Happy, Helpful, Compassionate Volunteers!
- merav662
- Nov 24
- 5 min read
Biura & Umul stayed with us for two weeks over Lughnasadh (Named after the Celtic god Lugh, who is associated with skills, craftsmanship, and agriculture).
They're delightfully helpful to have around, and they fitted in well, with our land related, earth celebration approach & work ethics. Although not all that experienced,they do come with an open mind, willingness to get stuck in and a desire to 'allow' different, new experiences to flow, and are usually grateful for the opportunity to grow in new directions, especially, as a result of learning experience.
Quality empirical students, who pay close attention to spoken and practical demo details. They have driven to Karuna, all the way from Russia, in a small van with their little dog 'Goyo'.
Here's a great little video of us all working together, pressing apple juice!
One of the first, simple ,basic carpentry tasks for Biura was to assist making few shelves for the *new Apple shop, at the main entrance. I noticed that he didnt have much experienced , but is very eager to get on,pay attention and learn fast. Not all volunteers have this positive approach.We always feel very fortunate when the right kind of people turn up, such as these two eager beavers!
There are over 100 varieties of apple growing at Karuna, Eaters,Cookers and Cider.
Many have a long shelf life and can be stored for up to 8 months.
Why buy chemically sprayed, nutritionally deprived Apples from the shops? We feel that we are doing our local community a big favour, supplying them with a diverse selection of fresh, healthy fruit from our Organic Forest garden.
Apples are both purifying and healing~ we very much hope more people will stop by to experience our Food-medicine!
It's always good to relax, and enjoy some creative 'sound times!'
If you are passing and the shed door is closed, feel free to open up, go inside, select and bag up, your quality, natural, 'value for money' produce.
Good health to you ALL!
Kate was really a very helpful volunteer to have over at K.
She was able to do some good work on our vehicles, and even check the tappets and take off the fuel tank of my Enfield motorbike. Her cute creative daughter' Poppy, was an avid young artist,who kept busy with the some water colours that i bought her to keep her out of mischeif!
Comment ~ "My daughter, Poppy and I had a wonderful stay with Janta and Merav, from the outset we were made to feel welcome and throughout shared lovely home cooked food together, with many of the ingredients sourced from their own land. Thier resilient nature and belief in their lifestyle shines bright, you can't not be inspired by the beautiful surroundings they've created and their dedication. We participated in various tasks and knowledge exchange, and the whole experience was thoroughly enjoyable. Thank you for accommodating us and for making adjustments to facilitate my daughter joining me".
'Purvi' From DIU - Gujarat. After many yrs experience as a volunteer and hosting volunteers, we have become reasonably apt, at finding the right chores for the right people, at the right time!
I pillioned Purvi around the S.Shropshire hills, we did some off-roading, as conditions were perfectly safe and dry.
Hayley is a treasure to have around.
She has served 22yrs as a Nurse in the military.
She plans to start a new life, and start a land project of her very own.
Furthermore, she was thirsty for experience, which she lapped up!... Very positive 'Happy energi'- closely connected to animals, especially dogs. She had her own 'live in vehicle' and travelled with her old dog. An enjoyable person to take out, and socialise with.
Janik, is 31 years old, working as a physical therapist, and currently studying meteorology & climate. He's a responsible person with a deep love for nature and a strong interest in the connection between humans and the natural world. Janik is most at peace when he's outside—whether working, walking, hiking, rock climbing or just taking in the surrounding beauty.
Left comment: "Merav and Janta were very nice and welcoming. They have a beautiful house, and I was always welcomed there. I had a lot of different tasks, which I liked. It included berry picking, digging potatoes, trimming grass and bushes, forest work and a few other small tasks. Work load was around 5-6 hours per day with Saturday a bit less and Sunday off. The food was really lovely. Always fresh and healthy. Janta and Merav knew a lot about healthy food and nutrition, and there is a lot to learn from them. Even though we had some different opinions on some topics, the communication and interactions were always respectful. When I left, Janta drove me to Shrewsbury to drop me off. I had a learning experience and enjoyed spending a lot of time in nature. Thanks for the nice stay Merav and Janta!
'Miranda', a super lovely, helpful person to have around, happy and calming!
She wrote; "I had a great week here. Janta and Merav clearly thought about what my experience would be like, days were full and varied as I was quickly adopted into life at [Host]. Jobs included harvesting, pressing apples, woodland management, weeding and watering, and caring for the ducks. Janta is a creative chef and the food was great. Merav's knowledge and connection with the garden was great to tap into. I had interesting, thought-provoking conversations with both of them. I loved the ducks and their pond for morning dips! The caravan was cosy, and they opened their amazing strawbale roundhouse home to me for meals and warmth. It was a full-on week and I learned a lot! Thank you.
Comment from Jane (sept 2025).
"Lots of thanks to Merav and Janta (and Hoshi the dog!) for making my week at Karuna so pleasant. It's a lovely peaceful place, and I was very comfortable parked up in my camper among the trees. These were all planted when they arrived around 20 years ago - what a transformation from when this area was grazed by sheep! The amount of fruit on the apple trees has to be seen to be believed, and I loved the different juices and different drinks I had each day made from garden produce. Although the weather wasn't always on my side, I was given a nice variety of tasks, including pruning, weeding and harvesting. I worked around 5 hours most days. The polytunnel with all those tomatoes, peppers, chillies, herbs etc. was a great place to shelter when the heavens opened ;) Each day I enjoyed a delicious lunch with Merav and Janta - mainly using veg from the garden. My vegan diet was accommodated no problem. Another bonus was the lake, which was great for a swim, though starting to get a little chilly! Merav and Janta were very welcoming to me and it was interesting to learn about their background, what brought them to settle here, their approach to life and plans for the future. I wish them all the best and hope that Karuna goes from strength to strength" :)
'Hoshi' keeps protecting the Ducks from Fox's , and keeps vermin away. Sounding off when she hears anything unusual/out of the ordinary.
And she gives heaps 'n' heaps of love to our volunteers!
*She is a master of living in the moment!
For Hoshi, life is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be sniffed out and lived.
AUM SHANTI
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