RANCHO ROMANTICA DE RED - ecofarm

Location: North-East of Poland, Warmian-Masurian, 17km from Olecko, 158km from Olsztyn

I have got 11 ha certified organic friendly farm in the North East of Poland. My farm is situated among few small lakes and fish ponds. Some storks found home on my yard and nest here every year and a small river is crossing the farm in the middle of the farm.

I am a creative romantic woman, a dreamer, a naturalist, a lover of living in harmony with nature. I appreciate everything what is authentic,  natural and pure. I can speak English, some German and Russian. 9 years ago I decided to sell my flat in a centre of a big polish city called Stettin and move 700 km from the city to the Masurian farm, which is situated 2km from a tiny village called Czukty [chukty].

I run my farm on my own since 2002. I used to have herd of 50 goats, including 20 milking goats, 4 cows, 40 chickens, some gees and rabbits. Presently I have got 4 amazing, incredibly beautiful horses, 9 goats, 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 hens. My animals are friendly and funny. I love to watch them and play with them :)

At my farm you can see and hear hundreds of wild birds nesting in my farm close to ponds or in my wood (I have got 1 ha forest). You can also hear hundreds frogs and see hundreds edible snails which I can prepare for you for dinner if you wish… :)

Two years ago I have planted young orchard. It was 1800 young fruit trees. I have planted the orchard mostly on my own with my own hardworking hands  – it was incredibly hard job,  impossible for one person to be done, but I have done it.

Then for the first time since I live here I was looking for some help and gave my ad in the net and later, when I was offer to take part in WWOOF program, I decided it would be great idea since I have lots of other jobs to be done as well and from the other side – I have the most beautiful farm in the Masurian Lake District and also I have got 9 years of experience in farming on my own, so I am experienced farmer now and I can share my knowledge and experience with others who can learn from me lots of things about surviving, farming, breeding, growing, planting etc. I am a real ecologist and fun of living close to nature. I am real eco farmer.

I have established a closed cycle - linkage of a plant crop with an animal breeding - as the eco-farming system. When necessary I also water plants with water from my ponds and trickles, cos its natural and the water from ponds and trickles is the best for plants – it has minerals and it is soft and warm.

Jobs on my farm may vary. You may expect planting and pruning trees, picking vegetables, fruits and herbs, fertilising the crop, milking goats, making jams and dairy products, building and renovating, cutting wood, collecting branches, making hay, feeding animals, removing manure and cleaning stables. You may be asked for whitening walls, plastering, mortaring and panelling. You may be asked for training horses if you know how to do it and if you have experience in training horses.

I do not have rural machines, so a lot of handwork is required such as preparing seed earth, seedbeds, sowing, planting, weeding, harvesting, maintenance work.

I am a quite good cook and I am open to exotic cuisine as well as to typical polish cuisine. I think I have inherited cooking talents after my Granny and Mum. I also bake my own bread and fry delicious thick pancakes everyday. I also like to make pudding base on goat milk. The same panecakes are made from goat milk and I use wonderful eggs from my free range hens. Inside the eggs is orange! Meaning, my hends give very healthy and valuable eggs. In my kitchen I use herbs from my meadows and from my herb garden. Once a week I bake special cake.

WWOOFers will be accommodated in a bedroom with bathroom in my house or on the large attic with hay or in the tent at one of my charming meadows. Bathrooms with running cold and hot water are in my farm house in which I live. I am carnivore and I do love meat, but all vegans and vegetarians are welcome.

More information you can find at my site: http://www.ranchoromanticaderedecofarm.blogspot.com/