We are transforming an old abandoned industrial land into a ecovillage with a group of 50 people
Groningen
Notification: currently we are part of the EU subsidised ESC-project, enabling volunteers to come and live with us for a period from 1 to 6 months. WIth this programme your travel costs will be covered, as well as daily pocket money. Also, you will be provided with private accomodation. This programme starts only in June 2026. If interested, please send me a message mentioning this. Beware that spaces for this subsidised programma are limited!
Hey there, welcome to our ecocommunity of currently 50 people (more than 30 adults and about 20 children) living on an abandonded industrial factory land that we are, step by step, transforming into an ecologically sound area using the principles of permaculture. We want to create another form of living which is in tune with nature and all living being living there with us. We are currently building houses for the residents of the ecovillage, setting up and cultivating (forest) gardens and working on the communal basic infrastructure and facilities such as a bigger communal space and an art gallery. Among the people, some dogs and cats live here as well as some chickens and two horses.
You can start your day participating in our morning yoga session. During the day, you could be working in one of the gardens, or assisting in some sustainable building activities. Also, we need help in the children's education and in the kitchen. In close communication, we will come to a diverse week programme that suits you best. Depending on the season, we will sow and plant vegetables, harvest and process herbs, do weeding and mulching.
We provide you with your daily meals on the days that you work (monday to friday). Most dinners will be in our communal space where all ecovillage members eat together. Preferably you come with your own accomodation such as a camper, caravan or tent. We have limited sleeping facilities, but if you don't have your own, we can look for a way to arrange a suitable accomodation. We do have some beds in a shared room if you don't mind sharing your space. We do have toilets, showers and a kitchen that can be used.
We have several communal activitities in which you can participate such as (almost) daily yoga and meditation, sharing circles, occasionally we gather around the fire, organise singing circles, have movie nights, or do fun game evenings. We have a small swimming pond and a canal in which you can swim. We have (mountain)bikes that can be used to make a ride, and there is a lot of forest around in which to wander. There is an interesting monastery close by and the village of Ter Apel is at a 10 minute biking distance.
Please be aware that we only accept Wwoofers who can commit themselves to us for a minimum of three weeks!
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Forestry
Beekeeping
Wild foraging
Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Green Building
Renewable energy production
Food justice / sovereignty
Methods or systems
Biological pest control
No-till farming
Permaculture
Louise
Member since 2024
Languages spoken:
Dutch, English, French, German, Spanish
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Response rate: 44%
Response time: typically within 6 days
Groningen
Emmen train station
Reviews
Derya Nur
Netherlands
•
August 2025
I aimed to get in hand observation of sustainable communal life practice. Right place to arrive. Residents of Aiene(One) have lots of & diverse knowledge such as building houses, sustainable energy, circularity, direction of frequency, herbs, mouth care, vegetable gardening, water systems, horse care, facility management, education, architecture, ecological products, music, holistic body and mind practices, creativity and more!
But how are these people getting together and able to sustain a communal village in the long-term? The secret is their agreement on sociocracy! It is based on values of care, work, idealism and living in respect to nature and people. Sociocracy is a way of governing based on consent based decision making and distributed authority which aims to act and gather in care and respect by bottom up action.
Till the idea-need-problem unfolds through communication, the community maintains conversation till each person agrees upon the decision!
However, volunteer work consists of removing and storing heavy bricks, herbs, farming, building work and general maintenance. Often there are activities that are nice to attend such as ecstatic dance, singing n sharing circles, play&fight game. It was nice to be there sharing food with nice people for 3 weeks at the village. Both in theory and practice the Land van Aine is an eco-sustainable space and community. Thanks for welcoming me.
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Amandine
France
•
October 2024
Mon mois de wwoofing s'est très bien passé avec tous les jolis habitants de l'éco-village Land Van Aine. J'ai adoré participé à ce merveilleux projet de vie en communauté éco-responsable. J'ai ainsi fait du jardinage, aidé à construire un mur, fait de la peinture, aidé à la cuisine et d'autres missions diverses pour améliorer le confort et la sécurité des habitants.
J'ai rencontré de magnifiques personnes lors des moments de travail mais aussi lors de moments conviviaux autour d'un feu, d'un repas ou d'une activité comme la méditation, le cercle de femmes, les jeux de société, la danse ou encore le chant. J'ai apprécié découvrir chacun, jouer avec les plus jeunes, partager avec les plus âgés.
Ils sont à l'écoute et très ouverts aux émotions qui peuvent être partagées avant la journée de travail. Ces temps permettent de se reconnecter avec soi même et avec les autres autour du thé du matin.
Mais j'ai aussi eu du temps pour moi, ce qui m'a permis d'apprécier ce beau lieu en pleine nature sous le soleil d'automne et de profiter des week-ends pour visiter le reste du pays.
J'ai aimé évoluer dans cette aura positive et rencontrer toutes ces personnes exceptionnelles.
Merci Land van Aine.
Je vous souhaite un belle évolution.
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