Family farm

Slovenia

94 reviews • Updated 4 months ago

Hi! You are kindly welcome to join us at our permaculture farm located at hills above river Sava about seven kilometers from town Sevnica . While still being employed in Ljubljana me, Borut, and my wife Lucija decided to buy a farm with a primary goal to design and develop a holistic self sufficient permaculture system. I must admit it had been at that time quite unusual decision for our friends, colleagues and acquaintances because we had a very comfort living in city of Ljubljana. I am b.sc. in technical mathematics and I had a well paid job leading the development and production of complex information systems for large companies and organizations and Lucija as a professor of German and Italian languages worked as a translator. Anyway, after few weeks of looking for adequate location we had been very lucky to find this place. When we took a look at it (ignoring that the farm was in very bad condition) there was no doubt, that was it, one of the most beautiful places we had ever seen (and we had seen a lot). And even more: the farm configuration was like someone had designed it for permaculture: 14 hectares in one piece at the end of the road, 450 m above sea, facing towards south, houses in the center, garden close to the house, fields at east and west of houses and the whole area surrounded with 9 ha of forest, all of this in untouched nature with a unique view over almost a fifth of Slovenian country. So the decision was easy, we immediately bought the farm and started renewing it and developing the permaculture system. I have to say it was and still is a huge project taking all the time practically without holidays, substantial money investment, never ending working hours, but the really tough times are behind us. Currently the permaculture system is almost complete, our farm is eco certified and we are practically self sufficient. We grow all needed vegetables, potatoes, beans and herbs at 0,34 ha permaculture garden, on fields we sow old varieties of cereals (wheat, spelt, oat, barley, camut,…) and also buckwheat. We have our own mill so we can mill all kinds of flour and bake several varieties of bread. On the grassland there is a lot of old fruit trees like apple, pear, cherry, plum, marasca, peach, apricot, nut trees… Our forest is very rich with wild food like chestnut, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, mushrooms etc. Regarding animals at the moment we raise only sheep and pigs. We also have three dogs and few cats. We have our own drinking water infrastructure (tested – very high quality). There are also two ponds, in one we raise fish, the other one is used for swimming. For heating and warm water we have a solar/wood system (wood obviously coming from our forest). We renewed all buildings using materials on disposal at our location (wood, straw, earth) and recycled materials. There are two houses, one renewed from the old barn where we currently live in, and the other one for our guests and volunteers. Other buildings are two barns, summer kitchen, small tree house and sheds for sheep and pigs. As you can imagine from this short description we would appreciate your help all year around be it in the kitchen (preserving food, …), forest, field, garden, natural building etc. Regarding your accommodation you can stay in furnished rooms, you can sleep in the barn on hay, you can camp in a tent, or you can use small tree house. We can provide ordinary and vegetarian diets. From social and entertainment point of view we are very open minded so pleasant events can be arranged during free time. That’s it so far, pictures in gallery will tell more. Organic methods: Permaculture Certifications: Institut KON-CERT Maribor Current projects: Self-sufficiency regarding energy. Internet access available

Learning opportunities

Vegetable farming

Fruit or nut farming

Grain farming

Pig farming

Sheep or goat farming

Forestry

Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas

Vegetable or fruit preservation

Green Building

Renewable energy production

Methods or systems

Biological pest control

No-till farming

Permaculture

Host type

Self-sufficiency property

Certified organic

14 Hectares | 34.6 Acres

Accommodation

3 WWOOFers

Bedroom

Camper / RV

Campsite

Children not accepted

Pets not accepted

Meals

Omnivore

Vegetarian

Length of stay

3-4 weeks

Over a month

Borut

Member since 2017

Languages spoken: Croatian, English, German, Italian Response rate: 100% Response time: typically within 2 days

December 2025

Open

Planned visit

Closed

MapLibre | Protomaps | © OpenStreetMap

Slovenia

Sevnica train station

Reviews

Jenny

Norway • November 2025

My stay with Borut, Lucia and Tilen was all I ever could hope for, my first time wwoofing. I was welcomed with open arms and treated to some of the tastiest food I’ve had in a long time. The work was varied, meaningful, and genuinely fulfilling. As were the conversations and the knowledge shared.

Bogomil

Bulgaria • November 2025

Borut and Lucia are very kind and hospitable people that will make you feel right at home. Accommodation is great and delicious food is cooked for you most days of the week. The work is diverse and interesting. Borut is an absolute wealth of knowledge about many areas of permaculture, sustainable living, animal raising, land management, forestry, natural building, among others. Totally recommended

Asha

United Kingdom • October 2025

I stayed at this beautiful farm for 3 weeks with my friend Sam and it was truly one of the best experiences we ever had. We immediately felt welcomed by the family and their 3 lovely dogs. The work was varied and all the tasks were well explained and the hours were very manageable with lots of free time in the afternoon. I learnt so much from the family, and Borut is keen to answer any questions. They are some of the most amazing people I’ve had the privilege to meet and truly make you feel like part of the family. The accommodation was more than we could ask for with our own room and shared bathroom with other volunteers and delicious traditional meals every day by the lovely Lucija- I truly cannot recommend this farm enough, it was my first experience WWOOFing and it exceeded all of my expectations! I hope to come back in the future!! :)

Laura

Netherlands • October 2025

My first WWOOF-experience was at the farm of Borut and Lucija, where I had a wonderful time. Borut is a very kind, patience man who is willing to explain a lot about all different aspects of the farm. Lucija cooked two times a day very nice meals which we ate all together like a family. It is really impressive to see how they have build their farm and are now almost fully self-sufficient. The surroundings are amazing, there are very nice animals (I miss them!) and I would definately recommend a stay at Borut and Lucija!

Carla

France • September 2025

J’ai passé un séjour vraiment agréable chez Borut. Sa générosité et sa volonté de partager son savoir m’ont permis d’en apprendre énormément sur la préparation de la terre, la fragilité des écosystèmes, ainsi que sur la manière dont il a façonné ce lieu unique grâce à la récupération de matériaux et à une gestion ingénieuse de l’eau, depuis les sources jusqu’à leur filtrage, afin de tendre vers une belle autonomie. J’ai particulièrement apprécié nos échanges, notamment autour de l’histoire et du passé de la Slovénie. L’accueil de Lucija et de Tylan a également rendu le séjour encore plus chaleureux. J’ai même eu la chance de déguster plusieurs plats typiques, savoureux et préparés avec soin. Je recommande vivement de passer du temps dans ce lieu, à la fois inspirant, accueillant et riche d’enseignements.

Brandon

United States • September 2025

I had the most incredible month working at Kostanje. Borut and Lucija were very gracious hosts. I am already missing Lucija’s delicious homemade meals and Borut’s wisdom and sense of humor. The accommodations are very nice. I had my own room with a great view. The work was perfectly manageable and I was free to have some choice in my tasks. I spent time woodworking, harvesting, weeding, and cleaning. It was pleasant spending time with other Wwoofers and Borut and Lucija’s son who also works on the farm. This is the perfect place to do rewarding work and enjoy the quiet serenity of rural Slovenia.