Messages from our volunteers…..
Karima
France 2024
It was a pleasure spending time at Plasymaes with this wonderful family. I felt at ease, and the family ensured my comfort throughout my stay. My main tasks during that period included potting, harvesting, and a bit of weeding. My experience was also unique, as everyone welcomed my curiosity and there was so much to discover and learn. I had the chance to try new activities, including art and construction work! I would definitely recommend this family as they, I think, truly embody the spirit of WWOOFing.
Sara
Canada 2024
Volunteering with Julia's family has been hands-down my favourite WWOOFing experience. What an honour to join this family for two months and take part in their work towards a shared vision of self-sustainability and ethical land stewardship; it's been inspiring to witness them dreaming and following through on so many different projects, and their kind collaboration with one another.
I felt so well provided-for as a volunteer; work was varied, and the interests and preferences of everyone working there were considered and accounted for. I lived comfortably in one of the glamping pods in the retreat field, and shared a cozy separate WWOOFer space with other volunteers. We all collectively enjoyed delicious dinners together at the end of every workday and occasional board game nights-- and, at the same time, I loved the opportunity to be alone in nature without even leaving the property; walking through the enchanted woodlands that border the land was such a gift during my time there.
I can't recommend these hosts highly enough; this was a hard one to leave. Big, big thanks to the whole family; I'm looking forward to following along and seeing where else your journey on the land takes you.
Clem
United Kingdom 2024
It's hard to put into words the magic and wonders of Plasymaes. Julia, Stuart, Heather and the family have transformed a once abandoned and deserted piece of land into a flourishing ecological haven combining sustainable agricultural practices and rewilding projects. They are the friendliest and most welcoming family, and made us feel at home right away. Stuart was very good at explaining everything and answering any questions we had. The work was varied which kept things exciting and interesting each day. They also treated us to some delicious home cooked meals (shout out to Julia's veggie koulibiac!). I wish we could've extended our stay, but I know we will definitely be back and I would recommend it to anyone.
Alienor
France 2024
I had a fabulous time in Plasymaes. Stuart and Hannah are really adorable and they are people with whom I had a lot of fun. They made me discover a lot of things and made me meet a lot of people. Every time they invited us to their activities and always sought not to be bored. In general, the whole family is very welcoming. Heather and her daughter are very kind and very friendly. And Julia is very sweet and prepares us good little dishes. Right away I felt integrated into the family. The activities are varied and on weekends I was happy to be able to discover the country one day and share moments/activities another day. I highly recommend this place since you will have a very pleasant time.
Kelly
United States 2024
My very first wwoofing experience was beyond successful thank you to everyone at Plasymaes. They made me feel at home the moment I got there. We were given a variety of tasks such as: weeding, harvesting berries, collecting comfrey leaves to make into compresses to relieve inflammation, making black currant cordial, taking wooden planks for steps to walk down to the creek, and etcetera. Always a wide range of tasks that can even pertain to your interests. I enjoyed having an equal balance between socialization and down time. The weekday communal dinners were wonderful filled with board games afterwards or even a game of pool- as well as occasional outings to a nearby waterfall or even to a poetry night. The land was rather peaceful and beautiful to walk. I highly recommend volunteering here!
Lena
France 2024
The Atkins family welcomed me so kindly, my wwoofing experience with them was great. The work they gave me was various and they were always making sure I was happy with my tasks. Stuart and Hannah were trying to make us discover new places and do activities together, but were also respectful of our intimicy. Stuart was the main personne I worked with and it was always a pleasure ! He was kind and understanding and always careful of my wellbeing. Julia is charming and makes very good food, it was a real pleasure to meet her ! Heather and her daughter were also here to bring a little joy to the evening meal. I had a very nice couple weeks at Plasymaes !.
Stephanie
United States 2024
I couldn’t have asked for a better WWOOF placement for my first time. The family was incredibly welcoming and generous. The work was varied (weeding, planting, mowing the lawn, misc building/repairing projects) so it never felt dull or monotonous. Their land is quite large and incredibly beautiful, so after work each day I was able to go off and explore the land! And on the weekend, the family was very willing to help me get to the train station to do day trips in the area. I cannot recommend this farm enough; I didn’t want to leave when it was time. I had a truly amazing time here and I certainly would go back.
Dylan
Canada 2024
I had the most wonderful time WWOOFing at Plasymaes in the heart of Wales. From the moment I arrived, I was warmly welcomed by Julia and Stuart (and family), who made me feel like part of their family from day one. Everyone was incredibly kind and hospitable, always ready to share their knowledge and passion for farming. Tasks involved building a wood store, raking grass, cleaning up around the farm, and some weeding in the garden. Stuart was very easy going and happy to work on something that I was interested in doing which made the work enjoyable. In my free time I enjoyed walking around the beautiful farm and exploring all the walking trails throughout the valley. Stuart and Hannah were also very welcoming and invited me to spend some time with them most evenings which I thoroughly enjoyed. Overall, my time at this Welsh farm was unforgettable. The combination of welcoming hosts, stunning scenery, and the chance to contribute to their project made for a really memorable week! If you're looking for a meaningful WWOOFing adventure, I highly recommend considering this farm in Wales
Hao
China 2024
II had a wonderful time with Julia's family, feeling relaxed and welcomed. I particularly enjoyed working on planting in the polytunnel, which brought me a sense of tranquility. The scenery here is stunning, with quiet nights accompanied by the gentle sound of a stream flowing at the foot of the mountains. On clear nights, the sky is adorned with countless stars. During the weekends, Stuart and Hannah also took me to explore the nearby town and go hiking around the farm. I've grown very fond of the atmosphere here, to the extent that even upon returning to the city, I find myself longing for the days spent on the farm. Definitely recommend Julia’s farm to you!
Lydia & Doreen
Germany 2023
It was easily the best trip of our lives. We had a variety of works like seed saving, weeding, harvesting fruits, potting plants or working in the polytunnel and gained so many experiences. Everyone is super awesome and inspirational and we loved spending the evenings with them. They even gave us the opportunities to visit nearby places and showed us the farm on a long hike. Even six weeks later it's hard to believe that everything was real :,)
Thao
France 2023
I spent 11 incredible days with Julia and her family at Plas Y Maes. Even though I was the only Wwofer at the time, everybody made sure that I felt comfortable at the farm and included with the family. I mainly weeded, potted and helped Julia whenever she needed it. But I also worked with Stuart, especially preparing the place to welcome the volunteers who came on the weekend to harvesting apples in the orchard. The work was so relaxing and I had a lot of free time to visit the area and explore on my own. Since it’s a remote place, I couldn’t really move but Julia, Heather or Stuart were always willing to drop me off in Carmarthen, whenever I wanted to go in the city center. I also felt so inspired by each member of the family who have so many projects onwards. For instance, I talked a lot with Heater about spirituality and self-development and now I’m learning numerology! We all gathered for dinner and ate varied and delicious Julia’s food made by heart. She is such a great cooker as well as an amazing and wise woman! In a nutshell, you have to stay at least a few days in Plasymaes because the people and the beauty of Wales’ nature are definitely worth it. Thank you again for everything, I will never forget this place and hope to see you again :) All the best Thao
Paul & Orla
United Kingdom 2023
We had a lovely stay with Julia, Stuart and the rest of the family. There was such a welcoming family feel with lovely home cooked dinners each evening. The accommodation was good and the den area was a really lovely extra space to have. We did a variety of jobs during our stay mainly focusing on weeding and mulching the mandala garden and tidying the polytunnel ready for winter. We also spent some time in the woods collecting firewood which was fun. It was lovely to be able to spend time walking round their land in the afternoons and exploring the stream with our dog Billy! Thank you all so much for having us we had a great time!
Marta
(Spain 2022)
I spent a week at Plasymaes and wished I had stayed longer. The place is wonderful but the family is even more so. From the first moment I felt accepted as one of the family, they treated me wonderfully and it was great to be able to share dinners with them. I found them all charming and pleasant, very grateful and constantly looking out for my wellbeing. I loved the tasks to be carried out: from weeding, picking fruit, transplanting and especially the polytunnel. It exceeds all expectations, thank you so much for all!!
Adeline
Switzerland 2022
I loved my stay at Plas Y Maes, the whole family made me feel very welcome. I was in Plasymaes at the end of September and we maintained and prepared the orchard for the winter, prepared a mandala for next year, planted trees and many other tasks especially with wood (crate making, wood cutting, building a hot tub...). But most of all we had a great time with jam sessions or by the fire. Music was a big part of this trip. I highly recommend it and will be happy to come back next time.
Hazel
United Kingdom 2022
Julia, Stuart and family made me feel very welcome. I got to do different tasks throughout the week, including helping Stuart make a picnic bench, berry picking, repotting, seed collecting and weeding in the poly tunnel. I was welcome to pick whatever veggies I wanted from the land to make food with, provided with fresh eggs and in the evenings the family took it in turns to rustle up absolutely delicious, hearty meals. They catered so amazingly for my allium intolerance, which I was super grateful for. The farm is set in a lovely peaceful location and I had a couple of nice wanders around the land including down by the stream and their stunning oak trees (and getting to chill in the hammock in one of the oaks). I got to stay in their Yurt with it's toasty log burner and frequently had the company of their friendly and very charismatic dogs Rocky and Bertie. The family are a wealth of information on lots of various subjects and Stuart had lots of tips for local adventures. On the last night I was invited to join them and their Air Bnb guests for an improv drumming/instrument jam, which was a great giggle. All in all, a lovely week at Plasymaes.
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