Family farm

Serbia

11 reviews • Updated 1 month ago

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!

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

Accommodation

2 WWOOFers

Bedroom

Campsite

Children accepted

Pets accepted

Meals

Omnivore

Vegetarian

Length of stay

1-2 weeks

3-4 weeks

Over a month

Iva

Member since 2022

Languages spoken: Croatian, English, Serbian, Slovenian Response rate: 100% Response time: typically within 3 days

December 2025

Open

Planned visit

Closed

MapLibre | Protomaps | © OpenStreetMap

Serbia

Nova Varos Bus station, Belgrade airport, Sarajevo airport

Reviews

Sophie

Australia • October 2025

I really enjoyed my stay with Iva. The village is very small & has a beautiful view from up in the mountains, so you really feel like you are surrounded by nature, especially walking over the hill to see the lake. Kanto & Zimar were very affectionate and loved lots of pets & cuddles. Iva can be a little bit blunt & judgemental at times, but that's just her nature. I appreciated her understanding when I had to leave a bit early & the lovely horse ride we went for on the last day. I loved trying some of the homemade rakia from the apples & plums and chatting at night in front of the wood stove. I spent most of my time during the day breaking up branches for firewood & picking up apples because of a snowfall in early october, but I imagine work will look different depending on the season. We also moved the horses to a new area & had to roll up and then set up the electric fence. For any non-smokers or people with asthma, Iva does smoke inside when it is cold out. Overall I had a lovely stay & I appreciate Iva's hospitality in having me in her home ❤️

Jakob

Germany • July 2025

We—Jakob, Larissa, and our 10-month-old son—spent two weeks volunteering with Iva and had a truly wonderful time! Jakob mainly helped out in the garden, where he learned how to set up potato hay beds, how to manage pests without pesticides, to harvest lettuce and coriander, to strip bark from wood, and to paint fences. Meanwhile, Larissa assisted with the daily care and grooming of Iva’s seven horses and was fortunate to join the trail rides through the forest. Iva treats her horses with great care and respect and we learned so much from her. Our little one happily crawled around in the middle of it all and especially bonded with the dogs, Kentho and Sima—squealing with excitement every time we visited the horse’s paddock. Iva patiently answered all our curious questions about horses, gardening, and life in Serbia. She even introduced us to a small village gathering and to her two grown-up children. We learned a lot about her views on Serbia, enjoyed some traditional local food, explored cultural exchange and appreciated the importance of respectful dialogue—even when opinions differ. All in all, it was a deeply enriching experience, and we hope to return one day. During our free afternoons, we took long walks, picked wild raspberries and strawberries, and spent time cuddling with the dogs. The nature surrounding the village is truly beautiful!

Charlie

Netherlands • June 2025

I had a great stay at Iva’s! She has an amazing place in Serbia with beautiful hills and mountains all around. I mostly worked in the mornings and then spent the afternoons reading, walking around with the dogs, going to hang out with the horses for a bit or driving to the lake with Iva to swim—it was so nice, and I had some great talks with her + she introduced me to some Serbian food. Would really recommend if you want to contribute to this wonderful place Iva has created here :)

Reply from Iva

Thank you Charlie, I would love to welcome you again!

Laurin

Germany • May 2025

We had beautiful 2 weeks at Iva‘s place in wich we had the opportunity to help start the food production for the year. We learned new techniques of gardening and Iva also took into consideration our experience about gardening as well. We had much traditional food wich was amazing and we got new recipes inspirations. The surrounding landscape is absolutely amazing and riding through this beautiful area was just incredible! Also taking care of the horses was very nice, and Laurin learned new stuff about horse keeping, which he is very grateful for. The work included many different things and varied. We appreciated the hiking suggestions in the nearby Serbien region. It is definitely worth going there for wwoofing with and without passion for horses!

Jean-Marc

United Kingdom • April 2025

I had a great stay at Iva’s house. Despite the rainy weather we always found something to do, tending or riding the horses, taking care of the garden and other little works. The horses were very calm, and the surroundings splendid for a hack in the forest. As a host Iva was very welcoming, always making sure that her guest is well fed, warm by the fire place, and has anything they need. Tatomir and Klara were equally kind and helpful, and very knowledgeable and accommodating. 100% recommended

Ciska

Netherlands • August 2024

I’ve had three great weeks staying at Iva’s. The jobs were diverse and we really managed to learn from each other as horsewomen. The area is absolutely gorgeous with friendly neighbours, lush forest and a great lake for swimming. From the fresh ingredients from the garden Iva managed to make great meals and a plenty!