Välkommen till Hästekasen Gård

About Hästekasen Farm
Farm on the west coast of Sweden,
90 kilometers north of Gothenburg - map
E-mail: info @hastekasen.se, sebastian @arrandir.se
Mobile: 0721-51 22 44, (0729-73 29 99) (0761-981224)
Owner: Sebastian living here mostly with 4-5 other persons.
Dog, cat, bees, ducks, hens and sheep.

12 hectare Woodland, stone hills, fields. (map:1:8) ,
Neighbour (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).

At the end of a dirt road, very quiet, lots of nature.
15 km to shops and buses (Torp, Uddevalla (eurolines/swebus)).
15 km to Lysekil, summer marine activity town.
Local bus station: Bokenäs skola (4 km away) Bus 841 from Gothenburg.

We are building up a farm and a retreat center (yoga, diving, outdoor activities). Small scale farming and a few animals. At times lots of intense building going on. At times laid back back and time for talks, walks, cooking and outdoor activities.

As a couchsurfer - join couchsurfing and ask for a visit. Stay one day as guest. If you stay 2-3 days: start contributing with work.

As a wwoofer - apply for a work-stay at Hästekasen farm. We have limited spaces and only for 14 days - after that consider becoming member of the collective for shorter/longer period (se below). Please be detailed in your aplication, and do show your face, we show ours. Best chance for an invitation is to come the weeks around midsummer.

As a wanderer/nomad - if you bike, walk, ride, hitchhike and need a shelter, firewood, a clear stream, and an outhouse. Just come by (call before, if you have a mobile) 0721 51 22 44, 0729-73 29 99. In summer we may be very busy and you may only be advised to use an old caraban in the forest and take care of your self.

As a participant on courses - we have yogaretreats every season, freediving courses all summer, paintball days, adventure days, permaculture courses.

As a member of the collective - if you fit in, stay. Share costs: minimum 100 skr a day. (Most of the farm is owned by the bank - so we have to work hard to pay interest rates and secure the economic future of the farm). Residents ar expected to work 1-2 hours outside. Enjoy - contribute.

Renting a shed or camping van - parts of the year these very simple accomodations are available for rent. Very simple!

As a friend - as you know we are working all the time, specially during summer. If you pass by, come, if we are not in the middle of a course.

We have bicycles, canous, rowing boat.

Visitors - please understand this is a working place - we may not have time for you!

Meet the swedes:
International eco-community Hastekasen Farm
A small-scale nature/adventure bohemian simple lifestyle farm.
Forest walks all around, and the sea 800 meters away.

Film:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppDDOJMMBQw

We do manual farming and buildings with natural material, also a lot of courses.

We offer:
-> SLEEP in a windbreak shelter and open fire, or in a simple treehouse. Madras and blanket and dry toilet and water from the stream. Nature reserve, walks, farm animals and some wild animals. Bring your own food.
-> If there is no course you are offered to EAT with us.
-> If you stay a few days then join us in the farm work and also pay for food.

You can also rent the following:
- Cabin, small with three beds 15 euro per person/per day
Including blanket and pillow, electrical stove, outside solar heated shower, cold running water, fireplace under roof, wifi, pick up from bus station.
(Bed linen 15 euro per person (once), preferably bring your own.)
or
-> Military tent in the forest, with standing room, space for a whole family. 10 euro per person/day.
- Food 10 euro a day
- Canoe 25 euro/day
- Rowing boat 20 euro/day
- Bicycles 5 euro/day
- Paintball 25 euro (min 6 people)
- Archery hide and seek 20 euro (min 6 people)
- Other spontaneous activities may occur

We don't smoke, seldom eat meat, no drugs, keep sober.

To understand the vision of Hastekasen farm you may benefit from watching this film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOMWzjrRiBg&t=699s

Vision

Back to nature. It is a way to live an alternative lifestyle on the countryside away from urban life. We still have a car, electricity and internet access - but nature is more present and sometimes in control.

1) Resettle the countryside with farming hands.
Manual labour (karma yoga) as a way to harmonic life.

2) Self sustainability through low scale ecological farming/forestry/animal products.

3) Courses/retreats with yoga, freediving, outdoor and adventure activities, farming. Personal development through activity.

4) Learning/knowledge/tradition. Finding and practicing skills from before the monoculture specialist farming.
Use of permaculture principles.

5) The sea and the forest as places for recreation and rehabilitation and education. The experience of living close to nature.

6 ) No drugs, no smoking - very little cofee, mostly vegetarian food and very little sugar. No TV.

Visitors - if you come to work, please be warned that we work hard/a lot. This is not a place to be lazy.

Hästekasen förening är aktiv/delaktig i: JAK, Wwoofing, couchsurfing, omställningsrörelsen, Alternativ.nu, Ero (ekobyarnas riksorganisation), Global ecovillages network.

Delar av verksamheten drivs av den ideella föreningen Fridykning.se, samt Hästekasen förening.

Här har det bott folk länge:
Ryttaren Per Gran född omkring 1698.
Död 1768-03-01 i Hästekasen, St Bräcke, Bokenäs.
Äktad Anna Håkansdotter född 1688-09-16 i Östra Stale, Bokenäs (O).
Död 1770-01-07 i Hästekasen, Bokenäs.
Det finns fornlämningar vid dalens början som härstammar från stenåldern, troligen följde stammar inlandsisens tillbakadragande och hittade en strand vid Hästekasen (som idag ligger 40 meter ovan havet). Konstigt nog var det varmare än i dag vid inlandsisens kant (som drog sig tillbaka 500 meter per år!)

Small field surrounded by woods and stonehills.

Adolf och Maria Kling bodde och verkade på Hästekasen mellan 1907 och 1952. Adolf byggde ladan vi ser i bakgrunden där paret hade en ko, gris och får.

Ingenting

Det finns olika skäl att söka sig till landet. En dragning till själva landet, naturen, djuren, odlingen, självhushållningen. Det finns ett värde i att för en kortare eller längre tid leva nära naturen i en icke urban miljö. Om man bortser från den rent visuella skillnaden där landet kännetecknas av färre fordon, färre byggnader och istället mer natur, så är den avgjort största skillnaden mellan staden och landet ljudnivån. I en stad finns ett bakgrundsbrus av trafik och fläktar. Där stiger och faller hela tiden ljudnivåen. Motorcyklar passerar, sirener passerar, tunga bussar dundrar förbi, byggnads- och gatuarbeten. Dessa ljud vänjer vi oss vid och märker till slut knappt. Vi kan blunda, men vi kan inte stänga öronen. Hörseln är vårt primära sinne för att upptäcka fara. Sinnet är kopplat till "kamp och flykt systemet" i vårt nervsystem. Den höga ljudnivån och de plöstliga ljuden skapar en underliggande stress, en ständig stress. I staden befinner vi oss ofta i "larmberedskap".

Ljudnivån i staden döljer också naturliga ljud från naturen, eventuella djur och människors prat. Inte bara tystnaden försvinner, de små ljuden försvinner.

Tystnaden är en resurs. Och som alla andra resurser så kan den försvinna.Det finns mycket att säga om detta, och kanske kan andra tillföra substans till resonemanget som praktiska tips för hur vi kan handskas med ljud. Värdera tystnaden och vårda den! Tystnaden är utrotningshotad.