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16 Dec 2024
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Description
We are a family living on a twenty hectare Organic Farm.
Our aim is to be as self-sufficient as possible and farm in a morally responsible manner, placing value on our environment above profit. Our kids were home-birthed, home-schooled, and home-fed in our home-built house and although they are now grown up, still have a keen interest in the farm.
We have no aspirations to compete with commercial agriculture, but would rather sit back and enjoy some delicious homegrown and homemade food cooked with fuel from our farm.
Although we do eat meat produced on our farm, we support vegetarians and can easily cater for them.
We have a small herd of cattle that helps feed us and brings in some income.
Our herd of goats is for land-clearing and milk and cheese, while their manure feeds the bio-digester for gas in the kitchen.
Our horse, mule and donkey are for grazing rotation and parasite control while the Great Danes, besides being pets, are for breeding.
We also have a few hives of bees for honey and a generally overgrown, out of control vegetable garden that always needs weeding. Our garden is managed using our adaption of permaculture methods which we have adapted over the last 25 years.
We are lucky enough to live in an area with abundant fruit, so a big job in summer is to process and preserve fruit for the rest of the year.
Having experimented with self-sufficiency on the farm since 1995, we have managed to grow and produce many of life's essentials (and luxuries), but still battle to produce all of them all the time.
On Friday evenings, we have a Pizza Evening for our neighbours, where we serve food that is at least, locally sourced, if it isn't from our own farm. This gives us a fun way of using up surplus products that we and our friends have grown or made.
Our eco project is in response to the very visible increase in air-pollution in our once pristine valley, and the shocking evidence of climate change.We have started our own atmospheric carbon harvesting programme in the form of a sustainable reforestation project. We have planted the first 300 or so indigenous trees and hope to establish a new patch of mistbelt forest.
Our latest project is building a community shop and little Pizza outlet.
We greatly appreciate the way that volunteers help us to finish our projects and give us inspiration to start new ones as well as refreshing our enthusiasm for our goals.
The activities on the farm are highly seasonal, but we always have a backlog of unfinished work that needs a happy and enthusiastic volunteer to complete.Types of help and learning opportunities
Help with Eco ProjectsGardeningDIY and building projectsAnimal CareFarmstay helpCreating/ Cooking family mealsHelp around the houseGeneral MaintenanceUN sustainability goals this host is trying to achieve
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Travellers will have an opportunity to try their hands at various aspects of a self sufficient orientated lifestyle in an African environment.
We can facilitate an overnight stay in Indaleni Township with a Zulu family.
By prior arrangement, we can also arrange a day trip to the nearby Tala Private Game Reserve.Help
Our workday is very flexible, starting at eight, tea time around 10:30 and ending at lunch time. Volunteers can also be asked to help with evening chores or supper preparations.
As a result of the diversity of our farm there is a large range of things to do at all times. As a working farm, the time of year will determine your activities. Examples include:
Milking/herding/slaughtering animals
Making hay
Forest regeneration
Working in the garden
Fire wood collecting/ wood chopping
Weeding/clearing of fields
Puppy feeding
Cheese and butter making
Its very difficult to accomodate volunteers who want to experience some specific activity or aspect of our farm as our focus is quite fluid and we could well not be needing help in the specific area wished for.Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Dutch: FluentAccommodation
Volunteers will sleep in a building separate from our house with beds and bedding provided. The accomodation is very rustic but adequate.
Nearby is the volunteer's kitchen, showers and toilets. Water is heated in a donkey boiler, so if you want a hot shower, make sure you can light a fire!
We provide oats and maizemeal, milk, tea, coffee and sugar for volunteers in their kitchen for breakfast. At tea time and for lunch, there is homemade bread and a variety of toppings available in our house and we share a communal dinner.What else ...
In your free time there are beautiful walks and hikes in Mist Belt forest, plantations and grassland.
There are mini-bus taxis to the nearest town, Richmond, on a regular basis from just outside our gate.
Next door to our farm is the Oaks Hotel which has all the facilities of a country hotel.A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Space for parking camper vans
This host can provide space for campervans.
Can possibly accept pets
This host has said they are willing to accept those travelling with a pet.
How many Workawayers can stay?
More than two
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Accuracy of profile:
(4.8)
Cultural exchange:
(4.7)
Communication:
(4.9)
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We stayed just one week because it was a last minute plan. The host before cancelled last minute and Gerry&Marcella were super kind to host us even with short notice!
Gerry and Marcella are amazing hosts, they are hosting volunteers for years now, and they really know how to do that. We were entertained… read more
I feel like this workaway would be perfect for someone who is pro-active, patient, hard-working, doesn't need luxury and is not afraid to ask questions. The… read more
I never heard from them again.
I enjoyed chatting to Connor and getting to know some of the other volunteers. I also loved being around all the dogs and cats. I didn't think you could become so attached to… read more
When we asked her to do a task we knew it would be done with enthusiasm and a healthy dose of common sense.
We… read more
We milked the goats most mornings and after the… read more
A human experience, Gerry and Marcella are just amazing people who you feel good to be with from day one!
I learned a lot and felt really good!
Thank you again
It was my first workaway experience at home (South Africa) and Gerry, Marcella and Femke made it an unforgettable one.
From the momment Gerry picked me up in Pietermariztburg its as if we had know each other for a couple of years .
I was tasked with a couple of daily activities and of those my favourite was goat… read more
The Highlight of my stay at the farm was milking the goats and guiding them to pastures. I enjoyed all the after dinner conversations and I got to… read more
indigenious trees, weeding, work in the green tunnel. We enjoyed a walk in the misterious misty forest, listened to Gerries interesting stories of the farmlife and south africa, had delicious food from the… read more
We appreciated his understanding of the ethics of our lifestyle and we respect his attempts to live in an environmentally responsible manner.
Gerry, Marcella and Femke are such a pleasure to be around and very understanding hosts, catering for different levels of experience and letting you learn a few new skills on your own without holding your hand all the way. They are very warm and accommodating hosts and you'll feel part of the… read more
Thanks Petra!
THANKS CARI!
Thank you Tinie.
He is technically capable and very willing to learn.
We recomend him as a hard worker.
Cheers,
Devon… read more