Contact, preferably via mail: Admin@ hastekasen.se
Telephone: +46 (0)760 450850 ( send text)
Address:
Hästekasvägen 6
451 96 Uddevalla
Sweden
Map
Nearest bus stop: Bokenäs skola, Uddevalla. (4 km away)
Bus 841 from Gothenburg
Description of location:
At the end of a dirt road, very quiet, lots of nature.
11 hectare Woodland, stone hills, fields. (map:1:8) ,
Neighbor (map:1:14/15) is Agne and Ulla Olausson
800 meters from the sea (Koljöfjorden).
The farm has part in a harbour.
1000 meters from climbing (level 4).
35 km to a major climbing area.
15 km to shops and buses (Torp, Uddevalla (eurolines, flixbus)).
15 km to Lysekil, summer marine activity town.
90 km from Gothenburg
VISIT
In need of visitors that share skills/knowledge, visitors that can inspire, and be inspired.
Enquiry via: info @ hastekasen.se
1) Study visit – if you are interested in how we have organised our homestead, solving issues around: food production, water, sewage, warmth, shelter, recycling, compost e t c. And get a tour around our foodgarden and our natural buildings methods (low budget, natural, DIY), using stone, log, sand, clay, straw, moss e t c. Also a tour around our “fantasy area”
2-3 hours inkl “fika”, 10 euro per person, minimum/maximum 30 euro.
2) Couchsurfing:
If you are independant and feel that you fit into the vision, visit us during 24 hours. You must bring your own bed linen or sleeping bag.
(Longer stay? See more below).
3) Volonteer: We may accept woofers of workawayers if you fit in and have a skill that we lack here. Mostly we recieve Erasmus+ Europeean Solidarity corps volonteers.
4) “Bed & Breakfast” (only come if you like our vision/activities):
Rent a bed for 20 euro a day. A bed a pillow and a blanket, outhouse toilet, cold shower, firewood for outside fire, sauna, wifi.
Bring your own bed linen/ sleeping bag or pay 8 euro extra.
You can also live in a big tent in our fantasy forest (15 euro/day/person)
Pay on arrival.
Do not approach the yellow house, go to the red house..
Maybe: Pick up at Bokenäs skola (5km away) 4 euro.
Account holder: Hästekasen Gård Förening
IBAN: SE635 000 000 0051801022429
BIC: ESSSESESS
Org# 802466-7506
EVS #ID 2012-SE-33
2015-1-SE02-KA110-001183
PIC: 948304690
OID: E10020170
VISITING HÄSTEKASEN longer than a day
You must first get an invitation, by:
– Reading, investigating as much as you can about Hästekasen.
– Presenting yourself in an e-mail.
– Maybe answering some questions.
– Visit first (March->October)
Possibilities:
1) Visit the place (if arranged by mail conversation)
Come for a day (or for a few days if you travel from far).
You are welcome as a guest for a day or two.
After that:
15 euro a day, simple (very simple) accommodation (summer), simple food.
Take part in household work and some community work.
Come with hiking boots, back pack and sleeping bag or bed linen (because then you will fit in better).
PS. Drug free place! Do not use nicotine. Keep your mobile in your bag/sleeping place. We eat mostly vegetarian. We sometimes slaughter and eat meat.
We have about 100-300 visitors a year, often through courses or Erasmus activities.
STAYING AT HÄSTEKASEN
A longer stay?
If you wish to stay longer you must ask yourself:
- Could you be included in a Erasmus/ESC/EU financed project?
- Do you have essential competences that HFA needs?
- Can you pay for your own expenses?
- Can you legally stay in Sweden?
- Does HFA even have suitable accommodation for you?
- Does your personality fit in with the vision, not only the goals, but also the methods.
- Can you really handle simple living (during winter?).
Monthly costs for one person staying a Hästekasen.
- 50 euro, “Property/land fee”, for just being at Hästekasen (covering expenses related to the property/land/development)
- 50 euro for “front yard services”, using certain Hästekasen services, some buildings/equipment/water/ some electricity / wifi.
- 50 euro for “main house services” (basically in order to enter it and be there at times).
- 50-200 euro for an accommodation (Where 50 is for a simple caravan or tent or similar, 200 is winter insulated (poorly) and still simple).
- Food/household is extra: about 200 euro per month.
Minimum: 400 euro a month + household work + 20 hours (a month) community work.
– Please note that on top of payment, you must work 20 hours a month.
If you temporarily can not do that, you must pay 200 euros extra a month., but our vision includes everyone to be involved (a certain level of practical skills are needed to exist here).
-> All these fees to be paid in advance, one month ahead.
– All above does not include use of a car in any way.
– The fee will be reduced if there are business activities on the farm that affects your access to certain resources. Could be reduced 2 euros a day in such cases.
So basically, if you study our fees/cost of living you will notice that they are way lower than normal costs in Swedish society. This is because we share costs, and because we live simple.
Exchange work for living costs?
Many people contact us and want to stay here and exchange work for living costs.
There are two problems with this:
1) You may not have competences that are useful here right now.
1b) You have competences (or claim to have) but we can not validate them, we would have to spend time double checking you until we know, and basically have one person on stand by ready to do the work if you fail. So we do not gain any time, since you would need back up.
1c) There is also the risk that you may injure yourself, someone else, or damage something here. (So far during 5 years of volunteers a value of around 4000+ euro has been damaged).
We simply do not know you – you are just “an e-mail”.
2) Most (a clear majority) of the “work” here is not work that generate income, it is just basic running of an alternative farm / learning center. Lots of work leads mostly to “learning” through trial and error. So your work may most likely not generate enough income to pay for your costs. Or you would have to work many many hours for little in return.
-> You may, though, be part of the minority that contacts us that actually have competences we need that will generate income (or lead to saved expenses), and you know it. Be sure to convince us about that – we appreciate competence. It´s all about “delivering”. We are constantly looking for carpenter skills, construction, mechanics…
So if you still believe you could exchange essential competence for living costs you would have to do the following:
- Pay for your stay: minimum 400 euros for at least a month, and do the community work. And also…
- Work alongside us for free, taking on responsibility, and maybe (maybe weeks/months later) some real work (that generates income) appears that you can do and we are sure you can do.
So yes you would have to work for free and pay as well. But the idea is that you would learn things about this place, how it functions (informal learning).
Willing to learn?
Many people state that they are very enthusiastic about what (they think) is happening here and are willing to learn and work hard, some even say they are fast learners.
There are many challenges with this:
- We have over the years noticed that it varies greatly what people consider “hard work”…
- Peoples efficiency varies greatly.
Sometimes (very often) it is faster for a skilled leader to do a work him/herself than asking 3 volunteers. - And the volunteers doing a work needs more or less constant guidance, and there is no one here that gets paid to teach volunteers (unless it is a funded project).
- The perception of what is “fast learning” varies greatly, sometimes a person needs to be shown many times how something is done. Most often people lack methods of how to learn. Many don´t even take notes when receiving information, and do not rehearse themselves… and needs to be shown again. (Or pretends to understand and does something wrong).
Here… small mistakes can lead to big consequences.
So you may say you want to learn, but…
There is currently no one here available to teach you skills for free. We are busy working for our livelihood.
These are the realities we work with. What we do have to be sustainable – economically.
Community life is challenging. Surviving on the countryside is challenging.
LIVING OFF THE LAND?
Yes that is one of the “goals”. Some food can off course be produced. Even energy and tools e t c. The idea is to be more independent from society (as few bills and possible).
If society is built on resilient units – the whole society will be stronger
The main strategy here is “simple living” and shared costs. Currently some people connected to Hästekasen works with: tourism, courses, youth work (camps). And also work on the “outside”.
Entrepreneurs with work ethics could probably make their living here quite easy. For instance: if someone would like to grow food here, Hästekasen would probably buy all of it.
SIMPLE LIVING (less ecological footprint)
Less than 18 degrees in the room (wear slippers), less warm showers, less laundry, laundry by hand, low standard of house, mice/ants/spiders can get into your room, fridge does not always have what you are used to eating (we sometimes eat meat, especially what we slaughtered ourselves, if you eat meat: you must slaughter).
HOW TO FIT IN
Well… show work ethics, learn fast and take responsibility. As soon as possible learn the names of places, know knots, know how to make a fire, orientate yourself, keep tidy/clean in common areas, don´t be lazy, be willing to share your emotions/thoughts, be pro active, be aware (notice) and care (fix the problem).
STAYING REALLY LONG?
No real idea to talk about that, since you would have to be here a lot before even considering it.
The future goal of Hästekasen is a small village (only small simple houses). Shared areas and privately governed areas (according to shared rules/vision).
But still, the bank owns a lot, and one major owner. So more investments is needed in order to transfer (parts of) the property into foundation or similar.
We would also like likeminded people to buy adjacent land.
Can you invest money?
LEASE LAND LONG TERM
– Can you commit longer?
– Invest money?
– Lease land long term + build mini house?
– Pay for many years in advance (so that the bank can be paid off)?
Get more influence over what is happening here.
Sign a lease contract with rights and obligations.
Monthly costs for one person LEASING at Hästekasen with their own mini house.
- 600 euro per year (incl property expenses).
- 600 euro per year for “front yard services”, using certain Hästekasen services, buildings/equipment.
- 600 euro per year for “main house services” (basically in order to enter it and be there at times).
Paid always at least one year in advance. As a sign of commitment.
Food/household is extra: about 200 euro per month.
Please note that on top of payment, you must work 20 hours a month.
If you temporarily can not do that, you must pay 200 euros extra a month.
All above does not include use of a car in any way.
The fee will be reduced if there are business activities on the farm that affects your access to certain resources. Could be reduced 2 euros a day in such cases.
SUSTAINABLE?
What does that mean (to you)?
Ecological? That your lifestyle does not leave a too big “footprint” on the planet?
Energy? That you are not using too much resources that is included in energy production?
Economy? Making sure that you are yourself are creating the resources you need (want) or use?
You may not believe in “the system”. In capitalism?
Hästekasen is critical to parts of the “system”, in how “civilization” is organized, the priorities of politics… e t c
Still – Hästekasen IS part of the economical system, we use money. We value things in money, since it is a effective way of measuring value. If in an “exchange work for food/accommodation situation” we will have to put a price to your work – not by hour – but by what you actually “produce”.
Money IS a good way of setting value to the things we share between us. Food still costs money, things you use (lend) still cost money. The shops are not part of the exchange economy.
Our “green” approach is described here
Are we self sustainable? Not really. Read more.
PS. No we are not a role model permaculture homestead – even if inspired by some principles.
So Hästekasen is not green hippies, it is green entrepreneurs.