PODERE ONORATE OLIVE HARVESTING 1

Code: 68276 Copied

Italy Teenagers Manual work Farming Teenagers Manual work +1 Fixed dates

About the project

📝 Detailed information

🏢 About the local organisation

Podere Onorate is a small farm, 1km south of Roccatederighi, up in the hills of Tuscany with a beautiful view over the Maremma towards the sea. We work about 9 hectares of diversified land. We have olives, vines, woodland, fruit trees, chestnuts, almonds, vegetables, herbs, rabbits, chickens, ducks, bees, a dog and cats. We follow the ideas of biodynamic farming. We do the dynamisation and spraying and preparing of compost. We don´t burn the cuttings but shredder them for mulch. We try to preserve the natural surrounding and wildness of the place. We are not a producing farm, all we do is for ourselves: self-sufficiency or exchange with friends. We make really high-quality olive oil and a little wine. We also have a mechanics-, woodwork- and blacksmith-workshop: We try - and do - as much as possible ourselves: grow our own food, carry out building works, repairs, solar off-grid electricity, water, home and unschooling. During the summer we live completely outside. We have an outdoor kitchen and living room under the trees. There is a shower outside but there is also a simple, spartan bathroom with shower in parents house. Often we host guests and friends and wwoofers, trainees and international volunteers. We eat mostly vegetarian, if possible our own stuff, otherwise if possible organic. We also like meat, but it’s no problem to avoid it. We are used to cook vegetarian or vegan. We can´t spend too much money on food, but we like to cook and eat. We speak German, Italian, Swiss German, English and a little French. The farm is run by: - Gunther (1968), Nicole (1981), Olmo (2008) and thanks to all the helpers. - Gunthers father: Gunther sr (1938) living in a separated household. For further information, you can visit our webpage: www.onorate.com Or ask any questions you want: [email protected]

💼 What the programme involves

OLIVE HARVEST is a nice and calm work in the olive yards. We don´t work with machines. We believe that the traditional handpicking in olive nets leads to a better quality of the oil, the surrounding and the human life of the people involved, no machines mean no stress and no noise, there’s room to talk, to sing or to rest. The harvest days are long and hard days. we try to start as soon as humidity permits (usually between 8 and 10 am) and if It’s raining, as soon as it stops and dries up. We will have good lunches together under the trees and continue picking until almost darkness (around 5 pm). then we take our little tractor to bring up the olives to the farm, under the roof in the workshop we clean them from the leaves, weigh and store them. The big goal is to make 400kg as soon as possible, best in one or two days for high oil quality. That’s why during harvest days we have really to concentrate on the work. It’s no stress but we need to push to make the goal. In the time some of the group does the olive cleaning some others cook dinner, lights the fires, does the table, the dishes and prepares for the next day. One by one can take a fast shower than we eat all together in the big tent. if there’s someone who likes to play the guitar or some other instrument it would be welcome. Once we have reached the goal of 400kg next day in the morning we bring the olives to the oil mill. Each time one person can come to visit the mill. (there’s only one place in the little Landover truck). When we come back we taste the new green oil on freshly toasted bread over a little olive wood fire. We take this day off and use it to sit around the fire or the table and talk together and answer all questions you have, maybe next day we continue to work, or it’s a completely free day. We will see this when we are together. We will adapt to personal and agricultural needs and the weather. If it rains, days are off. The olive harvest is not hard work but its continuous same thing day in and day out. It’s hard to decide one year in advance about the perfect time to start with the harvest. that’s why we are running two consecutive workcamps. maybe the first workcamp passes some days with preparing trees as cleaning them from bushes waiting for best time to harvest, or maybe we start right away; maybe the second workcamp stops earlier with harvest work and continuous with net fixing and collecting pruning. This depends on the season and cannot be decided yet. We expect from all of you, to be interested and involved in the work. We will be a team and we will have a goal to reach. Everyone brings in what he has, and does what he can. We don’t expect professionals or hard workers but we expect joy, engagement and dedication. It would be good if volunteers are able to stand on a ladder or climb on a small tree, but there is also enough work from the ground, you should be interested in agriculture: the more you ar

🏠 Accommodation on site

Accommodation will be in shared small rooms in the house. If the weather is good you can also choose to sleep in a tent outside. We will provide sheets, covers, pillow and optionally tent and mattress. A big common tent will be there as a common place for all of us. There is no other space in the house. The day of departure, rooms must be cleaned and left in perfect conditions. if you take the first bus in the morning this can be done the night before. In the house, there is a spartan bathroom for common use. (farmers included). There is hot water but please be mindful while taking showers. water is available but limited. There is also an outdoor shower and a compost toilet is available outdoor as well. Please note that electricity in the farm is limited, therefore you will not be able to use a hairdryer, electric shavers or whatever. there is no washing machine. clothes must be washed by hand. hot water for cloth washing must be heated on the kitchen fire (not from the bathroom). You will be able to charge your phones, tablets etc. there is a wireless connection available even though it is not real fast and limited to necessary use. for long chats, there´s a wireless place in the village. We will prepare food together in our outdoor kitchen, there is also an outdoor fireplace and oven... we eat together in the big common tent. Every day we choose a team for cooking, kitchen and bathroom service.

📍 About the location

The farm is located in Roccatederighi a small town in the countryside of Tuscany where you can find wifi, a bar, restaurant, post office, bank office, small shops, doctor. It takes 15 minutes to walk to Roccatederighi. At 40 minutes walking distance you can find an ancient and abandoned castle (Castello di Sassoforte). At 45 minutes distance the little town and castle of Montemassi. The host are available to provide all information to reach the nearby town with public transportation but be aware that public transportation can be not always available.

ℹ️ Additional information

willing to manual work. Interest in agriculture. Olive harvest is not a hard work but it is continuously the same thing day in and day out. This camp is for very motivated volunteers willing to work and interested in agriculture. A QUESTIONAIRE is needed to be filled together with the application form.

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