Farm

Cantabria

Updated 2 years ago

We are a couple with two daugthers, trying to establish a sustainable farm, based on permaculture and natural agriculture principles, in a 12 acres farm we have in Cantabria, in the north of Spain. I'm a 54 years old business consultant, though I spend most of my time working in the farm (@5 days a week). My wife, 50, has also a management background and works in a factory near Bilbao, where she stays 4 to 5 days a week, spending the weekend, along with our daugthers, in the farm. We are both fluent in Spanish and English and she also speaks German. We bought the farm 15 years ago, completely refurbished the house and are now working on designing and building the infrastructure (barns, chicken coops, green houses, fences, well, swales, ponds, tanks, terraces, raise beds...) and planting trees, shrubs and herbs to create a forest garden and sustainable farm. We had little previous experience on farming or manual works, but are reading a lot on the subjects and are not scared of learning by doing (though we would really appreciate some help from someone with hands on experience on those areas). We have four cats, two dogs, beehives, hens, ducks, geese, turkeys, five ponies and expanding... The house is in a quiet place in the mountains, 1,2 km. from a small village and 18 km. from the coast (Laredo beach). There are many nice places around for sightseeing, with gorgeous mountains, caves and beautiful beaches. You can relax around the place, or borrow our mountain bicycles to move around. We think this can be a wonderful place for a couple interested in permaculture and/or willing to enjoy some quiet time in contact with nature, as well as an excellent base camp to explore the north of Spain. Accomodation is in an old caravan (in fair condition), located in a lovely spot within our land, @ 150 m. from the house, with an outdoor shower and compost toilet beside. There is no electricity nor wifi in the caravan, though you may charge your gear and have internet connection at the house. We expect you to work @ 5 hours/day, 5 days/week, keep your area clean and neat, and share cooking/clean up tasks. The work is physical and rather tough, plus all land is in a steep slope, so just moving around can be tiring for some people. The place can be lonely for some volunteers, as there is rarely more than one person/couple volunteering, and the host is not particularly extroverted. Certifications: We are not a commercial farm, so don't see any need for a certification