SEEKING VOLUNTEERS!
Published: 2014-01-14
We are Svilena and Nikola + our 6 kids — (the youngest three are living with us) — a family that lives and makes a living in a sustainable way, close to Mother Nature. We own land in one of the most beautiful places in Bulgaria, the Rose Valley. Here we are managing a horseback riding club with a really cool dome club-house, which is in the process of becoming a home-based fruit and veggie processing shop. (We would need lots of help with it!)
On the other side of the river Tundzha is situated our farm, where on the 8 hectares of pastures and farming land that we own, we have created our volunteering center. There is a pole-barn for our horses and a second, bigger pole-barn to store our alfalfa, hay and straw bales. There are 2.5 hectares of alfalfa, 2.8 hectares of yummy raspberries. The market garden is 0.6 hectares of all kinds of veggies. All that is in a process of organic certification. We mostly use permaculture methods, and the garden is a great learning space for these.
We are seeking volunteers for building new eco-structures, as well as helpers in the veggie garden, the raspberry field, and to care for the animals. We have 10 horses, 5 goats for milk, 10 hens for eggs, 2 bunnies just for cuddling, and a bunch of dogs and cats. Of course all animals need daily care and lots of loving, since we want to form a small petting zoo for our youngest friends and guests.
As you can imagine, our farm is a busy place! Of course we prefer people with experience, or people who have similar interests, not just passers-through. But in the end the idea is that everybody has fun: you will learn more, as we would get more work done, if you all enjoy what you do. The basic rule is: communication is the key to a pleasant stay.
Food
Our food is simple and mostly vegetarian, as we try to use mainly what we have produced in our garden, along with some wild plants that the land around us kindly offers. We add to that some fruit, oats, rice, lentils, spelt and rye. There are eggs from the chickens. The goats produce milk starting at the end of June.
Accommodation
Volunteers sleep in tipis at the farm, or in a small bungalow that we also use as a kitchen. If you prefer more privacy, you are welcome to bring your own tent. Please bear in mind that you will be at a rather wild location, so make sure you bring mosquito repellents, sunscreen, etc. We have solar-powered electricity, a composting toilet, drinkable water from the well, and a shower is possible with sun-warmed water. There is also the river, and the mineral baths are a 25-minute walk away.