Living in the woods - volunteers needed to help with winter work

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

When I was younger I travelled quite a bit and was involved with many varied projects along my way. House building in Oz, tractor driving (and crashing) in NZ. Motor barge work in France, Thames sailing barge work in the UK (Still doing that one) Tipi building in Wales. Sometimes money changed hands, sometimes it didn't.

 

If your project was interesting enough and I was in your area I'd offer to lend a hand.........

 

I have a broad skill range AND some surprising Q's to offer and these have stood me in good stead over the years in part-time employment and full time employment.

 

So hats off to the opportunist and it is up to them to be the judge of slavery....

 

codlasher.

 

 

Was that a yes then?? I've got a cowshed needs underpinning??

[teepeeat]

Well done, good on you!

 

Question, whilst living your humble existence, did you at any time rely upon UK or reciprocal EU healthcare provision, did you qualify for any government funding - student loan, JSA etc etc, did you pay your council tax to have your (without a doubt reduced) garbage cleared, did you use a library, a bus, any local government services, public toilet, did you walk on lit streets, call upon the services of the local constabulary or fire service? Maybe you get the point, if you answered 'yes' to any of the above, you're welcome, the tax paying few were in part funding your holiday.

 

It might be that a small part of me is envious of your personal situation (not in a way that I'd want to trade places) but I do 'get' the romantic ideal and I salute you for doing it. Trouble I have with that though is the hopelessly romantic vision doesn't really stand up to scrutiny and it's possible to see the carefree, off the grid, drop out, traveller actually as a drain on the society that is providing the platform for that chosen lifestyle.

 

Dont know anything about Tektom, but as a tax payer, I feel that youngsters should all go out and do something like this. It will teach them valuable lessons in life as well as practical skills.

To many come out of school knowing little about life and this sort of existence will be good for them and the tax payer in the long term as they will learn a lot about themselves and what they want to do with their lives and they will settle into society as more rounded individuals.

[Mountain man]

Well done, good on you!

 

Question, whilst living your humble existence, did you at any time rely upon UK or reciprocal EU healthcare provision, did you qualify for any government funding - student loan, JSA etc etc, did you pay your council tax to have your (without a doubt reduced) garbage cleared, did you use a library, a bus, any local government services, public toilet, did you walk on lit streets, call upon the services of the local constabulary or fire service? Maybe you get the point, if you answered 'yes' to any of the above, you're welcome, the tax paying few were in part funding your holiday.

 

It might be that a small part of me is envious of your personal situation (not in a way that I'd want to trade places) but I do 'get' the romantic ideal and I salute you for doing it. Trouble I have with that though is the hopelessly romantic vision doesn't really stand up to scrutiny and it's possible to see the carefree, off the grid, drop out, traveller actually as a drain on the society that is providing the platform for that chosen lifestyle.

 

Great post Kevin.

[teepeeat]

Didnt tradesmen in the past generally head out on the road as a Journeyman to gain more varied experience in their trade before settling down to work.

To me, woofing could serve the same purpose in letting youngsters gain experience in life.

By happy chance it also takes the generally urban youth of today to the countryside where most of these opportunities exist. (just one small example - in tektom's case he has learned to rear chickens as well as slaughter them - a valuable lesson in where your food comes from and what it takes to get it on your plate. This is something often mentioned these days in the media etc including on arbtalk occasionally if I am not mistaken)

As Tektom has inferred, and it needs to be re-itterated, life lessons and skills are worth a lot, beyond mere money.

[Paul Cleaver]

Volunteers needed to help manage our 27acre woodland on a 45 acre farm. (December 2014 to March 2015+)

 

Most work will be to help with extracting, felling, & planting trees. Plus some firewood chopping, milling timber, and various bits of work around the farm (chicken feeding, general maintenance etc.)

 

Accommodation is in a caravan out on the land (2 caravans available), self-catering on a WWOOF basis (willing worker on organic farms) which means you volunteer and get a small contribution towards food. There is also a solar-shower, outdoor cooking space, sauna / lake & lots of gorgeous woodland - but it is 'out-there' and means being reliant on a fire for heat, and a spring for your water.

 

Send me a pm or email if interested or you know someone who might fancy a month or two helping out in the woods in South Devon.

 

All the best

Doug

 

Doug whats the minimum age - sounds a good character building exercise for my lad or daughter when they leave school

[DanClimbsTrees]

Doug whats the minimum age - sounds a good character building exercise for my lad or daughter when they leave school

 

Paul, have your kids check out Helpx.net

[kev7937]

Dear Original Poster,

 

I... AM... INTERESTED! I'll PM you in a bit, but first I have something to do.

 

Hi everyone. I'm what is known (as you may have read on this thread), as a 'wwoofer'. I am currently 'wwoofing' in France, and have been doing so on and off for 3 years in the UK.

 

That's right. I've been working for free, for no wage or salary. I've been a slave. If we had to look at it financially, considering the costs of meals and accommodation, I have been ripped off more than those living on minimum wage in the UK. Especially as most wwoofing hosts, provide you with food from their farmland, meaning they haven't reaaaally spent money on it other than time and irrigation and perhaps the seeds and tools required to work the land.

 

BUT, have I actually been ripped off? Consider this. In the last 3 years of wwoofing, I have learnt to: beekeep, build cob (strawbale/mud) eco-homes, build a rocket stove (firewood heater), learn about organic gardening and food growing, canning food, how to make a greenwood stool and spoon, a shave horse, orchard maintenance/pruning, setting up phytoepuration systems (grey water treatment area), take care of chickens, kill and prepare chickens, joinery, carpentry, coppice work practice with chainsaw (I have CS30 n 31) and using traditional tools, how to make cider. And much much more I can't think of right now.

 

Now, in terms of costs, how many courses do you think I would have had to attend to learn all of that, and in over how many years? Think travel costs, food for the day, the cost of the courses.

 

I've only spent time. And on top of that it's allowed me to meet amazing people, drink free booze and smoke free pot on many occasions. I've had the pleasure of living in a yurt for 2 weeks in the woods, without having to pay 500GBP for the privilege.. I've also had no contracts, which means no CV, no job interview, no stress, no pressure. I can basically leave when I want (although it'd be rude admittedly to leave without giving some kind of notice.. morals oblige).

 

So yeah, I'm a slave. But a very fortunate one. I recommend everyone tries it once. It's quite a humbling experience working in exchange for learning with no exchange of money. It's also quite amazing not using your wallet for weeks, and knowing that your bank statements aren't being cleared because of rent/mortgage or other. Oh, and because most wwoof hosts are farmers, you tend to eat amazing heart and soul warming food. Man's gotta eat. And I eat very well!

 

Try it

 

 

Smoked some pot?? Think you may have learnt time travel too.

[tektoms]

Well done, good on you!

 

Question, whilst living your humble existence, did you at any time rely upon UK or reciprocal EU healthcare provision, did you qualify for any government funding - student loan, JSA etc etc, did you pay your council tax to have your (without a doubt reduced) garbage cleared, did you use a library, a bus, any local government services, public toilet, did you walk on lit streets, call upon the services of the local constabulary or fire service? Maybe you get the point, if you answered 'yes' to any of the above, you're welcome, the tax paying few were in part funding your holiday.

 

It might be that a small part of me is envious of your personal situation (not in a way that I'd want to trade places) but I do 'get' the romantic ideal and I salute you for doing it. Trouble I have with that though is the hopelessly romantic vision doesn't really stand up to scrutiny and it's possible to see the carefree, off the grid, drop out, traveller actually as a drain on the society that is providing the platform for that chosen lifestyle.

 

Dear Kevin,

 

as I said in my original message, I've done wwoofing on and off. That means that in between, since being underage, till now (I'm 27), I've worked, even unpaid overtime, I've paid taxes, rented rooms and houses, paid bills, paid motorway tolls in France.. you name it. I've been a 'normal member of society'.

 

This conversation could get very deep, but I don't want to burden Doug's original thread. Let's just say that I'm one of those people who think the world would be a better place if we could opt where our taxes went. I'm sure no more than 10% of all I've ever paid in tax, has gone to street lamps, roads, and the NHS which by the way, yes I did rely on whilst wwoofing (except NHS - I like treating myself with plants.. very hippie of me I know... I just don't want pharma companies cashing in on all the money when a tonsillities can be cured with a thyme infusion...)

 

A safe bet would be however that most of it went to wars and feeding the army men, something I don't agree with. The day that changes, I might decide not to go off-grid.

 

In essence you could say that my working tax paid life has paid for the privilege for me to use the very few services that I used and still use.

 

As for society providing the platform for that chosen lifestyle, I think you're right, but I'd like to turn that statement into "it's BECAUSE of the state of society, that more and more people are looking to go off grid 'drop out' traveller lifestyles."

 

But I'm grateful. I love learning. It's why I'm doing wwoofing. I don't consider myself a dreamer. I consider myself someone reasonable, who's noticing that unemployment is constantly on the rise, that the divide between rich and poor is getting bigger, that families are being separated due to the pressures from their caring governments, that people don't know how to grow food or build their own homes anymore which humans have done most of their existance, that by the age I reach 'retirement', retirement age might not even exist, nor pensions for that matter, that old crafts are being lost, and that one day, we might need those skills when **** hits the fan. |

 

So what should one do? Pursue a career? Try not to get fired for the next 40 years of his/her life? Put half of it away in a savings account, hoping there's not another economic crisis when you'll discover the bankers once again stole all your money?

 

Meh.. I'd rather learn how to build my own home, grow my own veg, heal myself at home, ride a bicycle on dirt tracks to leave the shiny potholed roads to ever increasing fuel dependent cars, and spend less time working, and more time being with loved ones. Work to live, not live to work.

 

That romantic enough?

Edited November 15, 2014 by tektoms

[tektoms]

Smoked some pot?? Think you may have learnt time travel too.

 

 

Ah I knew I shouldn't have mentioned that one.. especially as I no longer smoke...or drink... ah well. That one's on me.

 

Time travel? Hmm wouldn't want to.. back in the old days there were too many witch hunts.. and as for the future.. there'll probably be homeless hunts.

 

Heard of the 92yr old WW2 veteran who got arrested in Florida a few days ago for feeding the homeless?? Some new law about not being allowed to share food with people. Now that is why I love our governments.

[tektoms]

Tektoms I admire your positivity!...I hope to get down there at some point and would be great to meet you...

 

Not sure if Doug's interested in my offer yet hehe. But if he is, and you then come down, then sure it'd be a pleasure to meet