Off-grid Smallholding 70acres pasture and woodland
Carmarthenshire
Woodland Agroecology & Mycology Project – One Planet Development, Wales
We are a small family living and working on a One Planet Development in a 70-acre mixed woodland in a secluded valley on the western edge of the Brecon Beacons. We have been on the land for several years, building our home, growing food, and developing land-based livelihoods rooted in agroecology, food sovereignty, and low-impact living.
The site is remote — around 3 miles from the nearest shop or pub — and suited to people who value quiet, physical work, and time outdoors. If you enjoy woodland landscapes, practical skills, and working with your hands, you’re likely to feel at home here.
What we’re doing
Our work focuses on woodland-based food and material systems, including:
Mushroom cultivation (log inoculation, woodchip beds)
Agroforestry and forest-garden establishment
Woodland management for firewood, timber, and charcoal
Timber framing and low-impact construction
Fencing, infrastructure building, and land maintenance
Annual and perennial food growing integrated into the woodland
Alongside this, we run courses in mushroom cultivation and carpentry, and we’re happy to share skills informally with volunteers who are interested and engaged.
What volunteers will be involved in
This is hands-on, practical work, mostly outdoors. Tasks vary seasonally but typically include:
Timber processing and carpentry projects
Fencing and general land work
Gardening and agroforestry establishment
Log inoculation and mushroom bed creation
Firewood processing and woodland maintenance
We’re looking for people who are self-motivated, curious, and genuinely interested in working on the land. This isn’t a retreat or a holiday — it’s a working project — but there is plenty of scope for learning, conversation, and shared purpose.
Accommodation & food
Accommodation is offered in a small cabin or treehouse, depending on availability.
There is a shared A-frame guest cabin with kitchen and communal living space, as well as compost toilet and shower facilities.
Lunches are shared, and there will be occasional shared evening meals.
At other times, volunteers are welcome to prepare their own food in the A-frame cabin.
We keep chickens.
We’re not vegetarian, but eat very little meat, and when we do it’s locally reared and organic.
Who this suits
This placement suits people who:
Are interested in regenerative agriculture, agroecology, or food sovereignty
Want real experience working on a land-based project
Are comfortable with basic living, compost toilets, and being off-grid
Can work independently and take initiative
Appreciate quiet, rural environments
If you’re keen to learn, contribute meaningfully, and be part of an evolving woodland livelihood project, we’d be happy to hear from you. If you have questions or want to know more about what we’re doing, just get in touch.
Current projects:
- Building and expanding gardens.
- Creating Tree nursery
- Walipini (Dug-in ) Greenhouse
Internet access available
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Poultry farming
Forestry
Wild foraging
Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Green Building
Renewable energy production
Food justice / sovereignty
Methods or systems
No-till farming
Permaculture
Regenerative agriculture
Host type
Nonprofit / Community
Former WWOOFer
28.3
Hectares
|
70
Acres
Accommodation
James
Member since 2019
Languages spoken:
Danish, English, Welsh
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Mon
Tue
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Fri
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Response rate: 57%
Response time: typically within 11 days
Carmarthenshire
In short, google SA19 9DR and this will bring up our neighbouring farm on Google maps. Follow these directions but along the final approach take the the first left after you come up the steep hill with two sharp bends. Look out for sign Coed Talylan on th
Reviews
Chris
United Kingdom
•
June 2025
We were delighted to spend our first Wwoofing experience with James & Sara. They kept our 2 weeks interesting with various daily tasks that they would carry out themselves. These included:
Cleaning of communal areas
Mushroom innoculation (including how to create their environments)
Maintaining cultivation zones
Preparing green wood for construction
Forest management
Processing fire wood
Building the sauna (tiling)
Constructing a compost loo
Planting out brassicas & relocating established herbs at the market garden
Weeding & clearing of planting areas
Our work hours were around 9 to 4, 5 days a week with an our for lunch. James & Sara were very knowledgeable in their subjects & we're happy to answer any questions that we had. In the evenings we could explore the ancient oaks & ruins on their land, alongside making up creative games to play with their amazing children.
The food that was prepared for us was really yummy, healthy, organic & localy sourced where possible. We stayed in our van whilst there but accommodation & Camping was available.
We hope to return to Coed Talylan one day to see how things are going.
It's a 10/10 from us folks!
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Teagan
United States
•
June 2024
the location is in secluded woodlands, with an ancient hillfort in walking distance and the beautiful welsh countryside all around. living off-grid comes with potentially both prosperity and hardship, and it requires a considerable adjustment for those unfamiliar to it. that being said, I learned a great deal during my stay—about living off the land, various practical skills, and beyond, but unfortunately I did not learn so much as I had hoped about mushrooms, which was initially my main reason for volunteering here. james and sara are very knowledgable and skilled, though they left me to work alone most of the time and with little guidance; one has to be proactive and, if like myself wanting to learn more fully, actively seek information, repeatedly asking questions. most evenings, james would cook delicious, wholesome meals, oftentimes including ingredients farmed or foraged, and volunteers were welcome to cook and bake as well. thank you again to james and sara for hosting me.
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Sophie
United Kingdom
•
June 2024
I had a good time at Coed Talylan. The site is beautiful - set in the Brecon Beacons woodlands, the views are phenomenal. Walking to the cabin every morning through the woods, saying hello to their duck, cats and chickens along the way, was a lovely way to wake up and start the day. I spent my week learning carpentry skills (which I was an absolute beginner to but soon found my flow!) and helping towards the building of their home. Thank you James and Sara for your skill sharing and delicious meals. Wishing you all the best with everything.
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Abigail
United Kingdom
•
September 2021
James and Sara were great hosts! We had a lovely time and learned a lot (particularly liked learning about mushrooms!).
Rob
United Kingdom
•
October 2020
James and Sara were very welcoming hosts and we had some interesting discussions. Beautiful location to learn about living off the land and the day to day of an off-grid. PS the food was amazing can't wait for the cookbook
