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Come help on my farm near Evora in Portugal

World, Europe, Portugal, São Gregório

APPLY NOW

APPLY NOW

Travel dates

27°C, 10:13

About the workproject

We need 1 volunteer

I have lots of different jobs that I need help with and help required will vary according the time of the year. But for the month of November the main effort will be towards picking olives from the olive trees.
The exact days of harvesting will depend on the olives, since the olives have to be picked as soon as they are ripe.
If you come before or after the harvesting days your chores will be different and will depend on the weather. Possible other chores for November: Put away wood for winter, cleaning horse stables, help with the vegetable garden, weeding and other maintenance stuff.

About the host

Rute

Host since

2017

Languages

English, Portuguese, Spanish

My spanish is not very good

Last seen online

more than 6 month ago

Hi, my name is Rute, I’m Portuguese and I have a small farm of 4,5 hectares near Évora in Portugal. The farm is located 30 km (19miles) from the city of Evora, just 150 Km from Lisbon and 100 Km from Spain and has plenty of scope to live off the land and be almost self-sufficient. That certainly is the idea. However before all this becomes a reality, there is a lot of work to be done and I would welcome some help to get there.
I bought this farm mainly to have my horses close to me, since I work in this region and also I’m trying to have a more self-sufficient and sustainable approach of life.
I'd like to, at least, keep chickens, for eggs, land clearing and fertilizer. Unfortunately my jobs requires that I travel a lot and I still haven't got round to rebuilding the chicken house and a chicken tractor. For now it’s just a vegetable garden and several fruit trees. Depending on season and growing of the trees/bushes there may be oranges, pears, appricots, grapes, peaches, plums, physalys, figs, apples, kumquats, strawberries, elderberries, wild blackberries, raspberries, gooseberries, blueberries, quinces, walnuts, almonds and even pomegranates. FYI in August there's a lot of wild blackberrys at my place!
I also have at the farm my 4 horses (riding them is allowed if you know how to do it), a dog and occasionally some other animals

Project dates

Open for offers, contact us


Work to be done

  • farming
  • maintenance tasks
  • animal care
  • art projects

Expected workhours

  • 6 hours a day
  • 5 days a week

Work exchange deal

  • shared cottage, guest house

You'll be staying at your own house that you may have to share with other volunteers. This house is an old house, builded in 1881 using rocks and earth. It has a kitchen and a living room in an open space concept, a bathroom and two bedrooms. If you would like to come with friends, I can accommodate up to 5 volunteers, depending on previous bookings from other workawayers. One of the bedrooms can host up to 3 individuals of the same sex and the other one can host 2 individual of the same sex or a couple. Nevertheless, the house's recovery is still a work in progress, so don't expect to much luxury! Also, for hot water showers you'll have to go to the main house since I still haven't installed a water heater at the house where you'll be staying.

Be prepared with working gloves, a pair of jeans (or any other kind of long leg trousers), walking/working shoes, at least a sweatshirt/jacket (even if its during the summer because sometimes it gets cold in the evening) and a sleeping bag. I’ll provide you with a pillow.
There's also lots os space for camping and you can bring a caravan too.
In spite of you living in your own house, it is expected that you'll keep it tidy and don't leave glasses, bottles, dishes and other stuff lying around, especially outdoors. When you leave, you’re expected to leave your room as clean and tidy as how you found it.
Although your room is off limits to me, I’ll need access to the common areas of the house to get to the other rooms where I have my tools.
Also you will be expected to repair or replace any breakages you do to anything in the house during your stay.
Due to the farm’s location mobile signal is very weak, if any at all and there is no internet available for the same reason. But if you travel 2Km from my place, you'll be able to use your cell phone and the internet in it.

  • self catering

If you offer 15 hours a week of work with 3 days off, you’ll have to buy your own groceries.
If you choose to work 30 hours a week with 2 days off, I’ll cook you one meal and buy you the rest of the groceries for you to cook.

  • no money is involved