Organic homestead on the foothills of Western Carpathian Mountains.

Sălaj
Organic homestead on the foothills of Western Carpathian Mountains.
Organic homestead on the foothills of Western Carpathian Mountains. Organic homestead on the foothills of Western Carpathian Mountains.
23 Updated 6 months ago
Hello, we are a family of four, Cosmin, Oana and our two children Cris and Andrei. We live on an aproximate 2.5ha plot of land composed mostly of grassland and traditional fruit orchard, a small 1000 sqm arable land where we grow vegetables including in two greenhouses. On our land we have a temporary stream, a spring with drinkable water and a small pond where we grow fish with water lilies and reed. On one side the land borders a forest with sandstone cliff and we often forage for mushrooms, herbs, medicinal plant and berries for fresh consumption and preservation for winter. In order to work the land and manage the farm we own a small tractor and ATV(quad). We grow poultry and waterfowl for eggs and meat. Currently we have as pets a goose named Anabelle, two cats and a dog named Simba (lagotto romagnolo). Cosmin is a hobby carpenter and can make from wood almost anything and Oana paints, tailors and bakes for family. Our parents live nearby and help us with chores as we also work as biologists at Jibou Botanical Garden. We believe in self sufficiency and low environment impact and strive to preserve and revive the traditional ways of land management and food production and preservation. With us you can experience a traditional way of living typical for Transylvanian villages. We can teach you everything we know about farm management, food production and preservation use of natural resources in a responsible low impact way. From daily chores (feed and care for animals), maintaining a vegetable garden and greenhouse and grassland to handcrafting objects for house use and use of aromatic and medicinal herbs we will be very happy to share with you all theses experiences. In 2026 we plan to move and expand our geese and duck enclosure and grow more of these very funny and resilient birds. We own a second house that we do not use and where we can accommodate you with modern comfort conditions should you need it including wifi and tv. The house is about 200m on the same street. We will welcome you as guests and share the food according to your dietary needs. We recently built a traditional wood-burning sauna, open-air shower and a meditation room where we can relax in the evening. We consider it important, and start a family project on collecting and preserving the old apple trees as well as document the traditional architecture of the old houses in our area and will be happy to take you in trips in exploratory documenting in the surrounding villages. We often go in day-trips to the mountains around and you of corse are welcome. Unfortunately we are not able to host Wwoofers that do not hold the legal right for volunteer work in Romania or EU as we are not legally entitled to provide an invitation letter necessary to obtain a Romanian or EU Visa!
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Poultry farming
Beekeeping
Wild foraging
Flower farming
Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas
Seed saving or production
Bakery
Traditional crafts
Methods or systems
Biological pest control
Regenerative agriculture
Host type
Self-sufficiency property
2.5 Hectares | 6.2 Acres
Accommodation
4+ WWOOFers
Bedroom
Campsite
Children accepted
Pets accepted
Meals
Omnivore
Vegetarian
Vegan
Length of stay
Weekend
Less than a week
1-2 weeks
3-4 weeks
Over a month
Cosmin
Cosmin
Member since 2024
Languages spoken: English, French, Italian, Romanian
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 100% Response time: typically within 1 day
Sălaj
Cluj-Napoca Airport/ Aghires or Huedin train stations/ Zimbor bus stop.
Feedback
Gundula
Gundula
Germany • August 2026
I spent 2,5 weeks with Cosmin, Oana and their 15 years old son Andreii. The family gave me a very warm welcome and I felt very much at home. As they all speak English, it was very easy to communicate. They love to chat and have an incredible amount of interesting things to tell. At the weekend, their son Cris came home. The food is very good, plentiful and, above all, typically Romanian. Cosmin and Oana work full-time in Jibou. So I spent a lot of time with André, or rather, I had time to go for walks in the nearby woods and to read. When the parents were back, we harvested the crops together, prepared the vegetables and watered the large vegetable patch. As Cosmin and Oana are biologists, they can tell you a great deal about the variety of plants. Whilst I was there, the family went on holiday for four days. During that time, another WWOOFer and I were responsible for the animals and the vegetable patch. The accommodation in a separate house is perfect; it’s only a 5-minute walk to the family’s house, where all the meals are eaten. Thank you very much, dear Oana, Cosmin, Chris and Andreii for sharing your life with me. Thank you also for the lovely trip to the mountains! Thank you so much for taking me to church, and for letting me accompany Oana on the pilgrimage! That was a wonderful experience. The festival in Mera was also brilliant – the family sold food there, and they organised a ticket for me as well as the return journey. Thank you!!!
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Amaury
Amaury
France • August 2026
To be honest, my stay at Chickadee Farm wasn’t originally planned. Circumstances meant I ended up here more or less by chance (thanks Harry and Örs). I’m absolutely delighted, I’ve had three amazing weeks! My stay was truly enriching in every way (the people I met, the places I visited, the work, the food, the things I learnt, the fun – everything). The whole family are absolutely lovely, generous and friendly, and you feel at home very quickly. They love sharing their culture and way of life, whilst remaining helpful, sincere and curious. So a huge thank you to all of you – Comsin, Oana, Andrei, Chris and Bunica – for taking me in at the last minute. See you!
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Bianca
Bianca
United Kingdom • July 2026
I was very lucky to spend 2 lovely weeks with the family at chickadee farm and would highly recommend to anyone looking to take part in the rhythm of everyday life in the village and farm and enjoy Romania's landscape. I enjoyed the walks, ATV rides, delicious meals, fence making, and learning how to pickle, preserve, grow, and harvest food - there is a lot to learn and do! (and a lot of cats to pet). I loved visiting the monastery, Jibou's botanical gardens, and learning about Oana's and Cosmin's research as biologists there! Super informative and fun stay. A massive thank you to Oana, Cosmin, Andrei and bunica for their incredible hospitality!
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Maxime
Maxime
France • July 2026
I spent three absolutely incredible weeks with Cosmin, Oana, and Andrei. They were incredibly welcoming and more than warm. Right up until the end, I enjoyed every single day I spent working with them. I learned a lot, and it didn’t even feel like work. It’s varied and involves everything from helping with household tasis to chopping wood, planting, watering, maintaining the grounds, and building things in the garden or around the house. I felt right at home, and I want nothing more than to come back. Thanks again for you generosity, kindness and humour!
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Mélanie
Mélanie
France • July 2026
We came as a family to Cosmin’s farm and are very grateful to him, Oana and Andrey for giving us such a warm welcome. Picking berries, working in the garden, feeding the animals, discovering how to cook with flowers and fruit, ... We also enjoyed the delicious Romanian cuisine prepared by Oana and Cosmin’s mother, explored the surrounding forest with their son Andrey, and discovered the magnificent Carpathian Mountains with Cosmin . It was our first time woofing and we were very happy; we hope to stay in touch with Cosmin and his family!
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Harry
Harry
United Kingdom • July 2026
I had a lovely time staying at Chickadee farms with Cosmin, Oana, and young Andrei. Their reputation precedes them! They were very thoughtful, kind, and accommodating, I immediately felt a part of the family. It was a nice way to really get to know the rural Romanian lifestyle, especially the food made by Oana and bunica (grandma) who lives just down the road. The highlight was visiting their place of work: the botanical gardens in Jibou. My whole stay was super informative - they know their stuff! Great chats, good work, great food!
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