02/04/2023
Do you want to learn how to set up and run a regenerative/permaculture farm?
Två Ekar Gård (Two Oaks Farm) is our little regenerative farm at the 60th parallel in Värmland, Sweden. Not one of the easiest places to farm, and thus a good place to learn! We, my mother Carla, and I, Arthur, have been here since 2014. Every year we move away a bit from what used to be four hectares of poor hay land, and two hectares of spruce plantation, and towards an ever more functionally diverse ecosystem.
Since 2015 we have had volunteers or interns with us each growing season, and sometimes for part of winter as well.
Naturally, having extra hands here helps us a lot, but that is only half of the reason why I want volunteers/interns each growing season. I am not in this to merely become as self-sufficient as possible, but also to share knowledge and experience, and to teach. What you would learn here are things not generally taught in schools or at universities, but which are at the basis of learning how to live.
We are looking for one or two people to stay with us for at least a month, but preferably a whole growing season.
Within a month I think that I can share a fair amount of the daily practical work and the theory about what we do, how, and why.
Those who managed to stay for at least two months, were usually able to do the regular animal care and other returning tasks independently.
Those who stayed yet longer, could literally run the farm by themselves after a few months, and could anticipate changes, adapt, and plan ahead.
It is my intention to make a stay here much more useful than a permaculture design course, even though it is not going to lead to an accreditation of any kind. However, certainly if you would stay for more than a month or two, you will know a good deal more about setting up a regenerative farm, and theory and planning, and all the practical ins and outs, than I did when I actually started this work.
The main busy-ness on the farm is holistically planned grazing with sheep. It is an amazing technique, fundamentally different from conventional grazing. Unlike conventional grazing, holistically planned grazing grows topsoil, soil life, increases plant growth and overall biodiversity, sequesters carbon in the soil, and thus regenerates the hydrology of the soil. It is also optimal for sheep health and happiness. In these days, farming, and especially animal farming, is under threat from Agendas from dubious groups of people who blame farm animals for a lot that is wrong with the world. In that situation, learning to understand the issue, that animal farming can be done not merely in sustainable, but regenerative ways, and getting hands-on experience of how to do it, is of greater relevance than I can express.
You would learn how to plan and execute the grazing based on a planning method and a lot of theory and practical stuff. You would learn to read the animals and the land and vegetation to base your actions on, such as when to move, and when not. You would learn how to do the actual moves, but also how to shear, how to clip hooves, and much more.
But there are many other things that you would get involved in:
Taking care of our chickens and rabbits, including breeding;
No dig gardening (building garden beds, maintaining them, planting, harvesting, etc.);
Growing mushrooms on logs;
Taking down trees safely with an axe, and processing them with handtools for all kinds of purposes (firewood, building material, etc.), and then replanting with more functionally diverse species (if you have a chainsaw license, that would add to possibilities a lot!). In other words: truly sustainable forestry;
Building things such as mobile and permanent shelters for animals, fences, animal areas in the barn, etc.;
Making compost from raw materials within four or five weeks, using a hot composting method;
Making hay with a scythe and a rake: an almost lost art, but one which will be incredibly valuable should the oil run out!;
Gathering wild foods such as wild vegetables, berries, mushrooms, fish;
Perhaps we will dig some swales;
I can teach wood carving, and all things wool (shearing, karding, spinning, knitting);
Potentially, IF you want, and IF necessary, slaughtering and butchering some animals;
Etc. Etc.
The deal we offer is that you work five hours per day, five days per week. Included in that work time is the teaching and learning, so it is not all action. But, some of the work will be quite heavy. You will get dirty, too!
You would stay in our lovely little cabin for free. There is a combined living and sleeping room, a functional kitchen, a compost toilet, and it has a lot of privacy. It also lies just a minute or two walk through the forest to our lakeshore. However, since this is an internship position, and not a typical volunteering position, we do ask you to take care of your own food. That said, we will do our best to help you keep food costs down. Once the vegetable production gets going, you will be free to use part of that. And IF we slaughter animals for food, then you will get some of that as well. There are plenty of options for fishing, as well.
If you are at all interested, please send me a personal message with a short introduction and whatever questions you may have.
Some reviews from previous volunteers/interns:
G. From Germany (March-October, 2022)
Arthur and Carla are great hosts. I am very grateful for the experience having stayed with them during spring, summer, and autumn. I think an volunteer that stayed before I came, that visited us for one day while I was there, described the experience working together with Arthur perfectly. He said: There is just something special about Arthur, that I have not seen anywhere else with hosts again. He really takes time to show and explain everything, he takes time because he wants you to learn and discover the things the farm has to offer.
I can only agree, Arthur has something special for me as volunteer. His knowledge about nature, about farming especially holistic planned grasing, his way of handling animals, is impressive and inspiring, and I feel deeply grateful to having learned a lot from him. Reflecting back, staying with Arthur and Carla has changed many views on life for me, in a humbling way, as it seems that it brought me closer to reality as it is, away from the ideas and fantasies of Hollywood movies of how life is.
Talking about Arthur, I don't want to forget Carla. Carla is truly wonderful and has a really warm heart, and I've enjoyed her company very much, and she is a great nitter (however I think by now Arthur is probably as good as she is, but then, the years of experience might still keep the overhand). Both, Arthur and Carla really complete each other in the work of the farm. What I find amazing is how they both have gained knowledge about farming and gardening, by trial and error. Trying something one year, it didn't work, trying it differently the next year, and at some point they know how to do it.
Also, the more time I've spend with the two, the more Dutch I started to understand, I wouldn't consider myself a native speaker yet, but I might get there one day :P
Thank you very much, it was a true pleasure and joy to be with you!
O and P, also from Germany (2020 growing season)
At Carlas and Arthurs we were able to make our first volunteering experience and we spent a wonderful time there! We stayed there for four months and had the chance to work in almost every season of the year (summer, autumn and winter).
Our main project was to build a permanent sheep fence on two hectares of grassland. While we built the fence Arthur not only taught us how to take down trees with an axe in a respectful manner and how to actually set it up with 19th century methods but also, he taught us twice as much about the meadow, grazing animals, wild animals, trees etc. In a nutshell, he always took the time to explain everything. Moreover he trusts a lot and is very patient even if you're still a beginner in some things. Besides, Arthur showed us how to carve spoons and Carla taught us how to knit. So we spent nice knitting afternoons while having tea and coffee.
Both of them are really kind people and Carla is always open for a chitchat. It was a nice balance between privacy and spending time together as we lived in a beautiful stuga close to the main house and the lake. We prepared our own food as there is a nice kitchen. A thing that we loved to do after work was swimming and washing in the lake that is only a 2 minutes walk from the stuga.
All in all it was a wonderful time which we will never forget! Thank you so much and we are happy to come back at some point!
