The van Rooyens are a family of five humans. The farmwife, Nina is a social entrepreneur with a deep passion for agriculture, people and food. The farm-husband Rob, is a carpenter with university business skills, art lover of big proportions as well as being an enthusiastic cross-country runner. The farm children are Noah 15, Eli 10 and Maja 4. The children have various interests in the farm. Eli is the farm´s own chicken entrepreneur and is in charge of our 15 hens and our rooster Big Boy. Eli is a real animal whisperer and is the one of us that knows all of our animals the best. Maja is an avid gardener and helps the farmwife often in gardening chores. Maja is the proud owner of our strawberry patch. Noah is the perfect host and sometimes helps out during events. When not on the farm Noah makes sure that the town of Örebro keeps interesting while he works hard on preparing for future academic studies.
Our extended family consists of all of our animals. In the house with us lives our eccentric husky-mix Thandiwe and our quirky and cute corgi Ida. With us in the house and on the farm are our three cats. The farm-queen Knasboll, is a yetblack farmcat in control of the whole farm, including us. Charles, the main-coon cat is large, friendly and not the brightest of the bunch. Lastly, Märta, is our tortoise colored farmcat that is a real cuddlebug indoors and a wildcat outdoors.
Our fifteen sheep are also part of the family. They all have different personalities and most of them have old farm names such as Nettan, Rutan, Doris och Kajsa. We love our sheep and all that meets them agree that sheep are wonderful animals. This year we are to have cows for the first time! We will update you on that journey as soon as they arrive.
For the first time we are offering a work and stay/internship for two people here on Långbyn. Preferably we would like our interns to stay for a minimum of 3 months. This is to ensure the best learning opportunity as well as the continuity the farm needs. Sweden has very distinct seasons and by staying for 3 months or more you will be part of at least one seasonal shift. All the seasons here on the farm come with different tasks and opportunities for learning.
We are looking for driven and reliable people that have a deep interest in smallholder farming and animal husbandry. At Långbyn you will work in the vegetable garden, tend our animals, and assist us with our AirBnBs and occasional events. This is a fantastic “learning while doing” experience. Most of your learning will be provided by Nina. Nina has vast knowledge in vegetable gardening as well as in animal husbandry as well as how to successfully run a small scale business. Nina is on the board of the local agricultural union and is passionate about all things related to agriculture, both policies, politics and practical “hands on” farming.
The first Internship/ work and stay opportunity starts on the first of April 2026. This being the first time for us as hosts it will be a great learning curve for us too. We need our first interns to have patience, understanding, good work ethics and the ability to complete tasks on their own. If you are interested in animal husbandry this year is an especially good year for you. At the end of April/beginning of May it is time for our 13 ewes to lamb. You are expected to be a hands on help to Nina during this busy time. This time requires early mornings and sometimes evening work.
As soon as we can release all sheep out on grazing we are getting two calves
that will require bottle feeding and a lot of tending to.
A long side assisting us with our animals you are expected to assist in the garden. You will be part of everything from cultivation to harvesting and storing. Be ready for a lot of weeding and watering. This time of the year is an excellent opportunity to learn a lot about self sustainability in food production. Nina has a lot of tips and tricks to learn from.
Furthermore you are expected to assist us in the upkeep and cleaning of our three AirBnBs. The AirBnBs are a very important income for us as it makes us able to keep the animals and run Långbyn. Being creative in generating different income streams is a big part of being a sustainable smallholder farm.
Preferably we are looking for a couple, alternatively two close friends. This is to ensure that you will have the best experience here on the farm. If you are interested please send a letter presenting yourself, your interests as well as what you think you can bring to Långbyn!
You will have access to your very own cottage. You have your own fully equipped kitchen to cook for yourself. You will also be able to join the van Rooyen family for meals.
At Långbyn Garden Cottage you will find peace, tranquility and wide open spaces. This cozy little cottage is nesstled between forest and summer paddocks. Looking over your garden you will enjoy magnificent views across farm lands all the way down to the lake. This is classic 'summer cottage' living with no running water (fresh drinking water is provided) and a outhouse for ablutions. You have access to our private jetty at the lake. A perfect escape to nature for couples or small families.
We are avid lovers of art, music and food. Örebro is a vibrant city and we host some events ourselves on the farm. The farm consists of beautiful forest walks and we have our own private jetty down at the lake. There is also great hiking and nature experiences nearby (for example: Bergslagsleden, Hjälmaren, Nora). You can also use our bicycles during your stay and we have a bus stop close by. You have your own private parking space for vehicles of all sizes.
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Poultry farming
Sheep or goat farming
Forestry
Wild foraging
Flower farming
Seed saving or production
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Traditional crafts
Methods or systems
Biological pest control
Permaculture
Rotational grazing
Host type
Production farm
55
Hectares
|
135.9
Acres
