Family home and garden - rural, Homestead, Eco Retreat, Woodlot
Västra Götaland
The farm is situated around 45 minutes northeast from Gothenburg in a beautiful woodland area. We moved to our homestead from Austria in 2018 and have been developing it since: planting a vegetable garden, building a root cellar, a larger greenhouse and turning the existing monoculture forest into a more biodiverse deciduous and coniferous forest. We have at the moment a young dog but no other animals. We look forward to expanding this part of our homestead. Our aim is to develop a sustainable Permaculture and to live as self-sufficiently as possible, generating our own water, heating source (currently wood) and energy and waste water management. On our homestead we presently have a barn and 2 houses, one where you would stay. There are individual bedrooms in the guest house and a kitchen and living room with log burner, as well as bathroom and laundry facilities. Internet is available. This gives you a bit of privacy and the freedom to sometimes prepare your own meals, if you prefer, but we also love to eat and come together every day and discover everyone’s culinary traditions.
Our homestead surrounds a large lake where you can swim, fish or canoe. The nearest village is 8km away and provides the usual stores, banks, a library, medical center, restaurants and a railway station with direct link to Gothenburg, one of Sweden’s cultural cities.
We are looking for wwoofers to join us for a 1 week or longer. Every day here is a little different, depending on the seasons and weather so the work can be varied and we are looking for people who are happy to get involved. It can range from forestry work (planting trees, clearing undergrowth, making woodchips to build up soil fertility); fencing and dry stone walling; gardening work (vegetable planting, harvesting, weeding, making compost, cutting grass, working on our potato field); mushroom and blueberry harvesting; jam and sourdough bread making; and looking after the house you are staying in. We welcome people with any skill and experience level and look forward to teaching you about ecological forestry, permaculture and self-sufficiency.
About us:
Anna and Gerhard are in their early 60s and have 3 adult daughters, the eldest of which (Julia) is an artist who lives on the homestead where she has her ceramics studio. Anna is a life-coach and personal development trainer, working most of her time on the computer with customers all over Europe. She grew up in the northern part of Italy (Alto Adige) before moving to Vienna, Austria, where she and Gerhard met and raised their daughters. Gerhard is a former head of a university department for sustainable architecture in Austria, working many years on ecological buildings and construction and during the last decade he developed and sold a software for building documentation. We are a multi-cultural family, love to meet people from all over the world and are passionate about the environment, climate change action and self-sufficiency.
Future projects:
We have a mix of small and large projects in the planning. The big projects will be executed in phases, e.g. the construction of a straw-bale barn starting with the foundations, cutting down the timbers for the barn from the woods, milling them, building the timber frame, constructing the straw-bale walls, building and planting the green roof. Smaller projects include, for example, furniture making and joinery work, building a chicken coop, painting timber cladding and chopping wood. We are also just at the beginning of developing a Japanese garden on part of the property with a little lake and brook.
Organic methods: Mulching, Permacultur, biological pest control, composting
Certifications: we are not certified
Current projects:
This year (2026), we plan to create several terraced garden beds and hope to establish a good irrigation system for them.
In July 2026, a very special event will take place here – the wedding of one of my daughters. We are expecting many guests, and this year we’ll be focusing more on flowers than on vegetables. Much of the work will be about making the place even more beautiful and preparing it for the celebration. We want to present our land in its best light and look forward to welcoming helping hands for this joyful occasion.
Additionally, work on constructing our own hall for machinery and workshops will continue in 2026.
Internet access available Loop
Read more
Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Forestry
Wild foraging
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Bakery
Traditional crafts
Green Building
Food justice / sovereignty
Mechanics / tools / technology
Methods or systems
Biological pest control
Permaculture
Regenerative agriculture
Host type
Self-sufficiency property
12.7
Hectares
|
31.4
Acres
Gerhard
Member since 2021
Languages spoken:
English, German, Italian, Swedish
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 100%
Response time: typically within 1 day
Västra Götaland
Airport: Landvetter Airport (Gothenburg), Train-/Bus-Station: Bollebygd
Reviews
Susie
France
•
December 2025
I spent the whole month of Novembre at Anna and Gerhard homestead.
The tasks were very varied : building a gardeshed, chopping firewood, raking died leaves, harvesting and cooking the kale. And of course walking with Tio their lovely dog.
We also took turns cooking for each other, which was great for discovering new dishes and sharing good times over meals.
In your free time, you can make lots of walks around the lakes, visit Gothenburg, and if you're not afraid about cold water try the Scandinavian morning swimming.
Gerhard knows a lot about woodwork and has never ending project ideas. Anna is very cheerful and always makes sure we're doing well.
They're very welcoming people, I never felt homesick !
Read more
Semjon
Switzerland
•
November 2025
Ein toller Hof! Es gibt viele Möglichkeiten von den Hosts zu lernen, sie teilen gerne und grosszügig ihre Erfahrungen. Gerhard weiss sehr viel, vor Allem über Wald und Baum. Unsere Arbeit bestand zum grossen Teil aus Holzarbeit, wie das Bauen einiger Hochbeete. Dazu kam mehrmals in der Woche das Kochen für alle Anwesenden, eine Herausforderung, aber auch Erfahrung.
Dieser Hof ist für "Wwoof-Anfänger*innen" sicher super geeignet, weil hier das System gekannt und geschätzt wird.
Read more
Ariel
Sweden
•
October 2025
I'm so happy I did my first ever WWOOF here! I was really nervous but Gerhard and his family made me feel completely at home quickly. Before I agreed to go, we had a conversation where the expectations of the schedule were laid out, which gave me a lot of peace of mind. It was obvious to me the entire time that my experience was important to Gerhard and Anna, I felt cared for and respected. I am thankful they let me be a part of the story of their beautiful home!
Read more
Cathrin
Denmark
•
October 2025
I spent two weeks with Anna, Gerhard, and Julia, and I truly enjoyed my time there - they are a kind and warm family, who welcomed me into their home from the first day. Most of the days we spent outside, and the tasks I had were both interesting and fun - fx helping arranging new garden beds, harvesting kale and basil, and making pesto and fermenting, often together with Gerhard who generously explained everything. The nature around the farm is magical - lake and forest right outside, with great hiking paths. I enjoyed all the delicious shared meals, conversations over Fika (coffee break), mushroom foraging, and playing with their adorable dog, Zio.
I feel so grateful for the experience, and lucky to have found such a special place.
Can only recommend to wwoof here!🌸
Read more
Marlene
Germany
•
October 2025
I was able to spend four weeks on Gerhard and Anna's beautiful spot. I felt at home from the very beginning and wasn't homesick for a second. You're surrounded by breathtaking nature, and you can go on great hikes right from your doorstep. Every day, you can learn something new, whether it's craft skills or interesting facts. The work is very relaxing, and in the evenings, you can fall asleep dead in bed. ;) It was an incredible time, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Thank you, Gerhard, Anna, Julia, and Zio.
Read more
Hinderk
Netherlands
•
August 2025
Super ervaring opgedaan bij Gerhard . Prachtige werkplek , maar vooral heel lieve vriendelijke Mensen , die je echt een thuisgevoel geven .
