats, a miniature breed that quickly captured our hearts. While we still milk some of our goats, these days they are also hiking companions, Open Farm favorites, and beloved members of the family. Even after all these years, we never tire of watching the herd browse, play, raise their kids, and fill the farm with life, laughter, and occasional mischief.
  
  Many helpers especially enjoy spending time with the animals. Whether it's bottle-feeding babies, socializing puppies, collecting and washing eggs, walking with goats on forest trails, helping photograph lambs, or simply observing the unique personalities of the animals, there is always something new to discover.
  
  Although sheep have been part of Anna's life since childhood, the Valais Blacknose sheep quickly captured her heart. Their friendly, puppy-like personalities, striking appearance, and undeniable cuteness make them difficult to resist. Often described as one of the cutest sheep breeds in the world, they have become beloved members of the farm and favorites among many visitors and helpers.
  
  Our property is also a wonderful place for nature lovers. The trails, forests, ponds, wetlands, and abundant wildlife provide endless opportunities for exploration, photography, and quiet reflection. Many helpers spend part of their free time exploring the trails, reading in the gazebo or cabana, taking photographs, or simply enjoying the peace and beauty of the surroundings.
  Some of our favorite conversations happen around the dinner table. Discussions often wander from travel stories and family traditions to favorite foods, farming practices, languages, holidays, and dreams for the future.
  
  We also enjoy sharing what we know. If you're interested, we'd be happy to teach you how to milk a goat, make simple dairy products, arrange flowers, identify plants and wildlife, care for animals, or simply share what we've learned while building this special place over the years.
  
  Most importantly, we hope you leave with more than just new skills. We hope you leave with wonderful memories, lasting friendships, a deeper appreciation for nature, and the feeling that you were genuinely welcomed and appreciated while you were here.
  
  Is This Place Right For You?
  
  We have found that some people absolutely thrive here, while others discover that they miss the conveniences, activities, and pace of city life.
  
  Our farm is located in a quiet rural valley near the small town of Siletz, about 20 minutes from the coastal community of Newport, Oregon. We are not close to large cities, shopping districts, nightlife, or public transportation. Life here tends to be peaceful, nature-centered, and fairly simple.
  
  This experience is often a great fit for people who:
  • Enjoy animals and don't mind being around them every day
  • Appreciate nature, forests, wildlife, and the outdoors
  • Like learning new skills and trying new experiences
  • Are self-motivated and willing to jump in where needed
  • Enjoy spending time with others while also being comfortable entertaining themselves
  • Appreciate meaningful conversations and cultural exchange
  • Are looking for genuine community rather than simply free accommodation
  • Enjoy being part of a positive household where people treat one another with kindness, respect, and consideration
  
  Many of our helpers enjoy spending their free time exploring forest trails, reading in the gazebo or cabana, taking photographs, creating art, visiting the Oregon coast, playing card games, spending time with animals, or simply relaxing and enjoying the peaceful surroundings.
  
  Because we share our home and daily life with our helpers, kindness, flexibility, honesty, and consideration for others are especially important here. We are not looking for perfect people—just people who genuinely care about others and are willing to contribute positively to the atmosphere of the farm.
  
  Our family has a Christian faith and a relationship with God that influences how we live and why we do many of the things we do. Helpers are never expected to share our beliefs, participate in religious activities, or agree with us on every topic. We welcome people from many different backgrounds, cultures, and walks of life. What matters most to us is mutual respect, kindness, and a willingness to learn from one another.
  
  For the comfort and safety of everyone here, we ask that helpers not smoke, vape, or use recreational drugs while staying on the property.
  
  Life here is relaxed, informal, and fairly low-key. We are much more likely to be found in barn boots than dressed up, and some of the best moments happen when plans are interrupted by animals. Don't bring your best clothes—between the goats, sheep, gardens, forests, and occasional muddy adventures, they would definitely feel out of place. Around here, haylights (hay in your hair) are considered a perfectly acceptable fashion accessory.

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  Instituição de caridade registrada

  Esse anfitrião é uma instituição de caridade registrada em seu país e está procurando voluntários para ajudar em seu(s) projeto(s).

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  Ajuda

  Life on the Farm
  
  Life here follows the rhythm of the seasons, the animals, and the weather. No two days are exactly alike. Some are quiet and peaceful, with mist rising from the valley as the first rays of sunshine filter through the evergreen trees and sparkle on the pond. Other days are filled with newborn animals, forest projects, community events, and the countless little surprises that come with sharing life with so many people and animals.
  
  We usually begin our mornings with animal chores at 8:00 a.m., enjoy breakfast before or afterward, and then settle into the work, projects, and activities of the day.
  
  Depending on the season and what's happening around the farm, you might harvest flowers, help photograph animals, prepare for an Open Farm Day, explore and care for forest trails, create educational displays, share recipes from your home country, harvest vegetables from the garden, or spend time getting to know, groom, and help train the many animals that call this place home.
  
  Our farm is not a commercial operation with employees and strict schedules. It is our home, and we value flexibility, mutual respect, and creating an environment where people feel comfortable, appreciated, and included.
  Because we host people from around the world, cultural exchange naturally becomes part of everyday life and is one of our favorite parts of hosting.
  
  We live fairly simply and try to be good stewards of what we have been given. If you appreciate nature, animals, meaningful work, creativity, and the quieter side of life, you'll likely feel very much at home here.
  
  Ways Helpers Participate
  
  Every helper brings different interests, skills, and experiences, so no two stays are exactly alike. We try to match activities to each person's strengths and interests whenever possible.
  
  Helpers typically contribute about 22 hours per week, generally spread over five days. We value flexibility and do our best to adapt schedules to individual interests, special events, weather, and the ever-changing needs of life on a farm. Because animals require care every day, chores are shared throughout the week, but we work hard to ensure everyone has plenty of time to rest, explore, and enjoy their stay.
  
  Depending on the season, helpers may enjoy participating in:
  
  Animals
  • Feeding and watering animals
  • Socializing young animals
  • Helping bathe and groom animals
  • Collecting and washing eggs
  • Cleaning pens and helping maintain animal areas
  • Helping photograph animals
  • Assisting with animal enrichment activities
  • Walking with goats on forest trails
  • Learning about livestock and animal behavior
  
  Flowers & Gardens
  • Harvesting flowers
  • Collecting seeds
  • Planting seasonal flowers
  • Watering and caring for garden spaces
  • Harvesting vegetables
  • Weeding and seasonal garden maintenance
  
  OPEN FARM & Community Activities
  
  • Preparing prizes and activities
  • Helping set up displays
  • Preparing educational materials
  • Creating animal biographies
  • Welcoming community members during Open Farm Days
  • Sharing information about animals during community events
  • Assisting with library and educational programs
  • Helping prepare for community events
  • Assisting with games and activities
  • Helping prepare refreshments for community gatherings
  • Helping prepare flowers for community events
  
  Home & Family Life
  • Preparing and cooking meals together
  • Washing dishes and unloading the dishwasher
  • Light housekeeping in shared spaces
  • Organizing supplies
  • Sharing recipes, traditions, and culture
  
  Forests & Property
  • Exploring and caring for forest trails
  • Trail maintenance and improvement projects
  • Seasonal landscaping
  • Assisting with outdoor and property improvement projects
  • Painting signs, benches, and other small projects
  • Helping keep the farm beautiful and welcoming
  
  Creative & Educational Projects
  • Photography and creative media projects
  • Educational displays
  • Arts and crafts
  • Sharing creative ideas for the farm
  
  We especially enjoy it when helpers share their own talents, interests, traditions, and creative ideas. Some of our favorite projects and activities began as suggestions from Workaway guests.

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  Idiomas

  Inglês: Fluente

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  Acomodação

  Accommodation & Meals
  
  We do our best to make our helpers feel comfortable, welcomed, and at home during their stay. While our accommodations are not luxurious, they are cozy, clean, comfortable, and generally improving.
  
  Helpers currently stay either in guest bedrooms upstairs within our family home or in our 40-foot park model trailer, affectionately known as "The Bunkhouse." The Bunkhouse sits in a peaceful area surrounded by pastures and provides a quiet retreat while still being close to the heart of farm life.
  
  Many helpers especially enjoy spending time in our Camanna Cabana—a unique little building with a tinted roof that serves as a peaceful place for reading, relaxing, journaling, prayer, meditation, or even sleeping under the stars. We also have a gazebo nestled near Shantelle's flower garden and berry patch where people often relax with a book, enjoy a cup of tea, practice yoga, simply listen to the sounds of nature, or watch a pretty sunset.
  
  Meals are an important part of life here, and some of our best cultural exchange happens around the dinner table. We keep a well-stocked kitchen with plenty of food available, and helpers are welcome to prepare breakfast, lunch, snacks, and drinks according to their own schedules and preferences. We usually have farm-fresh eggs, milk, kefir, homemade sourdough, seasonal produce, and a wide variety of other foods on hand, and we're happy to accommodate reasonable requests whenever possible. Nobody is likely to go hungry here.
  
  Dinners are often shared family-style, though we occasionally enjoy simple fend-for-yourself evenings as well. Helpers are always welcome to cook, assist in the kitchen, teach us favorite recipes from home, or simply enjoy good food and conversation together. Over the years, Workawayers have introduced us to dishes and cooking techniques from around the world, and many have become regular favorites in our kitchen.
  
  One of our simple household traditions is that the cook doesn't clean. Everyone pitches in afterward, and the conversations often continue long after the meal is finished.
  
  Whether it's a home-cooked dinner, blueberry crisp and ice cream, a lively game of cards around the table, or simply watching wild and tame animals from the dining room windows overlooking the pond, some of the most memorable moments here happen during the quieter parts of everyday life.

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  Algo mais...

  Free Time & Exploring the Oregon Coast
  
  While many helpers find plenty to enjoy right here on the farm, our location also offers access to some of the most beautiful scenery on the Oregon coast.
  
  We're located about 20 minutes from Newport, a charming coastal town known for its beaches, working fishing harbor, local shops, restaurants, sea lions, and the famous Oregon Coast Aquarium. The coastline in both directions offers endless opportunities for exploration, including tide pools, lighthouses, hidden coves, dramatic cliffs, whale watching, surfing, beachcombing, and miles of scenic shoreline.
  
  Nature lovers will find many opportunities for adventure and exploration. Nearby are rivers, forests, hiking trails, waterfalls, mountain viewpoints, and countless opportunities for photography and wildlife watching.
  
  Many helpers enjoy spending their free time exploring our own network of forest trails, hiking into the forestland adjacent to our property, relaxing in the gazebo or cabana, visiting the beach, creating art, journaling, reading, photographing animals and flowers, playing games, resting near the pond in a hammock, or simply enjoying the slower pace of country life.
  
  We are also within easy walking distance of the beautiful Siletz River. Depending on the season, helpers often enjoy swimming, fishing, reading by the river, floating downstream on inner tubes, wildlife watching, or simply relaxing along the riverbank and enjoying the peaceful surroundings.
  
  Our property borders thousands of acres of private forestland, creating an atmosphere of peace and seclusion that many visitors find refreshing. Between the Oregon Coast, the Siletz River, our forest trails, and the many animals that call this place home, there are plenty of adventures—both planned and unexpected.
  
  Because public transportation is limited in our area, some planning is required for independent travel. However, we frequently travel to Newport and are often happy to help coordinate rides when possible. Many helpers find that they naturally spend much of their free time enjoying the property itself.
  
  Whether you're seeking outdoor adventure, artistic inspiration, meaningful friendships, or simply a chance to slow down and reconnect with nature, we hope you'll find this to be a place where you can rest, explore, and thrive.
  
  The Forest Trails
  
  One of the most exciting chapters in the recent story of our property began in early 2024. Although we had lived here for over 20 years, much of our forest remained largely unexplored and untouched—a wild and beautiful place that we rarely ventured into. Then, quite unexpectedly, we felt inspired to begin creating trails and sharing this hidden part of the property with others.
  Many of the original trail routes followed paths first made by elk and deer, whose tracks had quietly wound through these woods long before we began exploring them ourselves.
  
  What started as a simple idea quickly became one of our favorite projects. The trails opened up an entirely new side of the property, revealing hidden beauty, favorite places, and countless discoveries that we might never have found otherwise. Even now, we continue to discover hidden corners of the forest that surprise and delight us.
  
  Today, almost 5 km of trails wind through moss-covered forests, across ten footbridges, past wetlands and ponds, and into quiet places that many visitors never expect to find on a small family farm. Along the way you'll find giant trees, unusual moss-covered stumps, wildlife viewing areas, tiny hidden clearings, natural woodland sculptures, and countless little surprises that each have their own character and charm.
  
  The forest still feels full of possibilities, and we continue to find new ways to share its beauty with others.
  Many helpers find a favorite place somewhere along the trails—a quiet bench, a bridge, a giant tree, a meadow, or simply a peaceful corner of the woods where they can read, think, pray, journal, create art, or enjoy a little solitude.
  
  The forest changes constantly with the seasons, weather, and even the time of day. A trail that feels bright and cheerful on a summer afternoon may feel completely different on a misty morning or during a peaceful evening walk.
  
  We often find ourselves taking walks in the early morning, enjoying the golden light of evening, or even heading out for a peaceful night hike beneath the trees. What was once a largely unexplored part of our property has become one of the places we treasure most.
  
  Perhaps the greatest compliment we hear is when visitors tell us they discovered a favorite place of their own somewhere along the trails. We hope you'll find one too.
  
  Transportation & Practical Information
  
  Because we live in a rural area, transportation requires a little planning. The nearest town is Siletz, while Newport is about 20 minutes away by car and offers grocery stores, restaurants, coffee shops, beaches, shopping, medical services, and many other conveniences.
  
  Public transportation is limited, but many helpers find they naturally spend much of their free time enjoying the farm, forest trails, animals, and nearby coastal attractions.
  
  We travel to Newport weekly and are happy to help coordinate rides when possible. Many helpers enjoy exploring together, whether visiting the beach, shopping in town, or discovering new places along the coast.
  
  Internet access is available and generally works well for communication, research, social media, and most everyday online activities. Many helpers enjoy balancing online time with opportunities to unplug and enjoy nature.
  
  We currently ask helpers to stay for a minimum of one month. Because we live nearly two hours from the nearest major airport, longer stays help make the travel, orientation, and experience worthwhile for everyone involved. Most helpers tell us a month goes by much faster than they expected.
  
  If you're unsure whether our location or lifestyle would be a good fit, please feel free to ask questions. We'd much rather have a conversation beforehand than have someone arrive with expectations that don't match reality.
  
  A Final Thought . . .
  
  If you've read this far, you've probably realized that this is a little difficult to describe. It's a family home, a nonprofit community project, a place filled with animals, flowers, forests, and trails, and a gathering place where people from many different backgrounds come together to share life for a little while.
  
  People arrive for many different reasons—animals, flowers, forests, the Oregon coast, or simply the opportunity to experience a different way of life. Many leave with friendships, memories, and experiences they never expected.
  
  We don't claim to have a perfect farm, property, or family. What we do have is a place that we care deeply about and genuinely enjoy sharing with others.
  
  Life here is relaxed, informal, and fairly low-key. We are much more likely to be found in barn boots than dressed up, and some of the best moments happen when plans are interrupted by animals. Don't bring your best clothes—between the goats, sheep, gardens, forests, and occasional muddy adventures, they would probably feel very out of place anyway. Around here, haylights (hay in your hair) are considered a perfectly acceptable fashion accessory.
  
  If you're looking for luxury accommodations, city life, or a highly structured commercial environment, we are not the best fit. But if, after reading all of this, something about life here resonates with you, there's a good chance you'll feel right at home.
  We look forward to meeting you, learning about your life and experiences, and sharing a small piece of ours in return.

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  Mais alguns detalhes

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    Acesso à internet

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    Acesso à internet limitado

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    Temos mascotes

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    Somos fumantes

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    Pode hospedar famílias

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  Pode hospedar nômades digitais

  We have high speed wireless internet access that usually works well both inside the house and outside in the barn/shop area. We do lose power at times with especially stormy weather but that is fairly rare. I am not very tech savvy myself but I think I can say YES, we are digital nomad friendly.

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  Espaço para estacionar campervans

  This would depend on the situation. We don't have any hookups set up or spots designated for campervans but we may in the future. We can supply a heavy duty extension cord so you can have power and our outdoor Wi-Fi would give you coverage in your campervan. We have had two sets of campervan visitors so far and it went very well.

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  Quantos Workawayers pode acomodar?

  2

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  Meus animais / animais de estimação

  Anna Brown

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