Welcome to Vaikuntha 🌱

Before you arrive · for our WWOOFers · Guerstling, Nied Valley (France)

We're so glad you're coming! Vaikuntha is a non-profit nature space in the Nied Valley – we live and learn with nature and from nature, in the rhythm of the seasons. This sheet tells you what to expect and what to bring – and asks you a few questions so we can prepare well for your time with us.

Our deal – honest and fair

What we offer you

A home in paradise: your own WWOOFer caravan surrounded by green
Good, fresh food – much of it from our own garden
Hands-on learning: gardening, self-sufficiency, crafts, community life
An open, respectful atmosphere in German-French surroundings

What we ask of you

Committed help within your abilities — as a guideline: about 4 hours a day, 6 days a week
Reliability with the fixed tasks (above all watering, kitchen, cleanliness)
Open, dependable communication – when in doubt, just ask
Care for your accommodation, the tools and the place

Flexible hours, a fair balance As a guideline, we count on about 4 hours of help per day, 6 days a week (one day off by arrangement). When you put in your hours is up to you – early, late, spread across the day, whatever suits you and the tasks. The one thing that matters: the deal stays fair. We give a lot, and we love having people here whose heart is in it.

“If you do not do what you cannot do, it is all right. But if you do not do what you can do, your life is a tragedy.” — Sadhguru

Where we eat & the kitchen

Meals happen in the main house "Gunther" – our community house for eating, meeting and workshops. Breakfast and lunch are up to you, whenever you like, in the kitchen. Dinner is always together at the big table – around 9 pm in summer, around 8 pm in winter. You're welcome to use the kitchen at any time.

Important: the kitchen is WWOOFer responsibility We help out and often cook together – but making sure the kitchen runs and stays clean is on you WWOOFers. Thursday is WWOOFer cooking day: that's when you cook for the community. Let us know in advance if you have allergies or a special diet.

Work areas – what there is to do here

Area	Typical tasks
Garden & watering ⭐	Watering morning & evening (takes priority over everything else!), tending beds, sowing, planting, harvesting
Trees & green spaces	Watering young trees, mulching, meadow care
Kitchen	Cooking together, supplies, keeping things tidy – your responsibility
Animals	Care and feeding after an introduction
Compost & cycles	Tending the compost, sorting and avoiding waste
Building & repairs	Small building and repair jobs, woodwork
Community	Looking after shared spaces, helping prepare events

Getting here & contact

Address: Rue de la Nied, Lieudit Auf Evernese M178, F-57320 Guerstling (France, right on the German border)
Contact: bene@vaikuntha.eu — please get in touch with your planned arrival time.

What to bring

Work clothes that can get dirty + sturdy shoes (rubber boots are worth their weight in gold)
Rain jacket, sun hat, sunscreen – we spend a lot of time outdoors
Slippers (we take our shoes off in the main house), headlamp/torch
Towels and personal items; we provide bed linen
Proof of your insurance: health, accident and personal liability insurance are your own responsibility (WWOOF standard)

A short questionnaire before you arrive

Please fill this in before you travel and send it back to bene@vaikuntha.eu (a photo/scan is fine) – or simply answer the questions informally by email. It helps us plan tasks, meals and your first week well.

1 · Name, age, where you're from & languages

2 · Planned dates (arrival – departure) and how you're travelling

3 · What skills & experience are you bringing? (tick all that apply)

Gardening / growing vegetables Cooking for groups Woodwork / carpentry Building / crafts in general Working with animals Scything / mowing / meadow care Music / art / creative work Technology / electrics / IT Childcare / education First aid Other:

4 · Experience living with several people (shared flat, community, farm, camps …)

none yet some a lot

Tell us briefly: where have you lived with others before, and what matters to you in shared living?

5 · Experience in the kitchen

beginner I cook regularly I enjoy cooking & am confident cooking for groups

What do you love to cook? (Thursday is WWOOFer cooking day!)

6 · Diet & allergies (vegetarian/vegan, intolerances …)

7 · Health & limits (anything you can't do physically, or only to a limited extent)

8 · Insurance (required – please confirm)

I have valid health insurance (with coverage abroad for France) I have private personal liability insurance I understand that accident/health coverage is my own responsibility

9 · What would you like to learn with us – and what would you like to share with us?

10 · Anything else we should know?