Come and help us with farm work, garden, horses and many other things, while enjoying amazing nature!
"Živa" is the fulfilment of Iva's lifelong dream: to escape from the city and live close to Nature!
Named after the ancient Slavic goddess of fertility, the farm in a village on "Zlatar" mountain, has been a home for our family since 2020. Having bought the old house and the land that has been untouched for over 35 years, we are (very) slowly making our way towards self-sustainability. The food is grown using organic and permaculture principles (Iva is a certified Permaculture designer), we also gather herbs and fruits of the forest and have some animals (not for meat). In addition, Native Serbian mountain horses are being bred at the farm and are used as conservation grazers, as well as for trail riding/riding lessons. In our work with horses, who live freely outside in a herd and are not shod, we use a combination of Classical and Natural horsemanship.
Since there is a lot of work to be done, we would greatly appreciate helping hands. We can provide instruction in the areas that we are good at, eg. Iva has a BSc in Equine Sports Science, but would also cherish the opportunity to learn from you- we were city dwellers for such a long time!
Living and working along us, as part of the family; immersing yourself in traditional local culture and a very different, slower, way of life; enjoying pristine nature and breathing a clean air...that is what "Živa" is all about.
Come and join us!
We are currently doing many things that we need help with:
-daily jobs around the farm: garden, trees, animals, etc.
-riding/training horses (ONLY if you are an experienced and confident green horse rider)
-building/painting a fence around property and some additional structures
-clearing land and collecting firewood
-forming new swails and hugelculture
-building a "chicken tractor" and a new compost heap
-collecting and preserving fruit, seeds and teas
-the list is endless, really
We would expect you to contribute an intensive 5-6 hours per day, with one day off per week. You should be responsible, hard-working, motivated and able to work both in a team and alone/unsupervised. It is important that you understand that the work is often hard and location is rural-this position is not suitable for those seeking a pampered existence and/or busy social life.
Your "free time" can be spent any way you like: hiking/cycling on beautiful trails around the farm, gathering mushrooms/herbs, swimming in a nearby lake, hanging out with us or just chilling by yourself...
In addition, if time allows we can take you to nearby destinations during your "free time/day" (griffon vulture observation, visits to nearby towns/monasteries etc.), organize visits to neighboring farms to observe/participate in traditional cow milking/cheese making process or provide trail rides/horse riding/horsemanship lessons (weight limit 80 kg) at a discounted rate.
We provide three meals per day, cca.90% vegetarian (we can make it 100% vegetarian if you prefer). Sometimes we cook, sometimes you coo yourself using the ingredients we provide. The food we use is mostly locally sourced. Unfortunately, we can not cater for vegan or other highly restrictive diets - we eat what we have around us and believe that it is much better to drink locally produced "free-range" milk, rather than drive 100km to obtain soy milk!
The accommodation is either a room for 2 in the cellar of the house or a small tent for 2 (depending on availability, the season and your choice), with a shared bathroom. Internet access available. For those requiring more space/privacy/amenities, there is an option of renting a cabin from the neighbors
NOTE FOR WWOOF-ers INTERESTED IN RIDING/WORKING WITH HORSES:
-horse riding/training as part of daily tasks is open ONLY to experienced and confident riders with good seat, under 80 kg, capable of riding in all three paces on different horses, including green horses, over a variety of terrains, that do not require any supervision and can contribute to improving the horses level
-for all others we can provide riding/horsemanship lessons and/or trail rides, in your free time, at a discounted price.
(In order to estimate the level of your riding we will initially ask you to provide videos. However, the final decision on whether you have the level needed for training our horses will be made during an onsite riding assessment)
NOTE FOR FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN OR DOGS:
Children are welcome providing they do not require constant supervision (there are intrinsic dangers in the mountains/farm) and can contribute to the group working effort (or a parent is willing to pick up the slack :) ).
Dogs are welcome providing they get on well with other dogs and animals (do not chase chicken, sheep, horses etc.), are well trained/obedient, do not need constant supervision and can sleep outside.
Looking forward to meeting you!
Read more
Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Horse or donkey farming
Forestry
Wild foraging
Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas
Seed saving or production
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Beer, cider, wine, or juice making
Food justice / sovereignty
Methods or systems
Biological pest control
Holistic management
No-till farming
Permaculture
Rotational grazing
Host type
Nonprofit / Community
Former WWOOFer
4
Hectares
|
9.9
Acres
