Help Out at Mas Du Diable
Mas du Diable is a 12th century farmstead producing organic food for the kitchen. Throughout the year there is work to be done to restore the land, make it more productive and enhance this ancient landscape.
We welcome people who would like to come and stay with us to help out. Work is normally Five hours per day / five days per week, along with a fair share of day to day household chores. In exchange for your help we provide you with your own room in our beautiful house and all meals and drinks. Helping out at Mas du Diable can be hard work but it is also relaxed, rewarding and hopefully fun.
If you would like to help out at Mas du Diable visit the Helper Exchange website to register or contact us directly.
Jobs vary depending on the season and we do try to tailor jobs to what skills you have to bring or would like to learn. As well as the regular seasonal tasks we generally have a few projects on the go. This year we knocked out our old kitchen and built a new one, constructed a new 16m (50ft) polytunnel, expanded the vegetable gardens, laid paths and started work repairing and building new dry stone walls. We still plan to renovate the flower gardens and renovate the existing orchard this year. Next year our plans include; putting in new boar proof fencing (electric), building an outdoor kitchen (stone and mortar), building an outdoor compost toilet (cordwood), building a cabin (cord wood) and putting in a new irrigation system.
As well as the special projects and general maintenance around the house and gardens, tasks come with the seasons.
Winter/Spring
- Preparing new ground for cultivation
- Preparing crop beds
- Sowing & planting spring/summer crops
- Land clearing and strimming
- Fencing and path repairs
- Coppicing
- Green woodworking
- Wood cutting (firewood and cordwood)
- Dry stone walling
- Watering, weeding and mulching
- Preparing summer crop beds
- Sowing & planting summer/autumn crops
- Harvesting & preserving
- Preparing compost and manure
- Land clearing and strimming
- Harvesting and preserving
- Pruning
- Watering, weeding and mulching
- Seed Saving
- Harvesting & preserving
- Garden structures
- Sowing autumn/winter and polytunnel crops
- Preparing compost and manure
- Pruning
- Land clearing and strimming
- Dry stone walling
- Harvesting & preserving
- Sowing spring and polytunnel crops
- Planting & restructuring; trees, bushes and perennials.
- Wood cutting (firewood)
- Coppicing
- Pruning
- Fencing
- Dry stone walling
- Green woodworking
- Land clearing and strimming
Guest Book
Nicole bold (24) Helper June 1 - 25, 2006
From: United States
My month at Mas Du Diable was a great one. It is a place where both the sun and the stars shine brightly. Laura and Rachel are such wonderful people and shared so much of their knowlege and time with me. The landscape is beautiful.. lined with stone terraces and leafy green trees. There is plenty of work to be done and lots of fun to be had during the off days and hours. Plus, there are 3 adorable cats wandering around and one aloof ancient sheep who haunts the hills. I feel lucky to have stumbled on such lovely hosts.
Graham Moffitt and Renee Holbrook Helpers August 13 -31, 2006
From: Australia
We stayed with Rachel and Laura for what was going to be 1 week ended up being 2 1/2 wonderful weeks. We worked on a range of projects, from helping build a polytunnel to laying stone paths to weaving a compost bin. Rachel and Laura are very fexiable with the tasks that need to be done and made sure we were never bored. The nights usually consisted of a cook off between Rachel and Laura and ourselves and was always compilmented with nice wine. Their lovely farm is quite isloted but the views are something else. They made sure we saw everything the local region has to offer, taking us out for day trips. Most of all they made their home welcoming and for whose 2 1/2 weeks we thought we actually did live there. We will be back to check on that polytunnel Laura......
